The weekend of the 23rd – 25th February 2024 saw the Fantha Tracks team of Brian Cameron, Matt Booker, Paul McQue and Mark Newbold head for the icy wastes of Hoth – aka Finse in Norway – to attend Hoth Strikes Back, an exclusive event that celebrated the 45th anniversary of the filming of the Hoth scenes for The Empire Strikes Back. In the third and final panel, Brian Cameron and Mark Newbold oversaw a Q&A with guests Harald Lystad, Christian Berrum and Martin Gant.
From the 23rd to 25th February 2024 a unique celebration of the 45th anniversary of the filming of the iconic movie Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back took place at it’s original shooting location of Finse, Norway. Here some of the most memorable scenes from the planet “Hoth” were created, both just outside the hotel and on the majestic Hardangerjøkulen glacier.
The story began on the 5th March 1979 when Irvin Kershner, the talented director behind The Empire Strikes Back, along with an impressive film crew, chose Finse as their filming location. It was at this remote and snow-covered location that they found the perfect resemblance to the ice planet “Hoth.” During filming, they were confronted with a historic snowstorm that truly tested both the crew and actors. Nevertheless, this resulted in some of the most iconic moments in film history.
During our unique visit as part of the Hoth Strikes Back 2024 event, Fantha Tracks had a rare opportunity to present a number of panels at a Star Wars shooting location, including this special chance to meet and hear from some of the key individuals who were involved in the production and filming, gaining insight into their experiences around Finse.
For this Q&A session hosted by Brian Cameron and Mark Newbold, our special guests were:
– Harald Lystad, CEO of 20th Century Fox Norway
– Martin Gant, Special Effects
– Christian Berrum, Production AssistantFor more on the event Hoth Strikes Back, visit the Facebook group
To stay at the Hotel, Finse 1222, visit their site
