Göteborg Film Festival 2023 – Scandinavia’s largest film festival

It’s finally time for this year’s big film festival in Gothenburg. Between January 27 and February 5, the 46th edition of Göteborg Film Festival takes place around the city’s cinemas, but also digitally and offers a plethora of gala premieres and memorable cinematic experiences.

Every year, the festival’s program group travels around the world to choose movies to take to Gothenburg – and during the festival up to 200 films from around 80 countries are being shown. Taking the whole world to Gothenburg has always been the festival’s motto, but the festival also wants to be a springboard for new Nordic film where the Nordic competition, Dragon Award Best Nordic Film, offers a high-class starting field. During the festival you will find not only films but also seminars, concerts, art, workshops and a variety of other activities.

This festival’s themes and vignette film

During the spring of 2022, Gothenburg’s 400th anniversary and the Göteborg Film Festival announced a competition to produce the most viewed film at the Gothenburg Film Festival 2023: the vignette film that is shown before every screening during the festival. The winner was Fabiana directed by Johanna St Michaels and Kristina Meiton.

The focus during the 2023 edition of the Göteborg Film Festival is Homecoming, and the films shown within this theme explore stories of coming home and what constitutes a home.

Another theme is the festival’s own hometown, Gothenburg, since the city is celebrating its 400th anniversary. The festival sheds new light on the city’s film history, showing nine films which takes place in Gothenburg, including Ruben Östlund’s Gitarrmongot, Babak Najafi’s Sebbe from 2010 and the documentary Göteborgsepoker.

Facts about Göteborg Film Festival 2023

Göteborg Film Festival takes place on January 27 – February 5 and attracts around 250 000 visitors each year. During the festival period, around 200 films from 80 countries are being screened.  

Photo: Draken/Folketshus.

Järntorget & Långgatorna

A stone’s throw from Göteborg Film Festival’s main cinema Draken you will find Järntorget and the streets Långgatorna. Here you can browse among thrift shops, enjoy the relaxed nightlife, have a beer with good friends, explore the charming wine bars, or have a bite to eat at one of the many restaurants in the area.

Järntorget. Photo: Per Pixel Petersson/Göteborg & Co.

Rosenlund & Kungshöjd – bars and restaurants by the water

Rosenlund and Kungshöjd are also close to the festival hub Draken, where locals has been making pilgrimages for for fresh fish for hundreds of years. Nowadays, Rosenlund offers a plethora of exciting bars, shops and restaurants. The nearby area of Kungshöjd, in turn, offers winding streets, a beautiful view of the city and the harbour entrance and is well worth a visit for a drink or a cup of coffee.

Guide to Järntorget

Järntorget is an area located in between Linné, Rosenlund and Kungshöjd, but also Masthugget and Haga. Here you are also just stone’s throw away from the popular restaurant and bar streets called Långgatorna. The nearest stop for trams and buses is Järntorget.

Buses: X2, 50, 60, 90, 91, 114, 290 och Röd

Trams: 1, 3, 6, 9 och 11

On Norra Allégatan, Heurlins Plats and Rosenlundsgatan there are parking spaces for the disabled.