Grim Kino with Espen Nomedal

We are really proud to present Espen Nomedal as the next curator for GRIM KINO!

Espen is a filmmaker and producer with a focus on auteur-driven films with strong artistic vision and international reach. Through the independent film production company Stær, Espen is operating between Kristiansand and Tromsø, with strong international ties to both latin america and baltikum. Since its founding in 2023, Stær has quickly positioned itself as a vital and ambitious platform for contemporary film, with a growing presence across international festivals and co-productions.

Espen has been active in the film industry since young age, with extensive experience as a production manager and first assistant director on both Nordic and international productions. Alongside his production work, he has played a key role in supporting emerging filmmakers through talent development programs and mentorship, and brings with him a strong connection to both the industry and its future voices.

His curatorial perspective is shaped by years of working closely with filmmakers, projects, and audiences, as well as his involvement in film festivals and programming.

For Homecoming, curator Espen Nomedal explores what it means to return to a place that no longer feels like home. From the portfolio of Espens production company Stær, we are introduced to a film by Vytautas Katkus, called The Visitor. This will be a red line through the evening, where what was once familiar feels distant, and the idea of home becomes unstable.

For the screening, we welcome you to a room in a transitional state, somewhere between moving out and moving in. Boxes, objects and fragments suggest a place in flux, either just packed down or just about to be unpacked. Like helping a friend pack up their apartment, then sharing a beer sitting on the floor because everything has been packed away.

Vytautas Katkus (b. 1991) is a Lithuanian writer, director and cinematographer, and part of a new generation of filmmakers shaping contemporary European cinema.
He graduated from the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre in 2014, and works across both cinematography and directing. His practice is defined by a strong visual sensibility and a precise, observant approach to time, space and human presence.

Katkus gained international attention with his short films. Community Gardens (2019) premiered at Semaine de la Critique in Cannes, followed by Places (2020) in Venice Orizzonti, and Cherries (2022), selected for Cannes Court Métrage. Across these works, he develops a quiet and intimate film language where atmosphere and duration carry as much weight as narrative.

His debut feature film The Visitor, co-written with Marija Kavtaradze, premiered at Karlovy Vary, where it received the Best Director award in the Crystal Globe competition, followed by Best Film awards in Riga and Tallinn.

Katkus’ work is part of what is often referred to as “New Lithuanian Cinema”, a wave of young filmmakers gaining strong international recognition. Emerging from a closely connected film community, their work shares a sensibility rooted in poetic realism, intimate relationships, and a quiet existential tension.

The Visitor follows Danielius, who returns to his hometown after many years abroad following his father’s death. What begins as a practical visit shifts into something more uncertain. Moving through familiar places and encounters, he is met with a growing sense of distance and loneliness, and allows himself to remain in it.
We are excited to present this feature film as part of GRIM KINO!

We are also excited to say that Katkus has a recorded introduction to the screening. After the film, Espen Nomedal is joined by Elisa Fernanda Pirir and Flavia Contreras de la Parra, both members of the Stær team, for a conversation about the film, its production, and the context of new Lithuanian cinema.

In the culinary lab, food and drinks are prepared in response to the evening’s theme.

Get your ticket HERE.