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The 27th edition of the Göteborg Festival’s Nordic Film Market, taking place over Jan. 28 – 30, is readying for a starry edition, welcoming new projects by “Sami Blood” director Amanda Kernell (“Brace Your Heart”), Ulaa Salim (“Candy Kings”) and “Quisling” helmer Erik Poppe (“Beloved”), among many more.
May el-Toukhy, known for “Queen of Hearts,” will bring “Woman, Unknown,” produced by Mikael Rieks for Nordisk Film Production. Norway’s up-and-coming Rikke Gregersen (“Requiem for Selina”) will have titles in both Discovery and the Works in Progress sections, while Alex Schulman will present “Once in The Archipelago.”
“Schulman is very well known to the Swedish audience: he’s a writer and podcaster. It’s one of the titles that I believe will resonate both with audiences and with the festivals. Our priority is always to have distinct voices, and we really try to have a strong blend between newcomers and senior directors, but also films that are not only festival films but do have a clear target audience and commercial ambition,” noted Nordic Film Market head Josef Kullengård.
“We have been growing slightly for the past years. We are expecting 650 attendees for the Nordic Film Market and 1200 for the NFM and TV Drama Vision. But for us, it’s not a value in itself just to grow – it has always been about serving the industry,” he added.
“Judging from the selection so far, we can expect a vintage year for Nordic films in 2026.”
At the Discovery Co-Production Platform – promoting feature films in development – Dag Johan Haugerud will follow his acclaimed “Sex/Love/Dreams” trilogy with “Light and Shadows,” produced by Yngve Sæther for Motlys. Frida Kempff will present “Swine.”
“‘Swine’ is about what happens when women are reduced to surfaces and functions,” observed Kempff, known for “Knocking” and “The Swedish Torpedo.”
“By working with body horror and black comedy, I want to make a film that is confrontational, sensual and uncomfortable, without asking for permission. Genre becomes a way to be brutally honest.”
Action thriller “The Silver of Egill,” directed by Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson, as well as August Joensalo’s “This Body Is My Final Address,” produced by Emilia Haukka for Finland’s Aamu Film Company, are among other highlights.
“We are thrilled to be launching ‘The Silver of Egill’ at the Nordic Film Market. This is a really exciting script, set in contemporary Iceland, that casts new light on the Icelandic sagas and the origin of the Icelandic people, which strongly resonates with the wild political climate of our time,” said Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson, also behind “Under the Tree” and “Either Way,” later remade as “Prince Avalanche.”
“It’s an unexpected take on the adventure thriller. Or as we prefer to call it, a Viking spin on ‘The Da Vinci Code’.”
Bloody genre offerings will also be represented thanks to Elin Grönblom’s “Bloodsuckers,” Ilja Rautsi’s “Red Snow” and “Vampyre,” directed by Arild Fröhlich.
“It’s been a pleasure to be able to show such variety of films and to have more genre-flirting films than we usually do: both with ‘Red Snow’ and ‘Bloodsuckers,’ which we had in the Discovery lineup last year,” noted Kullengård, calling it a “very elevated horror film.”
Overall, this year’s line-up features 15 completed Nordic market screenings, 19 Works in Progress and 16 films in development alongside six titles showcased in the Nordic Gateway: “Alors on Danse,” “Chentian,” “Element,” “Euro Pop Bubble,” “Our Sister Angela – Black Power in the GDR” and “Two Little Nightmares.”
Many NFM projects return to the festival later on. That includes past Works in Progress titles “Redoubt,” “Weightless,” “The Last Resort” and “The Love That Remains,” all part of this year’s lineup.
“It’s a beautiful cycle: we want Göteborg to be part of the entire journey of Nordic creators and projects, from engaging with emerging talent at Nordic film schools to premiering a debut film within the festival program. To be able to tie that circle together is something we are very proud of,” Kullengård added.
“Göteborg is the place where people come to meet with the Nordics.”
Or with two-time Cannes Palme d’Or winner Ruben Östlund himself. The director of “The Square” and “Triangle of Sadness” will surely generate quite a few headlines thanks to an exclusive on-stage conversation about his upcoming seventh feature “The Entertainment System Is Down.”
“The idea with this session is to dive into the production journey and artistic ambition of the project. It will be a case study, not a work in progress. Ruben is the Honorary President [of the Göteborg Film Festival], so it’s a way of getting our attendees to get closer to his artistic brilliance,” said Kullengård.
Additional reporting by Annika Pham
Works in Progress
“Almost There” (NO), directed by Rikke Gregersen, produced by Ingvil Sæther Berger, Motlys
“Beloved” (NO), directed by Erik Poppe, produced by Finn Gjerdrum, Paradox (Sales: Reinvent Yellow)
“Bloodsuckers” (SE), directed by Elin Grönblom, produced by Patrik Andersson, Jakob Abrahamsson, Mylla Films (Sales: TBA)
“Brace Your Heart” (SE), directed by Amanda Kernell, produced by Eva Åkergren, Nordisk Film (Sales: TrustNordisk)
“Candy Kings” (DK), directed by Ulaa Salim, produced by Daniel Mühlendorph, Hyæne (Sales: Reinvent Yellow)
“Halima” (FI), directed by Naima Mohamud, produced by Anita Hyppönen, Jani Pösö, Hannu Aukia, It’s Alive Films
“Lionheart” (DK), directed by Nagieb Khaja, produced by Signe Leick Jensen, Morten Kaufmann, Toolbox Film
“Low Expectations” (NO), directed by Eivind Landsvik, produced by Synnøve Hørsdal, Lotte Sandbu, Maipo
“Maia Against the World” (DK), directed by Hannah Elbke, produced by Maria Møller Christoffersen, Frau Film
“Once in The Archipelago” (SE), directed by Alex Schulman, produced by Christina Legkova, Sofie Palage, Warner Bros
“Push The Button” (SE), directed by Anton Källrot, produced by Ylva Olaison, Madeleine Ekman, Ögat Film
“Red Snow” (FI), directed by Ilja Rautsi, produced by Misha Jaari, Mark Lwoff, Bufo (Sales: Charades)
“Saturn Return” (SE), directed by Agnes Skonare, produced by Joel Rostmark, Adam Meinking, Saturnus Films
“Sãp” (SE), directed by Alecio Araci, produced by Stina Ikovic, Alicia Hansen, Prolaps Produktion
“Transfer Window” (DK), directed by Caroline Sasha Cogez, produced by Jesper Morthorst, Lise Orheim Stender, Motor
“Vampyre” (NO), directed by Arild Fröhlich, produced by Petter Onstad Løkke, Cornelia Boysen, Maipo (Sales: TrustNordisk)
“Weird Elliot” (SE), directed by Johannes Nyholm, produced by Nima Yousefi, Peter Krupenin, HOBAB
“Will You Care If I Die?” (SE), directed by Rojda Sekersöz, produced by Helen Ahlsson, Sandra Harms, Nordic Drama Queens (Sales: TrustNordisk)
“Woman, Unknown” (DK), directed by May el-Toukhy, produced by Mikael Rieks, Nordisk Film Production (Sales: TrustNordisk)
Discovery Co-production Platform
“A Root of Evil” (SE), directed by Henrik Björn, produced by Emma Nyberg, Johanna Bergenstråhle, Nordisk Film Sweden
“Beautiful Misfits” (SE), directed by André Vaara, produced by Erika Malmgren, Annika Hellström, Cinenic Film
“Bitte Leben” (SE), directed by Elsa Rosengren, produced by Peter Krupenin, Christopher Zitterbart, Margarita Amineva, HOBAB
“Cartas” (SE), directed by Juan Pablo Libossart, produced by Anna-Maria Kantarius, Mimmi Spång, Garagefilm International
“Labour Day” (FI), directed by Joel Karppanen, produced by Pasi Hakkio, Wacky Tie Films
“Light and Shadows” (NO), directed by Dag Johan Haugerud, produced by Yngve Sæther, Motlys
“Medicated” (DK), directed by Las Dyhrcrone, produced by Daniel Mühlendorph, Hyæne Film
“Ghosts” (DK), directed by Milad Alami, produced by Stinna Lassen, Uma Film
“Neela” (DK), directed by Nivetha Balasubramaniam, produced by Matilda Appelin, New Day Productions
“Out of Athens” (NO), directed by Badrudin Gaur, produced by Vibeke Ringen, Nordisk Film Production
“Racer” (SE), directed by Johan Storm, produced by Per Janérus, Björn Carlström, Harmonica Films
“Swine” (SE), directed by Frida Kempff, produced by Erik Andersson, David Herdies, Läsk “
“The Silver of Egill” (IS), directed by Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson, produced by Grímar Jónsson, Netop Films
“This Body Is My Final Address” (FI), directed by August Joensalo, produced by Emilia Haukka, Aamu Film Company
“Tiger” (NO), directed by Rikke Gregersen, produced by Rebekka Rognøy, Gary Cranner, Bacon
“Worldbuilding” (SE), directed by Balder Ljunggren, produced by Stina Ikovic, Alicia Hansen, Prolaps produktion
Nordic Gateway
“Alors on Danse” (BE), directed by Pieter Van Hees, produced by Roxanne Sarkozi, A Private View
“Chentian” (PS), directed by Suha Arraf, produced by May Odeh, Odeh Films
“Element” (DE), directed by Mariko Minoguchi, produced by Jorgo Narjes, X-Filme
“Euro Pop Bubble” (UK), directed by Grant Gulczynski, produced by Harry Silverlock, Crystal Compass
“Our Sister Angela – Black Power in the GDR” (DE), directed by Jascha Hannover, Katharina Warda, produced by Markus Augé, Florianfilm
“Two Little Nightmares” (HR), directed by Nebojša Slijepčević, produced by Danijel Pek, Katarina Prpić, Antitalent
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