The inaugural edition of the Göteborg Film Festival showcased 16 films in three venues. The event attracted 3,000 visitors. What started as a relatively modest film festival has grown to become the largest film event in Scandinavia. For instance, the 2016 edition drew around 30,000 visitors who were offered 450 films from 84 countries. Although the festival showcases films from around the world, its primary focus is Nordic cinema. One of the festival's main goals is to introduce an international audience to the best of Scandinavian cinema.
The Göteborg Film Festival is a competitive film festival. It's main prize is the Dragon Award (a red dragon is the official symbol of the festival). The Dragon Award competition is open to Nordic films. The awards are given out in several categories including Best Nordic Film, Best Nordic Documentary Film, Best Swedish Documentary, etc. Most Dragon Awards are awarded by the jury, but there are several Audience Awards as well.
There's also a number of special awards given at the Göteborg Film Festival. They include the FIPRESCI Award, the Church of Sweden Film Award, the Ingmar Bergman International Debut Award, and others.
The program of the festival features competitive and out-of-competition screenings. Many films are also streamed online on the festival's own channel Draken Film. Alongside over 1,000 film screenings, the program includes about 40 workshops and seminars, Nordic Film Market (a prime marketplace for new Nordic films), live music performances, and other events.
The highlights of the Göteborg Film Festival include TV Drama Vision (an internatonal seminar showcasing Nordic television series) and the Nostradamus project which aims to outline the future of the screen industries. The festival also organizes year-round regional events and member screenings, as well as the Göteborgs Lilla Filmfestival designed for children and young people.
Photo by Ola Skjelbye
