The Swedish capital will turn into a 12-day celluloid carnival from 5-16 November, as the Stockholm International Film Festival rolls out the red carpet for its 36th edition. The programme, freshly unveiled, presents 130 films from 60 countries, ranging from the big-league fare from Sundance, Cannes, Venice, Toronto et al to smaller personal discoveries from across the globe. An elaborate industry programme, now expanded with an extra day, takes place from 10-13 November. Master classes, panel discussions and personal appearances by assorted celebrities and dignitaries are all part of the grand plan. As per tradition, the screenings play out in some of the most exquisite classic movie theatres of the city.

Opening the festivities is local lad done good Tarik Saleh, living three subway stops away from one of said lavish movie palaces, Skandia, where Eagles of the Republic [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Tarik Saleh
fiche film] will get its Swedish premiere. This final part of Saleh’s “Cairo Trilogy” premiered at Cannes, where part two, Boy from Heaven [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Tarik Saleh
fiche film], also partook. Closing the festival is another Cannes 2025 contestant, Lynne Ramsay’s Die, My Love, with Park Chan-wook’s Venice entry No Other Choice [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
fiche film] playing the half-time gala. Other luminous titles from the grand arenas include Werner Herzog’s Ghost Elephant, François Ozon’s The Stranger [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : François Ozon
fiche film], Kelly Reichardt’s The Mastermind, Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon [+lire aussi :
critique
fiche film], Christian Petzold’s Mirrors No. 3 [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Christian Petzold
fiche film] and Raoul Peck’s Orwell: 2+2=5 [+lire aussi :
bande-annonce
fiche film], the latter also one of the 14 entries in the Documentary Competition.

Peck will be up against the likes of Gianfranco Rosi’s Below the Clouds [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Gianfranco Rosi
fiche film], Charlie Shackleton’s Zodiac Killer Project [+lire aussi :
critique
fiche film] and Ross McElwee’s Remake, which is also part of this year’s festival spotlight theme, “Be Kind Rewind”, addressing nostalgia and the recapturing of the past via visual media. In the main 2025 Stockholm Competition, 19 titles are competing for the grand Bronze Horse Awards, among them Mascha Schilinski’s Sound of Falling [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
fiche film], Tereza Nvotová’s Father [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Tereza Nvotová
fiche film], Kleber Mendonça Filho’s The Secret Agent [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
fiche film], Pella Kågerman and Hugo Lilja’s Egghead Republic [+lire aussi :
critique
fiche film], and Julia Ducournau’s Alpha [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
fiche film]. Also entered here is Harry Lighton’s Pillion [+lire aussi :
critique
fiche film], starring Alexander Skarsgård, whose family is enjoying an extraordinary year, acting-wise, with brother Bill shining in Gus Van Sant’s Dead Man’s Wire and dad Stellan doing the same in Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Joachim Trier
fiche film]. Alexander Skarsgård will additionally be honoured with the special 2025 Stockholm Achievement Award, while the festival’s Visionary Award goes to Benny Safdie, in town to present his latest work, the Venice Best Director winner The Smashing Machine. A special guest of honour is Isabella Rossellini, who will share the stage for a conversation with Stig Björkman, a friend and the director of Ingrid Bergman: In Her Own Words. Rossellini will also be devoting a special tribute to director David Lynch, to whom this year’s edition of the festival is dedicated, and who came along in 1990 to present the very first film at the very first edition, Wild at Heart. A special deep dive into Blue Velvet is promised as well as a Lynch-o-Mania bash at the legendary Spy Bar, running into the very wee hours of the autumnal Northern night.

The full programme can be perused here.