New record when festival closes

The 33rd edition of The Göteborg International Film Festival broke a new record. In total 130 400 tickets were sold, to 32 000 visitors, for 720 screenings of 450 films from 78 different countries. This equals a 5% increase compared to 2009 and means that GIFF manifests its strong position as Scandinavias leading festival.

– It has been the snowiest and coldest festival in many years and at the same time the warmest and most fabulous. I feel totally overwhelmed and extremely eager to start preparing for the next festival, says Festival Director Marit Kapla.

–These amazing figures are almost a bit scary and a challenge for next year. Another fantastic fact is that we during 2009 saw as many as 200 000 visitors alltogether on all our events throughout the whole year, says Festival CEO Åsa Bernlo.

At the bustling meeting point – the big Festival tent – over 20 000 visitors enjoyed the seminars, the talk show Studio Draken (see web tv on www.giff.se), food from Michelin star chef Leif Mannerström, bands and dj:s. The seminar programme had more than 6000 visitors during 50 seminars. The crowds lined up for example for master classes with Günter Wallraff, Sally Potter and Claire Denis as well as for a visionary debate on the art, and politics, of filmmaking.

Among the around 500 invited guests the festival saw a grand Danish invasion this year. A big team from the Dragon Award winner for best Nordic film as well as Fipresci award winner – R, by Tobias Lindholm och Michael Noer – celebrated at the Dragon Award Gala. Other noteable Danes were the actor Mads Mikkelsen and the director Nicolas Winding Refn presenting their Valhalla Rising.

The interest for the Nordic Film Market was enormous, with 300 buyers, distributors and programmers from all over the world, looking for new Nordic films.

We will now start planning the Göteborg International Film Festival 2011. Welcome back!