Swedish cinema got off to 'an incredibly strong' start in 2009, according to the Swedish Film Institute's head of statistics Thomas Bryntesson.

The preliminary figures for the first quarter of the year estimate a local market share of 40% with total ticket sales exceeding 4.6m, up 17% on 2008.

Bryntesson added that The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (also known as Men Who Hate Women/Män Som Hatar Kvinnor) has been key to the success of local films along with Mammoth (Mammut), Vi Hade I Alla Fall Tur Med Vädret - Igen , The Swimsuit Issue (Allt Flyter) and Wallander.

Swedish features accounted for 36% of admissions in January, 24% in February and just under 50% in March. Over the last weekend in March, local films occupied the The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Kenny Begins and Petsson & Findus. The foreign top-grossers over the period included Australia and Bolt.

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