‘The Last Viking’: Mads Mikkelsen black comedy to open SCANDI 2026 in Prague

The 12th edition of the SCANDI contemporary Nordic film festival is set to open in Prague on Jan. 14, 2026, with the Danish black comedy The Last Viking (Den Sidste Viking).

Starring Mads Mikkelsen and Nikolaj Lie Kaas, the film reunites the iconic duo under the direction of Anders Thomas Jensen (Riders of Justice). Following its gala premiere at Kino Lucerna, the festival will run through Jan. 21 across a network of cinemas nationwide.

Edison Filmhub will host the majority of screenings and Q&A sessions.

This year’s selection focuses on “internal landscapes,” films that explore the tension between public personas and private truths.

The Last Viking, which premiered at the 2025 Venice Film Festival, follows two brothers, Anker (Kaas) and Manfred (Mikkelsen), on a devious journey to recover loot from a fifteen-year-old heist.

The mission is complicated by the fact that Manfred, having developed a psychological disorder during his brother’s incarceration, has entirely forgotten where the money is buried. The film serves as a subversive fable on identity, setting the tone for the festival's emotional depth.

From Sweden, Let It Rain (Regnmannen), directed by two-time Oscar nominee Hannes Holm (A Man Called Ove), is set in a drought-stricken Swedish village. It follows a grumpy widower who becomes the accidental center of a miraculous event that locals believe could bring rain, forcing him to reconcile with his estranged daughter and his community.

Danish dramedy To New Beginnings, directed by Paprika Steen, explores interpersonal truths during a New Year’s Eve gathering. Norway’s Don’t Call Me Mama (Se meg) is a psychological drama that explores social taboos through the story of a high school teacher.

The film arrives in Prague with significant momentum after lead actress Pia Tjelta won the Best Actress Award at the 2025 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

Swedish debut Live a Little, partially filmed in the Czech Republic, delves into complex personal boundaries.

Sudden Outbursts of Emotions, by Finnish director Paula Korva, delivers a candid debut feature about Jane, a travel agent who attends a sex-positive retreat in an attempt to save her relationship.

The festival will also celebrate Finnish cult cinema by screening four films from the beloved The Grump film franchise, charting the protagonist’s journey from a cynical farmer to a man finding love in his twilight years.

A major highlight of the documentary section is The Andersson Brothers. Directed by Johanna Bernhardson (the niece of legendary filmmaker Roy Andersson), the film is a tender, intergenerational chronicle of four brothers whose lives diverged sharply despite their shared working-class roots.

The film offers a rare and intimate glimpse into the psychological legacy of one of Europe’s most influential cinematic families. An online Q&A with Bernhardson will take place at Edison Filmhub on Jan. 16.

SCANDI 2026 continues its academic partnership with Alting, the Association of Scandinavian Studies at Charles University.

A student jury will evaluate the competition films, with awards for Best Film and Best Screenplay to be presented during the closing ceremony on Jan. 21. The festival is organized by Film Europe in cooperation with the Scandinavian Embassies and Scandinavian House.

The full program is available at scandifest.cz. All screenings at Edison Filmhub and primary festival venues are subtitled in English. Additional venues include Kino Lucerna, Atlas, and Evald.