If you ever wanted to indulge in Nordic film, you'll have your chance this month.

From Jan. 18 to 19, at the SIFF Film Center in Seattle Center, more than a dozen films from all five Nordic countries will be screened as part of the Nordic Lights festival, an annual event organized by the Nordic Heritage Museum. 2013 marks the fourth year this has been done.

It all begins on Friday, when the event opens with a reception at SIFF at 6 p.m., and follows up with a feature at 7 p.m. "Beyond," the opening film, is directed by Pernilla August and stars Noomie Rapace of Girl with the Dragon Tattoo fame. It's a Sweden-set drama that revolves around a young woman's experiences growing up in a home of abuse and alcoholism.

But if drama isn't your taste, you might find solace in the family-friendly animated feature, "Moomin and Midsummer Madness," which opens up the festival at 10 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. (Moomins are supposed to be trolls, but they look more like pearl-colored hippos.)

And of course there's more, including a documentary about actress Liv Ullman and filmmaker Ingmar Bergman; a drama called, simply, Volcano; a documentary about 70-something Sigridur Nielsdottir, who creates eccentric music in her Icelandic home; the Finnish war-time drama, Silence; a documentary about Finland's unique education system -- and so on and so on.

A full lineup can be found at the Nordic Lights Film Festival page on the SIFF website at http://www.siff.net/cinema/seriesDetail.aspx?FID=325.

Admission is $8 for Nordic Heritage Museum Members and SIFF Members; $10 for the general public, and $7 for the 10:00 a.m. screenings on Saturday and Sunday. Nordic Lights Film Festival passes are available for $50 for members and $55 for the general public. All ticketing will be through SIFF.

SIFF Cinema Center is located in Seattle Center’s Northwest rooms (formerly the Alki Room), between Key Arena and the Seattle Repertory Theatre. For more information about the Nordic Lights Film Festival, visit www.nordicmuseum.org.

Read more about all the movies and view previews at http://www.nordicmuseum.org/events.aspx#filmfest.

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