The 34th Gothenburg International Film Festival (Jan 28 – Feb 7) announces opening and closing films ahead of its full programme announcement on Jan 11.

In Norwegian director Marius Holst’s opening film, King’s Of Devil Island, which gets its international premiere, Stellan Skarsgard stars as a tyrannical governor of a brutal reformatory school for young boys.

The 1915-set drama will be one of eight films competing for the Dragon Award for best Nordic film, which comes with a monetary award of one million SEK.

Psychological thriller Corridor, written and directed by Johan Lundborg and Johan Storm, stars Emil Johnsen, Ylva Gallon and Peter Stormare in the story of young medical student whose world becomes unsettled after he meets an unusual girl living in his apartment block.

Corridor is one of five films in the Rookie project, The Swedish Film Institute’s commitment to first-time feature directors. The film has its Swedish premiere at the festival’s closing ceremony on Feb 5.

This year’s festival will feature seminars, the Nordic Film Market and a focus on Romanian cinema. Screenwriter Charlie Kaufman will receive the inaugural Honorary Dragon Award.

Topics