Who directed the Best International Feature winner Sentimental Value?

Joachim Trier directed the Best International Feature winner Sentimental Value.

Sentimental Value is a 2025 Norwegian drama written and directed by Trier, who co-wrote the screenplay with Eskil Vogt. The film follows sisters Nora and Agnes as they reconnect with their estranged father, Gustav, a once-renowned filmmaker seeking a comeback. Its story explores family memory, artistic ambition, grief, and the difficulty of repairing old relationships.

The film represented Norway in the International Feature Film category and defeated entries from Brazil, France, Spain, and Tunisia. Trier also received an Oscar nomination for his direction, making Sentimental Value one of the ceremony’s strongest international contenders.

Trier was already internationally known for films including Reprise, Oslo, August 31st, Thelma, and The Worst Person in the World. He and Vogt previously earned an Oscar nomination for The Worst Person in the World’s original screenplay. A common mix-up is to confuse Joachim Trier with Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier; despite sharing a surname and working in Scandinavian cinema, they are different directors.