GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN — After 10 years as Artistic Director of Göteborg Film Festival, the 2024 edition will mark Jonas Holmberg‘s final festival. The festival’s board will now commence the process of recruiting the next Artistic Director of Göteborg Film Festival.
”My experience as Artistic Director of Göteborg Film Festival has been an incredibly fulfilling journey, and I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of an organization that serves the art of cinema and its audience. When I took on the role, my ambition was to develop the festival by blending its traditions with innovative approaches, and I am filled with pride for the progress we’ve accomplished. I am particularly happy about the growth and increased diversity of our audience. I am also proud of our exploration of the artistic and audience-related possibilities at the intersection of physical and digital cinema culture,” said Jonas.
Jonas was appointed Artistic Director in 2014, succeeding Marit Kapla. Over the past decade, Göteborg Film Festival has transformed into a hybrid festival with a digital platform, strengthened its position within the international film industry, and established the festival’s streaming service Draken Film as Sweden’s leading VOD platform for arthouse films.
“Next festival will be my tenth as Artistic Director. It has been a difficult decision, but it feels like a good moment to step aside. We have successfully navigated through the pandemic, and both Göteborg Film Festival, alongside our industry platforms Nordic Film Market and TV Drama Vision, as well as Draken Film, are thriving. I will be leaving colleagues whom I admire and have learned a lot from, but before that, we will organize one last festival together. We are working intensively to shape the 47th Göteborg Film Festival into something amazing,” added Jonas.
Göteborg Film Festival is the largest film festival in Scandinavia, with an annual attendance of 270,000 visitors and nearly 2,000 accredited participants. The 47th Göteborg Film Festival will take place from January 26 to February 04.
“Jonas has served as Artistic Director during a period marked by challenges, such as staying relevant and reaching audiences in a changing media landscape. The film festival that Jonas will be leaving next spring has transformed challenges into opportunities and has even experienced the most dynamic period in the history of the Göteborg Film Festival. The fact that film enthusiasts across the country can now experience the festival digitally and that Göteborg Film Festival was the first major event in the world to have a fully gender-equal film program are just a few examples. Jonas has initiated a concept-driven approach with thematical focal points that have defined the festival’s artistic expression. Through program collaborations with prominent filmmakers, he has brought relevance, artistic excellence, and the audience’s immense appreciation to Göteborg Film Festival,” said Carina Lindberg Glavå, Chairperson of the Board of Göteborg Film Festival.
The board of Göteborg Film Festival will now begin the process of recruiting the next Artistic Director of the festival.
