Film i Väst during the Göteborg Film Festival

The 49th edition of the Göteborg Film Festival takes place from January 23 to February 1, 2026. The festival hosts the Nordic region’s largest industry platform, offering an extensive programme including Works in Progress, talks, and seminars. Film i Väst is involved in several industry events listed below and also has multiple co‑productions screening during the festival.

Nordic Film Market

Between January 28 and 30, sixty new, prominent Nordic titles will be presented during Nordic Film Market — the world’s leading marketplace for Nordic film and an important meeting point for the international film industry.

Works In Progress

Works in Progress is Nordic Film Markets platform for showcasing the most promising Nordic feature films currently in production or post‑production. Of the 19 Nordic films being presented at Nordic Film Market, nine are co‑productions with Film i Väst.

• "Beloved", directed by Erik Poppe

• "Bloodsuckers", directed by av Elin Grönblom

• "Brace Your Heart", directed by Amanda Kernell

• "Push the Button", directed by Anton Källrot

• "Sāp", directed by Alecio Araci

• "Vampyr", directed by Arild Fröhlich

• "Weird Elliot", directed by Johannes Nyholm

• "Will You Care If I Die?", directed by av Rojda Sekersöz

• "Woman, Unknown", directed by May el-Toukhy

Work in Progress: Bloody Men

During the festival, public Works in Progress sessions are also arranged, offering an exclusive insight into the filmmaking process. At the end of the summer 2025, filming began on "Bloody Men", the screen adaptation of Andrev Walden’s August Prize–winning novel "Bloody Awful in Different Ways" in Västra Götaland. Produced by B‑Reel Films in co‑production with, among others, Film i Väst, the film is a coming-of-age story filled with darkness and humour, about the love for an incapable mother and about a whole lot of damn men. Director Jens Sjögren and actor Aliette Opheim talk about the work and present scenes.

When: Thursday, 29 January, 2:30–4:00 PM
Where: Stora Teatern, Gothenburg

Read more and buy tickets here

Bloody Men

Jens Sjögren

Discovery Co-Production Platform

Discovery is Nordic Film Market’s platform for promoting feature films in development, facilitating opportunities to discover new Nordic talents and for the projects to connect with co-production and financing partners. This year, 16 Nordic feature films in development will be presented within Discovery. Here you can read more about Discovery and this year’s line-up.

Film i Väst is the presenting partner of Discovery.

Nordic Film Lab

Nordic Film Lab is an exclusive networking forum for promising Scandinavian filmmakers, with a focus on the artistic processes of filmmaking. Over the course of a year, participants in Nordic Film Lab have the opportunity to meet potential future collaborators, while also serving as a platform for in-depth conversations about creativity and the art of filmmaking.

Producer Josefine Rapp, based in Västra Götaland, is one of the 17 selected participants in this year’s Nordic Film Lab. The feature film "Felix", which Josefine is developing, has previously taken part in the talent programme Five 4 Fiction together with the film’s director Adam Starsmark.

Film i Väst is the presenting partner of Nordic Film Lab.

Inside the Entertainment System: Ruben Östlund

Join Ruben Östlund – Oscar-nominated writer-director, two-time Palme d’Or winner, and Honorary President of Göteborg Film Festival – for an on-stage exclusive conversation at Nordic Film Market 2026.

The session opens a window into the world of Östlund’s highly anticipated seventh feature, "The Entertainment System Is Down", offering insights into its artistic vision, production journey, and collaboration with the international ensemble cast. The film i co-produced with Film i Väst.

The session will be held as part of the 27th Nordic Film Market programme.

The Entertainment System is Down

Ruben Östlund

It Takes Two to Talk

Taking the good with the bad.

On 28 January, Film i Väst launches a new conversation series, It Takes Two to Talk, in which Zentropa producers Louise Vesth (The Promised Land, Melancholia) and Sisse Graum Jørgensen (The Last Viking, Families like ours) interview each other and explore the methods they use when producing feature films.

By invitation only; advance registration is required. Read more and register here.

The Film Policy Summit 2026

The Film Policy Summit 2026 will take place on 23 January in the Drama Hall at Hotel Draken in Gothenburg. The summit provides an up-to-date overview of Swedish cinema, examines its status in public discourse, and highlights the most pressing issues.

Tomas Eskilsson from Film i Väst Analysis will participate from 11:00 to 11:15 AM during the session “France in Relation to Sweden”. What key issues can we take with us in our film policy? Is it even possible to compare Swedish and French cinema?

The Film Policy Summit is by invitation only. Read more about the summit and see the full programme here (In Swedish).

Film Forum Sweden

On 24–25 January, producers, filmmakers, decision-makers, and new voices will gather at Folkteatern in Gothenburg to explore together what shapes Swedish cinema – and where it is headed. On 24 January, two Film i Väst colleagues will participate in discussions. The discussions will be held in Swedish.

Wake Up with the Future

9.30–9.50 AM
With a gaze toward Europe and the world – but feet firmly planted in Swedish reality – Filmforum Sweden opens with a morning conversation about the future. We reflect on macro trends, audiences, financing, and emerging technologies in motion. What does the analysis reveal, and what choices lie ahead for Swedish cinema?

Participants: Johanna Koljonen, media analyst and author of the Nostradamus Report, and Tomas Eskilsson, Film i Väst Analysis

Audience First! Innovative Strategies for Film Releases

11.30–12.00 AM
How can the film industry rethink release strategies and audience engagement at a time when traditional models are being challenged? This discussion explores the advertising agency Spöket’s work with alternative approaches, methods, and strategies that can enhance a film’s impact. The conversation highlights successes as well as lessons from less successful attempts, providing insights into practical experiences and new ways to reach audiences.

Participants: Sigrid Bersmann, Film i Väst, and Tobias Müller, Spöket. This session is held in collaboration with Film i Väst.

Read more about Film Forum Sweden and see the full programme here (In Swedish).

AI in the Creative Sector

Film i Väst is participating in Re:Create, a key initiative on artificial intelligence in the creative sector. During the Göteborg Film Festival, two events focusing on artificial intelligence in film production will be held. Re:Create is led by AI Sweden in collaboration with, among others, Film i Väst, and co-funded by the Västra Götaland Region, the European Union (via the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth), and the project’s partners.

Seminar: AI in Post Production

This seminar explores how AI is being integrated into post-production processes. Henric Larsson and Jacob Gåfvels from The Chimney Pot will present the development of new technical solutions within their AI studio. They will share concrete examples from ongoing projects, reflect on insights and results, and discuss new opportunities and challenges.

The evening also includes a demonstration by Mirko Lempert from Monocular — showcasing a new AI model that breaks down screenplays into calculations for budget, VFX and CO₂ emissions.

When: Sunday, 25 January, 5:00–7:00 PM
Where: Film i Väst Showroom, Kungsgatan 7, Gothenburg

The event is free but requires registration. Limited spots available.

Read more and register here

Event: AI in Creative Practices

Meet filmmakers and creators who demonstrate how AI can be applied across everything from scriptwriting and analysis to VFX and distribution. The event will highlight both the possibilities, limitations, and challenges that the technology brings.

When: Monday, 26 January, 6:00–8:00 PM
Where: Gothenburg Film Studios, Polstjärnegatan 10, Gothenburg

The event is free but requires registration.

Read more and register here

Photo credits for header: Ola Kjelbye (Push the Button)