Sweden's Göteborg Film Festival will open its doors later this month with a programme of 266 films and a central question at its heart: what does truth mean anymore? The 49th edition of the festival, running from January 23 to February 1, marks the second year that Pia Lundberg has served as Artistic Director, and she has shaped the festival around the theme of Focus: Truth—a response to what she describes as a moment when facts and fiction have become dangerously blurred.
"We live in a time when the very idea of truth is being put under pressure. Where the boundaries between fact and fiction often become blurred: in news feeds, on social media, and in political rhetoric. With Focus: Truth, we want to explore how film can both reflect and influence our understanding of reality," says Pia Lundberg, Artistic Director of Göteborg Film Festival.
The decision to centre the festival around truth reflects broader concerns about the erosion of shared facts in public discourse. Lundberg and her team are not simply programming films that address the theme—they are treating it as a lens through which to examine society itself. The festival is presented in collaboration with Riksbankens Jubileumsfond and its annual yearbook Justice, suggesting an institutional commitment to exploring these questions seriously.
Background
Lundberg arrived at the Göteborg Film Festival with extensive experience in the film world. Before taking the role in March 2024, she spent five years as Cultural Counsellor at the Swedish Embassy in London. Before that, she held the position of Head of International Affairs at the Swedish Film Institute from 2007 to 2018, where she worked to promote Swedish cinema globally and chaired the committee that selects Sweden's submissions for the Academy Awards for seven years.
Her background is rooted in film journalism. She trained as a journalist and began her career as a writer and editor for several Swedish and international publications, including Variety and Screen. She also served as editor-in-chief of the film magazine Cinema for four years around the turn of the millennium.
When Lundberg was appointed, the board described her as someone with "extensive and diverse experience in the film industry" and noted that few people in Sweden combine "vast experience with international film festivals" with "a deep connection to the Nordic film world."
Key Details
The 2026 programme reflects the festival's commitment to Nordic cinema while drawing from nearly 80 countries worldwide. Among the highlights are approximately 15 world premieres, including films by established Nordic directors and emerging talent.
The festival will honour Polish director Agnieszka Holland and Swedish actor Noomi Rapace with special awards, and both will have retrospectives of their work. Swedish director Ruben Östlund, who serves as honorary president of the festival, will present his forthcoming film "The Entertainment System Is Down" during a special talk.
Several Nordic films are competing in the main programme. Maria Sødahl's "The Last Resort" and Alli Haapasalo's "Tell Everyone" are both screening in the main competition. Itonje Søimer Guttormsen's "Butterfly," starring Renate Reinsve, will also compete. Other notable selections include Hlynur Pálmason's "The Love That Remains" and John Skoog's "Redoubt."
The Truth Campaign
To promote the Focus: Truth theme, the festival has created an experimental marketing campaign called Truth Tickets. The concept treats honesty as a currency with tangible value. The campaign includes a promotional film starring Scandinavian actors Alexander Karim and David Dencik, directed by Mats Udd.
"Truth has become strangely negotiable in our time. By turning truth into a currency, we assign it a tangible value that is rarely emphasised. We want to create an experiment where lying has consequences," says Pia Lundberg.
The campaign explores what happens when truth is treated as something that can be bought, sold, and negotiated—a reflection of how society currently treats facts and information.
What This Means
The festival's focus on truth arrives at a moment when misinformation, deepfakes, and the blurring of fact and opinion have become everyday concerns. By making this the central theme, Göteborg is positioning film as a medium that can help audiences understand and question their relationship with truth.
Lundberg has expressed optimism about the state of Nordic cinema despite recent challenges. She acknowledged that the Swedish film industry has faced difficult times with low ticket sales and reduced funding, but she sees hope in emerging talent. The festival's programme reflects this perspective, with several first features from Swedish filmmakers included in the selection.
The festival also reflects the broader role that cultural institutions are playing in responding to what some describe as a "post-truth era." By examining how truth is shown, shaped, manipulated, and questioned on screen and off, Göteborg is treating cinema not merely as entertainment but as a tool for understanding society.
