FLOPHOUSE AMERICA Nominated for the Cinema Eye Honors Spotlight Award

The journey of FLOPHOUSE AMERICA continues with an exciting new milestone: Monica Strømdahl’s debut feature has been nominated for the Spotlight Award at the 19th Annual Cinema Eye Honors, a prize dedicated to standout nonfiction films that deserve broader visibility and signal the arrival of major new talent.

Set against the backdrop of the U.S. housing crisis, Flophouse America follows twelve-year-old Mikal and his family as they carve out a life inside a run-down motel they temporarily call home. Filmed over three years, the documentary captures moments of chaos, tenderness, and unguarded honesty — revealing a childhood shaped by instability yet held together by love, resilience, and the fragile hope for something better. Through Strømdahl’s intimate lens, Mikal’s story becomes both deeply personal and quietly universal, offering a rare, immersive portrait of growing up on society’s margins.

This nomination joins an already impressive list of accolades, from awards at CPH:DOX, Subversive Festival, Biografilm, and Cork IFF to the film’s selection for the 2026 European Film Awards shortlist.

The winners of the Cinema Eye Honors will be announced on January 8, 2026, at the New York Academy of Medicine in East Harlem.

Our heartfelt congratulations to Monica Strømdahl and the Flophouse America team for this well-earned recognition.