25th Stockholm International Film Festival

If the beautiful old cinemas of Stockholm are an oasis amongst the blistering cold weather of a Scandinavian November then the 200+ films selected by the Stockholm International Film Festival (SIFF) are the siren’s call. Providing the citizens of Sweden with a deluge of local premieres of both regional and international films over 15 specially collated sections, this festival is a busy mix of big and small. Celebrating its quarter-of-a-century birthday, SIFF was also the host of selection of famous names including Uma Thurman, Mike Leigh and Sweden’s homegrown hero Roy Anderson who were all receiving tributes from the festival. Thurman, with her piercing eyes and almost royal beauty, was the face of the festival, printed on the cover of the guide and posters featuring her face hung down streets and on billboards across the city.

The FIPRESCI jury were tasked with judging the Open Zone section, a selection of films from noteworthy filmmakers both in front and behind the camera that had otherwise premiered already at other festivals such as Cannes and Venice. Our winner, Saverio Costanzo’s Hungry Hearts, was announced at the festival’s ceremony alongside many other awards including the competition prize from a separate jury that went to Céline Sciamma’s Girlhood, and Xavier Dolan’s Mommy, which won the audience award, and several other prizes. (Glenn Dunks)

Stockholm International Film Festival: www.stockholmfilmfestival.se/en