Sámi-Led Drama SHUT UP (Oro Jaska) Brings Queer Indigenous Storytelling to the 2025 International Emmy® Awards
The Sámi youth drama SHUT UP (Oro Jaska)—a groundbreaking series created entirely through Sámi leadership and queer Sámi voices—is travelling to New York City this month as an official 2025 International Emmy® Award nominee for Kids: Live-Action Series. The nomination marks a watershed moment for Indigenous media sovereignty and LGBTQIA+ visibility on the world stage.Created by Silje Bürgin-Borch and Vegard Bjørsmo (Sámi), SHUT UP (Oro Jaska) represents the first high-quality Sámi television drama produced under a guiding principle rarely upheld in global entertainment:
“Nothing about us without us.”
From concept to casting to cultural review, the series centers Sámi autonomy, queer identity, and intergenerational storytelling—while confronting the silencing that has historically impacted Indigenous survivors of violence.
A Story Rooted in Queer Sámi Experience
Set in a small community in the heart of Sápmi, the series follows Elli Anne, a young Sámi woman seeking justice after a brutal rape. As her investigation unfolds, suspicion falls on Issat, a celebrated snow-cross champion whose own hidden truth—that he is queer—forces a reckoning within the tightly woven social fabric of the town.The creative team assembled a writers’ room of young, queer Sámi storytellers, ensuring the series reflects their lived experiences rather than outsider interpretations. Through themes of trauma, silence, chosen family, and identity, SHUT UP (Oro Jaska) challenges the invisibility faced by queer Indigenous youth, offering representation that is both truthful and culturally grounded.
Indigenous-Led Production, Community-Grounded Vision
Produced by Alfred Film for NRK, in collaboration with Rabbit Films, Snowreel, Feelgood Film & TV, and with the support of the International Sámi Film Institute (ISFI), SHUT UP (Oro Jaska) marks a significant milestone for Sámi media infrastructure and capacity-building.The directors, Petter Holmsen and Ánne Mággá Wigelius, collaborated with Bürgin-Borch and Bjørsmo to ensure that the production incorporated Sámi protocols, language, and perspectives throughout the process.
The Team in New York — November 19–25, 2025
The series’ creators and cast will participate in cultural events, press interviews, community gatherings, and official International Emmy® activities during the week leading up to the awards ceremony.
Primary Creatives
- Silje Bürgin-Borch — Series Creator (Nov 19–25)
- Vegard Bjørsmo — Series Creator & Actor (Nov 21–25)
- Kátjá Rávdná Broch Einebakken — Lead Actress (Nov 20–25)
Additional Cast and Contributors
Estrid Gustafsson-Fjellheim, Ole-Gabriel Buljo, Máret Áile Gaup Beaska, Benjamin Enebø-Valio;Co-writer and acclaimed author Kathrine Nedrejord;Co-producer Viktor Enoksen;
Representatives from NRK and ISFI.Embedded Indigenous journalists from NRK Sápmi and LGBTQ+ journalist Nora Sæter (Blikk) will also be covering the trip.
A Global Platform for Queer Indigenous Visibility
The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences selected nominees from a record 26 countries this year—demonstrating a rising global appetite for authentic Indigenous storytelling. As SHUT UP (Oro Jaska) enters this international arena, it does so not only as a television achievement but as a cultural assertion:
**Indigenous stories belong in global conversations.
Queer Indigenous stories belong at the center of them.**The winners of the 53rd International Emmy® Awards will be announced on November 24, 2025, in New York City.
ABOUT SHUT UP (Oro Jaska)
A Sámi-created youth drama centering queer identity, community truth-telling, and survivor justice. Produced by Alfred Film for NRK with Rabbit Films, Snowreel, Feelgood Film & TV, and support from the International Sámi Film Institute (ISFI).
