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Berlin sales outfit M-Appeal has sealed further deals for Norwegian director Dag Johan Haugerud’s Berlinale Golden Bear winner “Dreams,” as well as additional sales for “Sex” and “Love,” the other films in the director’s trilogy.

“Dreams” follows Johanne, a young woman who documents her first love — an infatuation with her teacher — through intimate writing. When her mother and grandmother discover her work, their initial shock turns to recognition of its literary merit. As they weigh publishing it, Johanne is forced to reconcile fantasy with reality, while all three women explore their differing perspectives on love, sexuality and self-discovery.

Vendetta Films has acquired the trilogy for Australia and New Zealand. “We fell in love with ‘Dreams’ and we think this unique and mystery-filled spin on the age-old tale of a student falling for their teacher is perfect for modern audiences. We’re so excited to bring Dag Johan Haugerud...

Official awards of the 75th Berlinale International Film Festival have been announced and “Dreams” directed by Dag Johan Haugerud won the Golden Bear Award.

According to the report of Mansour Jahani, an independent and international cinema journalist, The closing ceremony of the Berlinale International Film Festival was held at 18:00 on February 22, 2025, at the Berlinale Palast in the city of Berlin, Germany, and the winners of various competition, including; the Main Competition, Perspectives (Gwff Best First Feature Award), the Berlinale Documentary Award as well as the Berlinale Shorts prizes were introduced and the prestigious Golden Bear award for the best film and other awards of this film event were awarded to the winners.

The Prizes of the International Jury

The members of the 2025 International Jury, The members of the jury of the Main Competition of this prestigious and first-class world cinema event are: The US-American director, screenwriter and producer Todd Haynes,...

Norwegian director Dag Johan Haugerud has completed his trilogy with “Dreams (Sex Love),” presented in Berlinale’s main competition. Its previous parts, “Sex” and “Love,” were shown at Berlinale’s Panorama and in Venice. M-Appeal handles sales.

“It’s very, very good that it’s over. It has been a long run. Making these three movies wasn’t that hard – releasing them so quickly was,” laughs Haugerud. Admitting the journey wasn’t actually supposed to end with “Dreams.”

“In Norway, it’s ‘Sex,’ ‘Dreams,’ ‘Love.’ Love is the conclusion,” he says.

“I thought it was interesting to first visit a couple that has been together for many years, then go back to first love, and eventually talk about what love can be if it’s as much about caring and responsibility as it is romantic. Also, both ‘Sex’ and ‘Dreams’ end with people going towards the city hall in...

Berlin-based sales outfit M-Appeal has closed adeal on Dag Johan Haugerud’sBerlinale competition title Dreams (Sex Love) with leading Japanese distributor Bitters End.

The first English-language trailer for the film has also been unveiled. Watch it above.

Dreams is the final part of Haugerud’s Sex, Love, Dreams trilogy. Sex premiered in the Berlinale Panorama last year whileLove was in the main competition in Venice.

M-Appeal also confirmed Bitters End, which handled titles such as Oppenheimer, Perfect Days, La Chimera and The Holdovers in Japan,has also acquired the other two titles in the trilogy. A theatrical release is planned...

Berlin-based sales outfit M-Appeal has closed adeal on Dag Johan Haugerud’sBerlinale competition title Dreams (Sex Love) with leading Japanese distributor Bitters End.

The first English-language trailer for the film has also been unveiled. Watch it above.

Dreams is the final part of Haugerud’s Sex, Love, Dreams trilogy. Sex premiered in the Berlinale Panorama last year whileLove was in the main competition in Venice.

M-Appeal also confirmed Bitters End, which handled titles such as Oppenheimer, Perfect Days, La Chimera and The Holdovers in Japan,has also acquired the other two titles in the trilogy. A theatrical release is planned...

Norwegian director Dag Johan Haugerud’s “Love,” which premiered in Venice competition, and received the film critics’ prize Bisato d’Oro, has sold to additional European territories.

The film will screen in Busan’s World Cinema strand next month.

The film has secured distribution for Greece (One from the Heart), Baltics (Best Film Baltics), Ex-Yugoslavia (McF MegaCom), Poland (Aurora), and Hungary (Vertigo Media).

The film has already been sold to North America (Strand Releasing), France (Pyramide), U.K. and Ireland (Modern Films), Germany and Austria (Alamode), Italy (Wanted Cinema), Benelux (September Film), Spain (Filmin), Czech Republic and Slovakia (Pilot Film), and Switzerland (Xenix Film).

Lefteris Adamidis, partner and head of acquisitions at One from the Heart, told Variety: “’What the World Needs Now Is Love’ sings Dionne Warwick and we feel that indeed the world urgently needs films like ‘Love’: gentle, compassionate and intelligent.”

“Love” centers on Marianne, a pragmatic doctor,...

Just like Salt-n-Pepa, Dag Johan Haugerud wants to talk about sex.

“If you always show it as something dark and dangerous … that’s just wrong. I wanted to show sex as normal and ordinary, as something that doesn’t need to feel threatening or be all about spicy imagery. It’s a part of everyday life,” Norwegian director tells Variety.

In “Love,” a follow-up to award-winning “Sex” and a second part of the trilogy set to conclude with “Dreams,” his characters continue to look for connection. They also reveal what they really want, sharing the most intimate secrets. “Love” makes its world-premiere in Venice’s main competition.

“We should talk more about physical attraction and all these sensations. Otherwise, and also because of the way it’s portrayed in the media, many young people will just continue to associate sex with violence,” he says.

“Once you start having these conversations,...

Arthouse distributor Strand Releasing has taken North American rights for Norwegian filmmaker Dag Johan Haugerud’s “Love,” which makes its world premiere on Sept. 6 in the main competition of the Venice Film Festival. M-Appeal is handling world sales for the film.

“Love” is the latest entry in Haugerud’s “Sex,” “Love” and “Dreams” trilogy, which delves into modern relationships and intimacy. “Sex,” the first instalment, premiered at the Berlinale.

Strand, which celebrates its 35th anniversary this year, previously acquired “Sex,” and will release both films theatrically in spring 2025.

Jon Gerrans, co-president of Strand, said: “Haugerud has crafted a wonderfully intelligent, provocative and unique approach to personal, adult relationships, with a sly wink toward our own attitudes toward sex, love and desire.”

“Love” tells the story of Marianne, a pragmatic doctor, and Tor, a compassionate nurse, who both avoid conventional relationships. One evening, after a blind date, Marianne encounters Tor on the ferry.

Forget about “The Magnificent Seven”: It’s time for The Magnificent Six, competing for the Nordic Council Film Prize this year.

The nominees – consisting of four fiction and two documentary feature films and each representing one of the Nordic countries – were announced by Nordisk Film & TV Fond at the Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund.

Denmark is represented by “The Son and the Moon,” directed by Roja Pakari and Emilie Adelina Monies. Written by Pakari – documenting her own struggle with cancer – and Denniz Göl Bertelsen, it’s produced by Sara Stockmann for Sonntag Pictures.

“Twice Colonized” by Lin Alluna, hailing from Greenland, was written by Aaju Peter and Alluna. Pic is produced by Emile Hertling Péronard for Ánorâk Film, Red Marrow Media and EyeSteelFilm.

“I’m extremely happy about the nomination and the fact that Greenland is now, for only the second time, represented at the Nordic Council Film Prize.

Norwegian director Dag Johan Haugerud’s Love has sold to multiple territories ahead of its world premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival.

The film is the second part of a trilogy that began with Sex (in competition at the Berlinale earlier this year) and will end with Dreams.

Buyers falling for Love include Modern Films for UK and Ireland, Wanted for Italy, Filmin for Spain, Xenix Film for Switzerland, and Pilot Films for the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The same distributors also picked up Sex earlier this year, but it’s yet to be confirmed if they will also be releasing Dreams.

Norwegian director Dag Johan Haugerud’s Berlinale Panorama premiere Sex has landed further theatrical deals for M-Appeal across Europe.

Deals have now been closed in Germany (Alamode), Austria (Polyfilm), Benelux (September Film Distribution), Spain (Filmin) and Italy (Wanted Cinema).

Sex follows two men, played by Jan Gunnar Røise and Thorbjørn Harr, both in heterosexual marriages, who have an unexpected experience that challenges them to reconsider their understanding of sexuality, gender and identity.

It is produced by Yngve Sæther and Hege Hauff Hvattum for Norway’s Motlys, and is the first in a planned trilogy, with Dreams and Love to follow.

Don’t get too hot and bothered over the title of the new Norwegian film Sex. The act itself in this first entry in a new trilogy from writer-director Dag Johan Haugerud is really only just talked about in this intriguing movie mostly dependent on leaning into its main characters’ words and descriptions, not a whole lot of visual information. Winner of the Europa Cinemas Label as Best European Film in the Panorama section of the current Berlin Film Festival, where it had its world premiere this week, Haugerud has announced this as this first of three films — Sex, Dreams, and then Love — featuring the same cast and dealing overall with themes of desire, identity and freedom, not to mention sexuality and the place of gender in our lives and society. This first stand-alone film also leans heavily into masculinity in ways it is not normally discussed by guys, but...

Strand Releasing has acquired North American rights to Dag Johan Haugerud’s “Sex” following its premiere in the Panorama section at the Berlin Film Festival.

The movie, which is represented in international markets by M-Appeal, is the first part of Haugerud‘s “Sex Dreams Love,” an exploration of sexuality and gender roles.

The film, the first part of the “Sex Dreams Love” trilogy by Norway’s Dag Johan Haugerud, has garnered attention for its thought-provoking exploration of sexuality and gender roles.

“Sex” follows two men in heterosexual marriages, who have an unexpected experience that challenges them to reconsider their understanding of sexuality, gender and identity. One has a sexual encounter with another man, without considering it either as an expression of homosexuality or infidelity and discusses it with his wife afterwards. The other finds himself in nocturnal dreams where he is seen as a woman, stirring confusion and leading him...

M-Appeal will handle the world sales for “Sex,” the first part of the “Sex Dreams Love” trilogy by Norway’s Dag Johan Haugerud. The film will have its world premiere in the Panorama strand of Berlinale on Feb. 17.

“Sex” follows two men in heterosexual marriages, who have an unexpected experience that challenges them to reconsider their understanding of sexuality, gender and identity. One has a sexual encounter with another man, without considering it either as an expression of homosexuality or infidelity and discusses it with his wife afterwards. The other finds himself in nocturnal dreams where he is seen as a woman, stirring confusion and leading him to question how much his personality is shaped by the gaze of others.

Jan Gunnar Røise and Thorbjørn Harr star as the protagonists, a chimney sweeper and a CEO, both grappling with the impact that their recent experiences is having on their relationships.

“Beware of Children” director Dag Johan Haugerud is ready to talk about “Sex” as the first part of his anticipated “Sex Dreams Love” trilogy is heading to Berlinale’s Panorama in February.

“Making a film called ‘Sex’ calls for all sorts of jokes and misunderstandings during production, everything from being summoned to a ‘sex-meeting’ to emails being censored because someone had written ‘sex-props’ in the subject field,” he tells Variety ahead of the trailer premiere.

“As for the screenplay, there aren’t that many jokes about sex in it. Some awkward humor, yes. But the main point has been about trying to show the short span between ecstatic pleasure and shame. There are – and might always be – two sides of the same coin when it comes to sex, which also means that the uncomfortable and the funny sit quite tight.”

Norwegian drama will focus on two men in heterosexual marriages...

Acclaimed Norwegian helmer Dag Johan Haugerud (“Beware of Children”) has attached actors Thorbjørn Harr as well as Jan Gunnar Røise for the title roles in “Sex,” one of three pics with “Dream” and “Love” that form part of a trilogy about sexuality, longing and transgression.

The project is being produced by Yngve Sæther and Hege Hauff Hvattum for Motlys, in association with Viaplay and the local theatrical distributor Arthaus.

“Sex Dreams Love” will be pitched as a works in progress at the forthcoming Göteborg Film Festival’s parallel Nordic Film Market, which runs Feb. 2-5.

Harr and Røise earned respectively a Norwegian Amanda film award for best supporting actor and best actor for Haugerud’s “Beware of Children,” which snagged a 2020 Dragon Award for best Nordic film at Göteborg.

In “Sex,” set to start shooting this spring, the actors play two colleagues who in different ways are struggling with their sexuality.