At Saturday’s awards ceremony for Berlin International Film Festival, Dag Johan Haugerud’s film Dreams (Sex Love) received the Golden Bear. This marks the first time a Norwegian feature film has won this prize.

"Never before has a Norwegian film received this honor. That it is now happening with Dreams (Sex Love) is a fantastic recognition of Dag Johan Haugerud as a filmmaker and a powerful conclusion to the launch of the trilogy Sex Dreams Love, all of which have reached international audiences at major festivals. A project as artistically ambitious as this trilogy, exploring queer love and sexuality, has now proven to have a profound impact far beyond Norway’s borders. We know these are stories that could not have been made just anywhere, yet they are now set to meet audiences across the world - with one of the most prestigious film trophies in hand. That is truly remarkable," says Kjersti Mo, CEO of the Norwegian Film Institute. 

With Dreams (Sex Love), Dag Johan Haugerud and his filmmaking team returned to Berlin, where Sex - the first film in the trilogy - had its world premiere in February 2024. In the meantime, the third film in the trilogy, Love (Kjærlighet), was featured in the main competition in Venice.

"We are overwhelmed by the reception of DREAMS (Sex Love) here in Berlin. Winning the Golden Bear, in addition to the FIPRESCI Prize from the international critics and the German arthouse cinema award earlier today, feels insanely good. The trilogy began its international journey here in Berlin with SEX last year, LOVE was in the main competition in Venice, and now closing the circle by winning the Golden Bear feels absolutely perfect," say Motlys producers Yngve Sæther and Hege Hauff Hvattum. 

FIPRESCI Award Also Goes to Dreams (Sex Love)
The FIPRESCI Award is one of the most prestigious honors in film criticism, presented by the International Federation of Film Critics, an organization of professional film critics and journalists. This organization grants awards at the world’s largest film festivals, and in Berlin, Dreams received the prize during a ceremony on Saturday morning. 

FIPRESCI Award for Love in Venice
Dag Johan Haugerud also received the FIPRESCI Award at the Venice Film Festival 2024 for Love, the final installment in the Sex Love Dreams trilogy. 
 
The FIPRESCI jury consists of film critics selected from 50 member countries. This year’s jury members were: Ahmed Shawky (Egypt), Maja Korbecka (Poland), Sara D’Ascenzo (Italy), Bianca Jasmina Rauch (Germany), Olivia Popp (USA), Cerise Howard (Australia), Ariel Schweitzer (France), Bidhan Rebeiro (Bangladesh), Ivonete Pinto (Brazil), Timmy Chih-Ting Chen (Hong Kong), Sofía Alvarez Salas (Peru), David Katz (UK). 
 
The “Prize of the Guild of German Arthouse cinemas in Competition” also went to Dream (Sex Love), like it did to Sex last year. The jury is composed of three members who run cinemas and are members of the AG Kino - Gilde e.V, i.e. association of German Art House Cinemas.
 
About Dreams  
Johanne (17) falls head over heels in love with her teacher. It is her first crush and in an attempt to preserve the feeling, she writes down everything she experiences. When her mother and grandmother get to read what she has written, they first react with shock at the intimate descriptions, then are captivated by the book's literary qualities. But what has actually happened between Johanne and the teacher? And should this be published as a book? 

Director and screenwriter Dag Johan Haugerud Producers Yngve Sæther, Hege Hauff Hvattum for Motlys AS Cast Ella Øverbye, Selome Emnetu, Anne Marit Jacobsen, Ane Dahl Torp, Andrine Sæther Norwegian Distributor Arthaus Norwegian premiere October 4, 2024 International Sales M-Appeal 
  
Dreams (Sex Love) has received NOK 6,350,000 in production support from the Norwegian Film Institute.