Annual Aarhus Film Festival 2026 Day 1
The Annual Aarhus Film Festival returns in May with a bold and diverse programme of 13 short and feature-length films. Taking place on May 9&10 at Øst for Paradis, the AAFF2026 will welcome the city's vibrant crowd for the first time over two days.
Combining films that touch upon various themes through fiction and life-based stories, the annual film festival showcases the power of independent cinema. Sharing the voices of upcoming and established filmmakers from Denmark and beyond, the annual Festival aims to serve as an inspirational cinematic event.
DAY 1 | MAY 9
FEATURE FILM
18.00- 19.30
The Ground Beneath Our Feet • Roca Fannberg • 82' • Iceland, Poland • 2025 •
Feature Documentary Competition
Winter turns to summer that turns to winter and, maybe, to summer again, for a group of elderly people living together in a grand old building in Reykjavik. It is an institution, but also a home. Some have lived a lifetime that spans almost a century. The daily actions they have performed throughout their lives are portrayed as textural meditative experiences, while their bodies and memory perform as creeks flowing down a mountain to the sea. A sensitive and humanistic film about life at the end of life, when there is nowhere to go after Grund but the ground itself.
SHORTS PROGRAMME
19.45 - 21.10
Ladybugs • Thor Zing • 14' • Denmark • 2025 • Student Film Competition
On the way to his grandfather’s funeral, five-year-old Magne locks his father out of the house, refusing to go. As his father fumbles with anger and frustration, Magne holds the power to decide whether they leave.
After Oskar • Frida Stannum • 22' • Denmark • 2024 • Student Film Competition
What do you do when beloved memories become painful to recall? August travels back to his hometown to return something meaningful. But when he discovers that his childhood friend Sylvester no longer wants anything to do with him, old feelings and memories of a shared grief are brought back to life.
All Strings Attached • Kristine Bidstrup • 17' • Denmark • 2024 • Danish Production Competition
When Maria is once again reluctantly thrown into Copenhagen's vibrant pool of singles, she embarks on a journey to discover what true love really means. Heartbroken, she navigates a culture where freedom and "no strings attached" are more of a rule than a choice. But can a hopeless romantic even survive in today's dating world?
Panorama • Nicolaj Larsson • 8' • Denmark • 2025 • Animated Short Competition
Panorama follows a character living in a repetitive, controlled world. When a small disruption awakens something unexpected within them, they begin shifting between two contrasting realities. As the protagonist copes with this change, they must confront the irreversible transformation inside themselves.
Totally Normal Sometimes Weird • Ville Rajala • 7' • Denmark • 2025 • Danish Production Competition
Desperate for a real connection in a world full of pretense, a socially awkward school teacher will do whatever it takes to feel like she belongs.
Those Who Remain • Jakob Korsholm Borum • 17' • Denmark • 2025 • Student FilmCompetition
Markus didn’t get the chance to say a proper goodbye to his father before he died. So he does the only logical thing—pretends to be an old man’s long-lost son.
**Films in English or with English subtitles**