About the Sámi Film Festival
The annual Sámi Film Festival celebrates the rich storytelling traditions of the Sámi, an Indigenous people of the northernmost parts of Finland, Norway, Sweden, and the Kola Peninsula of Russia. Now in its 8th year, the festival presents a variety of newly released and classic Sámi features, documentaries, and short films, sharing Sámi film with a global audience.
🎬 This year’s festival is curated by acclaimed director, writer, artist, and composer Elle Márjá Eira, whose directorial debut Stolen reached the Top 10 list in 71 countries following its Netflix premiere in 2024. Meet the Curator
Ways to Watch in Seattle, Washington
Films will be screened Friday, February 6 and Saturday, February 7 at Majestic Bay Theatres in Ballard.
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Opening Night Tickets
Friday, February 6
7:00 - 8:30pmGeneral Admission: $16
Members: $13 -
Saturday Festival Pass
Saturday, February 7
11:00am - 5:00pmGeneral Admission: $40
Members: $30 -
Saturday Single Tickets
Saturday, February 7
General Admission: $16
Members: $13
Stream the Sámi Film Festival Nationwide
Watch the Sámi Film Festival from the comfort of your own home! Streaming options (available nationwide) include Máhccan /Homecoming (2023); In My Hand (2025); and Oro Jaska / Shut Up (2025)*.
Virtual Festival Pass
February 6-13, 2026 | Unlimited access all week long
General Admission: $20
Museum Members: $15 (Email carsonm@nordicmuseum.org for the discount code)
*Please note that Stolen (2024) will not be available to stream via the Virtual Festival Pass.
Festival Schedule
Friday, February 6
Homecoming / Máhccan (2023)
7:00 - 8:30pm
As museums worldwide are increasingly pressured to return cultural property, co-directors Suvi West and Anssi Kömi share a personal and insightful story about the return of Sámi artifacts — long held in a museum — to their homeland. (Jason Ryle)
Saturday, February 7
Spotlights
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Stolen / Stöld (2024)
11:00am - 12:45pm
**Available in-person only**
Based on the novel by Ann-Helén Laestadius, Stolen follows the Sámi peoples’ struggle to defend their Indigenous heritage, and the woman who puts her life at stake to bring them justice. Ten years after witnessing the slaughter of her beloved reindeer, a young Sámi woman is determined to track down the killer– and confront the other forms of quotidian violence her community faces along the way. (Scandinavia House)
🎬 Stolen is the directorial debut of Sámi Film Festival Guest Curator Elle Márjá Eira. Meet the Guest Curator
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In My Hand (2025)
Get Tickets1:30 - 1:50pm
Labelled a terrorist and left disabled, a Sámi activist paid a brutal price in 1982 while battling Norwegian authorities to protect his ancestral land. Masterfully blending archival footage and re-enactments, In My Hand retraces his battle and legacy, and challenges us to ask: Is it finally time to stop exploiting nature and start preserving it?
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Shut Up / Oro Jaska (2025)
Get TicketsEpisodes 1-3
2:00 - 3:20pm
⚠️ Content Warning: Sexual assault, homophobia
Shut Up takes place in a small town in the north of Norway and the heart of Sápmi. Eli Anne gets her life turned upside down when she gets sexually assaulted at a party and has to navigate getting justice in a community bound together by traditions and strong family ties.
When the local snow cross champion Issat is accused, it sets in motion a series of events to silence Eli Anne. And for Issat the accusation threatens his own secret, that he is queer.
This is the first Sámi TV-series addressing social issues from within, and the first high quality Sámi TV-drama to date. The series' action is based on 8 in-depth interviews conducted with Sámi women who have experienced abuse and extensive research amongst Sámi who identify as queer. -
Shut Up / Oro Jaska (2025)
Get TicketsEpisodes 4-6
3:30 - 5:00pm
⚠️ Content Warning: Sexual assault, homophobia
Meet the 2026 Sámi Film Festival Curator
The 2026 Festival is curated by director, artist, writer and composer Elle Márjá Eira, whose work in mediums from TV to classical opera has captivated audiences across the globe. Her directorial debut Stolen reached the Top 10 list in 71 countries following its Netflix premiere in 2024.
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Elle Márjá Eira
BioElle Márjá Eira (b.1983) is a director, artist, writer and composer. She is based in Guovdageaidnu in Northern Norway, originally from Sámi reindeer herding district 26 Lákkonjárga.
