The open-air summer cinema nights have been a major success in the last few editions of the Festival. But this has never been done in November that can be really chilly and cold in the north. Well, cold or not, it’s a nice way to herald the official kick off and get the whole of Stockholm on their feet. Officially, the Festival takes place between 18 and 29 November but movie nights under the stars are seen as a prelude, a warm-up for the cinephile audience.
Over four Saturdays people will be flocking parks and public squares in front of a giant outdoor broadcast screens. Sitting on the ground or standing, Stockholmers and visitors will be watching for free quality international films a few days before the opening of one of Europe's foremost film festivals in constant motion.
The 20th edition of the Stockholm International Film Festival will be screening more than 150 films from 40 countries this year, expected to be seen by more than 50,000 viewers. Since 1990 when the Festival started for the first time, more than 2,400 movies from all over the world have been screened and celebrated guests like Dennis Hopper, Lauren Bacall, Gena Rowlands, Ang Lee, David Cronenberg, Roman Polanski, Terry Gilliam and Elia Kazan have all attended it.
The Festival is also recognized for its ability to promote and offer a venue for young and non-established filmmakers. As many as a third of the films selected are made by a debuting director and only directors who have made less than 3 films are selected for the competition.
The aim for Stockholm International Film Festival is to broaden the selection of films in Sweden with creative new films of high quality and offer the visitor an orientation within modern film to stimulate a continuing debate. With seminars, opportunities to meet actors and filmmakers during the face2face along with the extensive catalogue, all means are given to make the film experience come full circle.
Ten years ago, the Stockholm International Film Festival started the Junior section, which takes place every year in April. Its last edition –number ten- earlier this year attracted more than 16,500 six to sixteen year-old kids who attended screenings and workshops and submitted some 500 films to the One Minute Film competition.
If you want to know the complete program of screenings of the 20th Stockholm International Film Festival stay tuned and visit the festival’s website from time to time.