Marcus Carlsson’s Biodlaren to Open Göteborg Film Festival 2026

On January 23, the 49th edition of the Göteborg Film Festival will open with the world premiere of Biodlaren (international title TBD) by director Marcus Carlsson. The opening will take place both on site in Gothenburg and in cinemas across Sweden, as well as in the online version of the festival.

Biodlaren, Swedish for “Beekeeper”, is a quiet and deeply affecting drama about a father and daughter who carry a shared grief in different ways. With a delicate touch, the film portrays both the everyday and the existential - from the humming of beehives to a relationship on the verge of collapse. It’s a story of loss, silence, and longing for closeness, but also of the hope that can grow when we dare to face what we fear. Set in the small town of Åmotfors in the Swedish region of Värmland, the film features a powerful performance by Adam Lundgren in the role of the beekeeper Olof.

“We’re thrilled to open the 2026 Göteborg Film Festival with the world premiere of a powerful Swedish film. Biodlaren is a subtle and deeply touching story that, with great sensitivity, captures life far from the noise of big cities. It’s a film that lingers, reminding us how the fragility of human relationships can hold both pain and light”, says Pia Lundberg, Artistic Director of the Göteborg Film Festival.

Göteborg Film Festival has followed Marcus Carlsson’s filmmaking for many years and screened a wide range of his films, including the short Dirtbags (2014), which won the Audience Award in the Startsladden competition, and his acclaimed feature Love & Will, which had its premiere at the festival in 2018.

“That Biodlaren will have its world premiere as the opening film at the 2026 Göteborg Film Festival feels incredibly significant and truly an honor. I hope everyone will feel the quiet strength that Värmland has given the film. I’m so grateful that it’s finally getting to meet its audience”, says Marcus Carlsson.

The cast includes Adam Lundgren, Hedvig Nilsson, Marika Lindström, Julia Schacht, Sara Arne, Judith Blix, Linnéa Cart-Lamy, Magnus Sundberg, Isabelle Grill, Mindie Mendel, Antti Reini, and Christina Lindberg.

Biodlaren is competing in the Nordic Competition and will also be available online in the Göteborg Film Festival’s digital screening room.

Göteborg Film Festival opens on January 23.