Gothenburg Film Festival

The Göteborg Film Festival, held annually in Gothenburg, Sweden, is the largest film festival in Scandinavia. It began in 1979 with a modest lineup of 17 films shown on three screens, attracting approximately 3,000 visitors. Fast forward to today, and the festival has expanded significantly, now lasting 10 days at the end of January and the beginning of February. It features around 450 films from 60 countries and draws in over 115,000 attendees.

The festival is not just about watching movies; it also serves as a significant marketplace for industry professionals. It bestows several prestigious awards, the most notable being the Dragon Awards. These include accolades such as Best Nordic Film, Best Nordic Documentary Film, and the Audience Choice Awards. Other honors include the Best Swedish Short Award, the Lorens Award, and the Fipresci Award.

The top honor, the Dragon Award for Best Nordic Film, celebrates exceptional feature films from Nordic countries. The festival's program is incredibly diverse, with sections dedicated to Animation, Documentaries, Debuts, specific regions or themes (Focus), Festival Favorites, films from Five Continents, Gala Screenings, HBTQ, Nordic Competition, Nordic Light, Swedish World Premieres, and Swedish Pictures. Each category is carefully curated by a committee of film experts.