Festen
Every family has a secret.
The family of a wealthy businessman gather to celebrate his 60th birthday. During the course of the party, his eldest son presents a speech that reveals a devastating secret that turns the night into a battle of truth and denial.
The Celebration (1998) is a drama film directed by Thomas Vinterberg, released on June 19, 1998 with a runtime of 1h 41m. It stars Ulrich Thomsen, Henning Moritzen, Thomas Bo Larsen and Paprika Steen. Viewers rate it 7.7 out of 10 across 1,314 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for The Celebration before you stream it.
Official trailers, teasers, clips and featurettes for The Celebration.
Trailer
Featurette
Ulrich Thomsen
as Christian
Henning Moritzen
as Faderen
Thomas Bo Larsen
as Michael
Paprika Steen
as Helene
Birthe Neumann
as Moderen
Trine Dyrholm
as Pia
Helle Dolleris
as Mette
Therese Glahn
as Michelle
Klaus Bondam
as Toastmasteren
Bjarne Henriksen
as Kokken
Gbatokai Dakinah
as Gbatokai
Lasse Lunderskov
as Onklen
Directed by Thomas Vinterberg, written by Thomas Vinterberg, Mogens Rukov and Thomas Vinterberg, produced by Birgitte Hald.
Average viewer score of 7.7/10 from 1,314 ratings.
I have always loathed, and avoided, family gatherings though none of mine ever became quite so toxic as this one. It’s “Helge” (Henning Moritzen) who has reached sixty years old, and so has assembled his family and friends at a luxury hotel to celebrate. We can tell that we are in for a bumpy ride when son “Michael” (Thomas Bo Larsen) arrives with brother “Christian” (Ulrich Thomsen) to discover that he hasn’t been…
Reviewed on January 1, 2026
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The Celebration (1998) is available to stream on Criterion Channel. Streaming availability is checked against JustWatch data and can change by region.
The main cast of The Celebration (1998) includes Ulrich Thomsen, Henning Moritzen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Paprika Steen and Birthe Neumann. The film was directed by Thomas Vinterberg. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
The Celebration was released on June 19, 1998 and runs for 1h 41m.
The Celebration (1998) holds an average rating of 7.7 out of 10 from 1,314 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy drama films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official The Celebration trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
