Folktales

Opens Friday, July 25, 2025

In Norse mythology, the three “Norns” are powerful deities who weave the threads of fate and shape humans’ futures. Today, Pasvik Folk High School in northern Norway aims to produce a similar life-changing effect on its students. FOLKTALES tells the timely and heartwarming story of teenagers who choose to spend an unconventional “gap year” learning to dog sled and survive the Arctic wilderness, in hopes of finding connection and meaning in the modern world. Guided by patient teachers and a yard full of heroic Alaskan huskies, they discover their own potential and develop deep relationships with the land, animals, and humans around them. Through intimate verité storytelling and exhilarating cinematography, Academy Award®-nominated filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (Oscar®-nominated JESUS CAMP) examine humans on the cusp of adulthood, finding themselves at the edge of the world.

Official selection: Sundance

• Country USA
• Running Time 106 minutes
• Format DCP
• Distributor Magnolia
• Director Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady
• Accessibility Assistive Listening, T-Coil, Closed Captioning

IFC Center does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. In addition to the synopses, trailers and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com as well as through general internet searches.