On Suffocation by Jennifer Malmqvist, Sweden

Jury Motivation: "A great short film is supposed to be bigger than itself. In its short and minimalist dimension it has to combine all the elements composing cinematic language to create a universal portrait of the world, outside of any logic of time and place: a small frame that contains a multitude of meanings, opening a discussion on the human being, his feelings, fears and the contradictions of today's society.

It has to be a moving experience, almost physical, where we feel the urge and need of the director to tell a story, reacting to the world with his or her instinct and honesty. A film struck us for containing all these elements and managing, without dialogue or music, to create a perfectly balanced film, in which nothing is missing or redundant. For all this reasons, and more, amongst the convincing selection of the 2013 Nordisk Panorama Short Film Competition, the Jury unanimously decided to award ON SUFFOCATION, by Jenifer Malmqvist, Sweden"

  The Act of Killing by Joshua Oppenheimer, Denmark

Jury Motivation: "The jury would like to thank Nordisk Panorama for inviting us to be part of your fantastic event this year, and to experience the quality and range of work on display from all the Nordic countries. The films consistently impressed us with their powerful messages and intimate access.

At one moment we were transported by the bittersweet memories of a failed romance in Paris, and the next found ourselves surprised by the unexpected humor and vitality in a women's prison in Afghanistan. Also we met the young boys from warzones around the world trying to get a bit of shelter in our western welfare. Congratulations to all the filmmakers on these great works, and thank you for sharing with us.

For the 2013 Best Nordic Documentary Award, the jury has chosen to recognize a unique achievement in the landscape of non-fiction filmmaking, a crucial work which shines a light where there had been only darkness and deceit, at the same time as it forges a new path in documentary for future filmmakers to explore. For its groundbreaking approach to the documentary form, and its unflinching confrontation with atrocity, mendacity, and the human face of evil, the jury awards the 2013 prize to Joshua Oppenheimer's THE ACT OF KILLING."

  A World Not Ours by Mahdi Fleifel, Denmark

Jury motivation: "This year, Nordisk Panorama has with the category New Nordic Voices, offered a wide range of high quality films with a great diversity in the filmmaker's approaches of storytelling and subject matters. The jury has been taken on an enjoyable journey from realism to magical realism, from original concepts to documentaries based on unique access to previously undiscovered grounds.

We have seen intriguing and strong films made by promising directors that will be exciting to follow in the years to come. One film, however, stands out. The winning film is deeply personal, yet very universal. It's political, yet poetic. It's heart-rending and tragic, yet funny and inspiring. It takes on one of our time's most central and deplorable conflicts. The filmmaker is using unique footage and archive material to tell his extraordinary story in a confident way.