2025 Stockholm International Film Festival
Official poster | |
| Opening film | Eagles of the Republic by Tarik Saleh |
|---|---|
| Closing film | Die My Love by Lynne Ramsay |
| Location | Stockholm, Sweden |
| Founded | 1990 |
| Awards | Bronze Horse |
| Artistic director | Beatrice Karlsson |
| No. of films | 135 films from 60 countries |
| Festival date | Opening: 5 November 2025 Closing: 16 November 2025 |
| Website | SIFF 2025 |
The 36th Stockholm International Film Festival took place from 5 to 16 November 2025 in Stockholm, Sweden. The festival opened with Eagles of the Republic by Tarik Saleh. The theme of this edition was "Be Kind Rewind" and Germany was this year's 'Focus Country' and had screening of 2025 German drama films Sound of Falling and Miroirs No. 3 by Mascha Schilinski and Christian Petzold respectively and new works by Lauro Cress and Joscha Bongard.[1]
This year's festival was dedicated to the memory of a master: David Lynch, American filmmaker, visual artist, musician, and actor, who passed away on 15 January 2025. The festival honoured his enduring legacy through retrospectives, insightful discussions, and curated screenings that highlighted his profound impact on cinema and the people.[2]
The winners were presented on 14 November 2025 during the award ceremony at the Rigoletto cinema. This year's Bronze Horse for Best Film went to Slovakia's Oscar submission Father, by Tereza Nvotová.[3] The festival officially closed on 16 November with Die My Love by Lynne Ramsay.
Jury
Stockholm Competition
- Eva Åkergren, Swedish producer (jury chair)
- David Dencik, Swedish-Danish actor
- Mikael Marcimain, Swedish film and television director[4]
Stockholm Documentary Competition
- Sara Rüster, works at Swedish Film Institute and is responsible for the launch and festival distribution of Swedish documentaries
- Brynhildur Þórarinsdóttir, Icelandic-Swedish producer
- Kasia Syty, philologist, cultural journalist, and translator
Short Film Competition
- Lia Hietala is a Swedish film director and screenwriter
- Elis Monteverde Burrau, poet, playwright, artist
- Julia Thelin, screenwriter and director
FIPRESCI jury
- Leonardo Goi, a film critic and columnist for MUBI Notebook.
- Stephen “Spling” Aspeling, a South African film critic, script consultant, and radio presenter
- Julia Finnsiö, a Swedish film critic
TV4 Rising Star Award
- Simon Norrthon, Swedish actor, jury chair
- Lisa Rosengren Lagercrantz, Film & TV Producers Association
- Jan Göransson, Head of Press, Swedish Film Institute
- Adam Lundgren, Swedish actor
- Celie Sparre, Swedish actress
Official selection
Opening and closing films
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening film | |||
| Eagles of the Republic | Tarik Saleh | Sweden, France, Denmark, Finland | |
| Closing film | |||
| Die My Love | Lynne Ramsay | United States | |
Stockholm Competition
The following films were selected for the main international competition:[5][6]
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha | Julia Ducournau | France, Belgium | |
| DJ Ahmet | Georgi M. Unkovski | North Macedonia, Czech Republic, Serbia, Croatia | |
| Egghead Republic | Pella Kågerman and Hugo Lilja | Sweden | |
| Father | Otec | Tereza Nvotová | Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland |
| Forastera | Lucía Aleñar Iglesias | Spain, Italy, Sweden | |
| Hijra | هجری | Shahad Ameen | Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Egypt, United Kingdom |
| If I Had Legs I'd Kick You | Mary Bronstein | United States | |
| Left-Handed Girl | 左撇子女孩 | Shih-Ching Tsou | Taiwan, France, United States, United Kingdom |
| The Little Sister | La Petite Dernière | Hafsia Herzi | France, Germany |
| Lucky Lu | 幸福之路 | Lloyd Lee Choi | Canada, United States |
| Perla | Alexandra Makarová | Austria, Slovakia | |
| Pillion | Harry Lighton | United Kingdom, Ireland | |
| The President's Cake | مملكة القصب | Hasan Hadi | Iraq, United States, Qatar |
| Reedland | Rietland | Sven Bresser | Netherlands, Belgium |
| The Secret Agent | O Agente Secreto | Kleber Mendonça Filho | Brazil, France, Germany, Netherlands |
| Sorry, Baby | Eva Victor | United States | |
| Sound of Falling | In die Sonne schauen | Mascha Schilinski | Germany |
| Train Dreams | Clint Bentley | United States | |
| Where the Wind Comes From | Amel Guellaty | Tunisia, France, Qatar | |
Stockholm Documentary Competition
The following films were selected for the documentary competition:[7]
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 Meters to Andriivka | 2000 метрів до Андріївки | Mstyslav Chernov | Ukraine, United States |
| Afterlives | Kevin B. Lee | Belgium, France, Germany | |
| All I Had Was Nothingness | Je n'avais que le néant – "Shoah" par Lanzmann | Guillaume Ribot | France |
| An American Pastoral | Une pastorale américaine | Auberi Edler | France |
| André Is an Idiot | Tony Benna | United States | |
| Below the Clouds | Sotto le nuvole | Gianfranco Rosi | Italy |
| Cover-Up | Laura Poitras, Mark Obenhaus | United States | |
| The Golden Spurtle | Constantine Costi | Australia, United Kingdom | |
| ILOVERUSS | Tova Mozard | Sweden | |
| Letters from Wolf Street | Listy z Wilczej | Arjun Talwar | Poland, Germany |
| Orwell: 2+2=5 | Raoul Peck | France, United States | |
| Remake | Ross McElwee | United States | |
| The Stringer | Bao Nguyen | United States | |
| Zodiac Killer Project | Charlie Shackleton | United States, United Kingdom | |
Masters
The following films were selected in the Masters section (most experienced directors and profiled voices from the world of films):[8]
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Die My Love | Lynne Ramsay | United States | |
| Ghost Elephants | Werner Herzog | United States | |
| The Mastermind | Kelly Reichardt | United States, United Kingdom | |
| Miroirs No. 3 | Christian Petzold | Germany | |
| No Other Choice | 어쩔수가없다 | Park Chan-wook | South Korea |
| Peter Hujar's Day | Ira Sachs | United States, Argentina, Spain, United Kingdom, Germany | |
| The Smashing Machine | Benny Safdie | United States | |
| The Stranger | L'Étranger | François Ozon | France |
| Two Prosecutors | Два прокурора | Sergei Loznitsa | Latvia, France, Germany, Netherlands, Romania, Lithuania |
| Yakushima's Illusion | L'Illusion de Yakushima | Naomi Kawase | France, Japan, Belgium, Luxembourg |
Open Zone
The following films were selected in the Open Zone section (FIPRESCI award):[9]
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Babystar | Joscha Bongard | Germany | |
| The Blue Trail | O Último Azul | Gabriel Mascaro | Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Netherlands |
| Eagles of the Republic | Tarik Saleh | Sweden, France, Denmark, Finland | |
| Ky Nam Inn | Quán Kỳ Nam | Leon Le | Vietnam |
| The Message | El mensaje | Iván Fund | Argentina, Spain, Uruguay |
| Mile End Kicks | Chandler Levack | Canada | |
| The Sun Rises on Us All | 日掛中天 | Cai Shangjun | China |
| The Things You Kill | Alireza Khatami | France, Canada, Poland, Singapore, Turkey | |
| Two Seasons, Two Strangers | 旅と日々 | Sho Miyake | Japan |
| What Marielle Knows | Was Marielle weiß | Frédéric Hambalek | Germany |
Icons
The following films were selected in the Icon section (where the biggest stars shine the brightest):[10]
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anemone | Ronan Day-Lewis | United Kingdom, United States | |
| The Ballad of Wallis Island | James Griffiths | United Kingdom | |
| Blue Moon | Richard Linklater | United States, Ireland | |
| Christy | David Michôd | United States | |
| The Last Viking | Den Sidste Viking | Anders Thomas Jensen | Sweden, Denmark |
| Eternity | David Freyne | United States | |
| Is This Thing On? | Bradley Cooper | United States, United Kingdom | |
| Jay Kelly | Noah Baumbach | United States, Italy, United Kingdom | |
| Jimpa | Sophie Hyde | United States, Australia, Netherlands | |
| Kiss of the Spider Woman | Bill Condon | United States, Mexico | |
| Late Fame | Kent Jones | United States | |
| Rebuilding | Max Walker-Silverman | United States | |
| Rental Family | Hikari | United States, Japan | |
American Independents
The following films were selected in the American Independents section (America as seen through the most independent of filmmaking eyes):[11]
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Baltimorons | Jay Duplass | United States | |
| East of Wall | Kate Beecroft | United States | |
| Fior Di Latte | Charlotte Linden Ercoli Coe | United States, Italy | |
| Lurker | Alex Russell | United States | |
| Mad Bills to Pay (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo) | Joel Alfonso Vargas | United States | |
| Magic Farm | Amalia Ulman | United States, Argentina, United Kingdom | |
| Omaha | Cole Webley | United States | |
| Plainclothes | Carmen Emmi | United States, United Kingdom | |
| Splitsville | Michael Angelo Covino | United States | |
| Sunfish (& Other Stories on Green Lake) | Sierra Falconer | United States | |
| Twinless | James Sweeney | United States | |
Discovery
The following films were selected in the Discovery section (stories from debuting directors):[12]
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before/After | Avant/Après | Manoël Dupont | Belgium |
| Caravan | Karavan | Zuzana Kirchnerová | Czech Republic, Slovakia, Italy |
| The Devil Smokes (and Saves the Burnt Matches in the Same Box) | El diablo fuma | Ernesto Martínez Bucio | Mexico |
| Impatience of the Heart | Ungeduld des Herzens | Lauro Cress | Germany |
| Little Trouble Girls | Kaj ti je deklica | Urška Djukić | Slovenia, Italy, Croatia, Serbia |
| The Plague | Charlie Polinger | United States, Australia, Romania | |
| Silent Rebellion | À bras-le-corps | Marie-Elsa Sgualdo | Belgium, France, Switzerland |
| Sugarland | Isabella Brunäcker | Austria | |
| Vanilla | Vainilla | Mayra Hermosillo | Mexico |
Twilight Zone
The following films were selected in the Twilight Zone section (Innovative, terrifying and twisted genre films):[13]
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Book of Sijjin and Illyyin | Kitab Sijjin & Illiyyin | Hadrah Daeng Ratu | Indonesia |
| Honey Bunch | Madeleine Sims-Fewer, Dusty Mancinelli | Canada | |
| Mārama | Taratoa Stappard | New Zealand, United Kingdom | |
| Mother of Flies | John Adams, Zelda Adams, Toby Poser | United States | |
| Mother's Baby | Johanna Moder | Germany | |
| The Python Hunt | Xander Robin | United States | |
| Rabbit Trap | Bryn Chainey | United States, United Kingdom | |
| Reflection in a Dead Diamond | Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani | Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy, France | |
| Tinsman Road | Robbie Banfitch | United States | |
| The Virgin of the Quarry Lake | La Virgen de la Tosquera | Laura Casabe | Argentina, Mexico, Spain |
Stockholm Series
| English title | Original title | Creator(s) | Network | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Death of Bunny Munro | Isabella Eklöf | Sky Atlantic | United Kingdom | |
| The Narrow Road to the Deep North | Justin Kurzel, Shaun Grant | Prime Video | Australia | |
| Popular Problems | Populära problem | Ernst de Geer, Sissela Benn | SVT1 | Sweden |
| We Come in Peace | Vi kommer i fred | Mani Maserrat-Agah, Jens Jonsson | TV4 | Sweden |
Short Film Competition
Nordic Shorts
- Sorry I'm Late (But I Brought A Choir) (Dette er ikke en fest (det er en vinkveld)), Håkon Anton, Norway
- Closed Oysters Can't Speak, Leonard Rääf, Denmark, Italy
- Fish Out of Water
- Maybe in March, Mikkel Bjørn Kehlert, Denmark
- My Name Is Hope, Sherwan Haji, Finland
Short Film Program: Bodies Bodies Bodies
- Skin on Skin by Simon Schneckenburger
- Agapito by Arvin Belarmino and Kyla Danelle Romero
- The Body by Louris van de Geer
- Unsold Copies by Stefan Koutzev
Short Film Program: Faces Places
- When The Geese Flew by Arthur Gay
- Baozhda by Keran Abukasimu
- The Loneliness of Lizards by Inês Nunes
- I'm Glad You're Dead Now by Tawfeek Barhom
Awards
Bronze Horse
- Best Film: Father by Tereza Nvotová[3]
- Best Director: Mascha Schillinski for Sound of Falling
- Best Actor: Harry Melling for Pillion
- Best Actress: Shih Yuan Ma for Left-Handed Girl
- Best Screenplay: Dusan Budzak and Tereza Nvotová for Father
- Best Debut: Hasan Hadi for The President's Cake
- Best Cinematography: Evgenia Alexandrova for The Secret Agent
- Best Documentary: 2000 Meters to Andriivka by Mstyslav Chernov
- Best Short Film: Skin on Skin by Simon Schneckenburger
Stockholm Achievement Award
- Alexander Skarsgård, Swedish actor[14]
Visionary Award
- Benny Safdie, American filmmaker and actor[1]
- Best Film: No Other Choice by Park Chan-wook
Nordic Shorts Competition
- Best Short Film: Sorry I'm Late (But I Brought a Choir) by Håkon Anton Olavsen
TV4 Rising Star Award
- Nils Wetterholm
Stockholm Film Critics Award
- Stig Björkman, Swedish writer and film critic[15]
Peroni 0.0% Audience Award
References
- ^ a b Scott Roxborough (8 October 2025). "Stockholm Fest to Honor Alexander Skarsgård, Benny Safdie". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
- ^ "Stockholm International Film Festival presents the 2025 festival programme". MyNewsDesk. 8 October 2025. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
- ^ a b "Here are the winners of the Stockholm International Film Festival 2025". Mynewsdesk. 14 November 2025. Retrieved 14 November 2025.
- ^ "Actor David Dencik joins the Jury". MyNewsDesk. 3 November 2025. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
- ^ Lumholdt, Jan (9 October 2025). "Stockholm Film Festival unveils its programme". Cineuropa. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
- ^ "Stockholm Competition". Stockholm International Film Festival. 9 October 2025. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
- ^ "Documentary Competition". Stockholm International Film Festival. 9 October 2025. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
- ^ "Masters". Stockholm International Film Festival. 9 October 2025. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
- ^ "Open Zone". Stockholm International Film Festival. 9 October 2025. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
- ^ "Icons". Stockholm International Film Festival. 9 October 2025. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
- ^ "American Independents". Stockholm International Film Festival. 9 October 2025. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
- ^ "Discovery". Stockholm International Film Festival. 9 October 2025. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
- ^ "Twilight Zone". Stockholm International Film Festival. 9 October 2025. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
- ^ "Alexander Skarsgård is the recipient of the Stockholm Achievement Award 2025". MyNewsDesk. 8 October 2025. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
- ^ Lumholdt, Jan (17 November 2025). "Father scoops Stockholm's Bronze Horse for Best Film". Cineuropa. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
- ^ "Egghead Republic is the winner of Peroni 0.0% Audience Award 2025". MyNewsDesk. 18 November 2025. Retrieved 20 November 2025.