Nordic Indigenous cinema has been making waves across the globe, and this year, TIFF audiences are about to get a taste of Sámi brilliance with the world premiere of A SÁMI WEDDING (Heajastallan – Bryllupsfesten). Selected for the prestigious Primetime section, this 8-part, half-hour series blends sharp drama with the kind of chaotic humor that only family and a wedding can deliver.
Created and directed by Åse Kathrin Vuolab (Sámi) with Pål Jackman as conceptual director, the series drops us into the small Sámi town of Kautokeino. At its center is Garen, a woman trapped in a loveless marriage and burdened by a family that takes more than it gives. When her son is set to marry into a wealthy reindeer-herding family, Garen sees her chance to climb the social ladder by staging the perfect wedding.
Tradition dictates that the groom’s family handles everything, which means roping in her siblings: Henry, the gay artist who despises all things Sámi; Belle, the outspoken addict; and Johan, the village fuckboy.
Together, this dysfunctional crew has to pull off a wedding under the watchful eyes of their community, where everything that can go wrong, will.
Produced by Mer Film, Tordenfilm, and Forest People for NRK, with support from the International Sámi Film Institute and international sales handled by REinvent, A SÁMI WEDDING proves once again that Indigenous storytelling is bold, messy, and impossible to ignore.
With dialogue in Northern Sámi, Norwegian, and English, and a premiere on NRK set for early 2026, this series is a reminder that Indigenous cinema isn’t just participating in the global conversation; it’s rewriting the rules.
TIFF Screening Schedule:
Sep 6, 02:45 p.m., Scotia 9 | Press & Industry
Sep 8, 03:10 p.m., Scotia 13 | Public
Sep 9, 09:00 p.m., Scotia 5 | Public
Official support is provided by the International Sámi Film Institute and the Indigenous Cinema Alliance (ICA).
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