The 25th annual Stockholm Film Festival is showcasing a record number of new films – more than 180 films from more than 50 different countries are on offer. This year’s festival is dedicated to the memory of Lauren Bacall.
Stockholm Film Festival is one of the most important ones in Northern Europe and its traditions go back 25 years. This year’s festival is being held 5th to 16th November. The full program will be released and tickets will come on sale on 14th October. The festival program is more extensive than ever, with more than 180 premieres and a total of 450 screenings around Stockholm.
Dedicated to the memory of Lauren Bacall
This year’s festival will be dedicated to the memory of film legend Lauren Bacall, who passed away in August. The festival is planning an art project related to this theme at one of Stockholm squares, together with an international artist. Full details of the project will be published on 14th October.
Lifetime Achievement Award for Mike Leigh
Ahead of the program release, the festival has already published some award recipients. The festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award goes to one of the most exceptional directors in Europe, Britain’s Mike Leigh. The prize will be awarded in connection with the premiere of Leigh’s latest film, Mr. Turner. The audience will also have the opportunity to participate in a Face2Face Q&A session with the director. Mr. Turner was in this year’s main competition at Cannes, where it received unanimous praise from the critics. Timothy Spall took the Best Actor honors for the title role.
Stockholm Visionary Award for Roy Anderson
The 2014 Stockholm Visionary Award goes to masterful Swedish director Roy Andersson. His latest movie A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence received the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in September. This hilarious and heartbreaking absurdist comedy will receive its Nordic premiere at the Stockholm Film Festival and Andersson will receive his award in connection with the screening. The director will also be available for questions from the audience during an exclusive Face2Face.
Getting the chance to meet directors and actors from different countries is certainly the best part of any film festival. Stockholm Film Festival has about 70 such special guests this year, and all these events will be marked with Face2Face in the program. The opening gala and other red carpet events will also be interesting to attend, as well as seminars and parties that are open to the public.
Diversity in film
Stockholm Film Festival is making a conscious effort to present high quality films from all over the world. Films in languages other than English are otherwise not very common in cinemas, but there are 52 different countries represented at the festival this year. The festival also aims to showcase female directors in this male-dominated industry, so more than 20 percent of the movies are directed by women – a very high figure when compared to what is usually on offer at cinemas.
Tickets
To buy tickets to screenings, you first need to purchase a membership card for 240 SEK. The regular tickets (75 SEK per film, or 50 SEK in the daytime, and 130 SEK for Red Carpet screenings) are only valid together with a valid membership card. You can also buy a one-time ticket, providing you with a temporary membership card and a ticket valid for one screening, at 70 SEK more than the regular ticket price. The membership card also gives you the opportunity to see 12 exclusive member screenings throughout the year for free.
More information about the Stockholm Film Festival: Festival FAQ
See the full festival program for 5th to 16th November – details released on 14th October.
