Göteborg Film Festival 2021 will be anything but conventional. No crowds, no parties, no sold-out cinemas. This year’s festival focus, Social Distances, explores the new world that has emerged in the wake of the pandemic. What does film mean to us when we are isolated from everything else? To investigate, we are opening a brand-new cinema. In the middle of the ocean.
The Isolated Cinema on the island of Pater Noster is inaccessibly located at the very edge of the archipelago in one of Sweden’s most barren, windswept locations. One solitary film enthusiast experience total isolation from the outside world. No phone, no family, no friends. Just the sea and the festival’s film programme with 60 film premieres. For seven days.
We are overwhelmed by all the applications and the great interest worldwide. Out of more than 12,000 applicants from over 45 countries, we have now selected one person who has undergone interviews and tests. The chosen one is Lisa, a film enthusiast from Skövde who has worked hard as an emergency nurse on the front line in the fight against Covid-19 during the past year. You can now follow Lisa’s experiences on the island through a video diary published below daily until Lisa’s return on 6 February.
During the film festival, we will open two more isolated cinemas at iconic venues in Göteborg. Normally full of life and movement but now empty and deserted. There in the deserted arena and the empty cinema, we will create completely unique film experiences.
One of Sweden’s most visited arenas with room for 12,044 spectators will now be opened exclusively for one person. In the centre of the rink where World Championship hockey games and epic arena concerts have taken place for more than 50 years, a lone cinema seat is waiting for its only visitor.
The last date for registration of interest has passed.
Just like every year, gala premieres will be arranged at the Draken cinema every night during the 2021 film festival too. But this year, the screenings are only for one visitor at a time and there will be 707 empty cinema seats. Sitting alone in the theatre, you can get a personal introduction from the film makers before the curtains rise and the film begins.
The last date for registration of interest has passed.
The Isolated Cinema is carried out with the support of Göteborg & Co and in collaboration with Got Event/Scandinavium, Folkets Hus Göteborg and Pater Noster
In January we unfortunately cannot meet in cinemas as usual. That is why we are instead taking this year’s film festival home to the audience. For eleven days from January 29 to February 8, a unique digital festival experience will take place with up to 60 gala premieres, film-maker introductions and festival atmosphere. Every night, new film premieres will be presented in living rooms all over Sweden.
With the digital 11-day pass for just SEK 295, you can enjoy film premieres, interviews and a festival atmosphere at home from your own sofa. New premieres will be presented every day during the festival and each film can be streamed for 24 hours via computer, tablet, smartphone, Chromecast or Apple TV. Explore the entire film programme from January 12 at goteborgfilmfestival.se/online. The digital Göteborg Film Festival is only accessible to audiences in Sweden. Digital accreditation is offered to international film industry participants, read more here: goteborgfilmfestival.se/en/accreditation.
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