Critically acclaimed Exodus, directed by Abbe Hassan and written by Kristoffer Cras and Abbe Hassan, is nominated for a Guldbagge Award in the category Best Screenplay.
The Guldbagge Awards Gala is arranged by the Swedish Film Institute in collaboration with SVT and will take place at Cirkus in Stockholm on January 15, 2024.
Emma Karinsdotter’s Unscientific Studies: Nine Pieces of Evidence for Things That Likely Never Happened is once again featured as one of 2023’s best children’s titles in three Swedish newspapers. This time, it is Dagens Nyheter’s, Smålandsposten’s, and Upsala Nya Tidning’s teams of critics who have listed their top picks of children’s books of the year, with the following motivations:
“A senselessly funny short story collection which begins with happily hungry cannibalism. /…/ The combination of Emma Karinsdotter’s absurd stories and Marcus-Gunnar Pettersson’s wild illustrations is unusually successful, they enhance each other’s madness.”
Dagens Nyheter
“Nine imaginative, thought-provoking, and perceptively illustrated short stories about everything from a dad whose fingers turn into sausages to a milk tooth that speaks in first person. It is bizarre, unexpected, weird, gross, leaves space for seriousness but most of all it is fun. The whole spectrum from cunning to laughing out loud.”
Smålandsposten
“The most twisted book of the year? Wonderfully weird short stories, illustrated with an equal portion of creativity. The letters literally jump on the pages (…) and when the father’s fingers start smelling like sausages, there is no end to the absurdism. Read aloud and be enthused!”
Upsala Nya Tidning
Erik Svedberg-Zelman was born in 1996 and spent his early years in the city of New York. At the age of 12, he embarked on a transformative journey, moving to Sweden. Erik possesses the unique distinction of having both Swedish and (American) English as his native languages, a reflection of his Swedish mother and American father. During his adolescence, his passion for skateboarding turned in to a career and took him on a global adventure, competing in various locations all over the world.
Erik’s journey took a new turn when he pursued education at Malmö Theatre Academy, marking the beginning of his exploration into the world of acting. His talent and dedication were evident in numerous theatrical productions at Malmö Stadsteater and the Royal Dramatic Theatre.
One of his notable performances was in the monologue production titled Jag säger ingenting alls at Teater Brunnsgatan Fyra, which was given significant attention for its compelling narrative.
Very soon Erik Svedberg-Zelman can be seen as one of the central figures in The Helicopter Heist, directed by Daniel Espinosa for Netflix. Additionally, he takes on the lead role as Fredrik in Düsseldorf, Skåne, set to premiere globally at Gothenburg Film Festival in January. Moreover, Erik is set to grace the stage at the Royal Dramatic Theatre with the premiere of Svindel-Kärlekens Antarktis, a play by Sara Stridsberg, scheduled to premiere in March 2024.
Erik Svedberg-Zelman’s journey is marked by a seamless transition from the streets of New York to the stages of Malmö and beyond, showcasing his versatility and commitment to the arts.
Photo: TriArt Film
Daniel Espinosa’s new feature film, Madame Luna, will have its world premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) and is one out of the three selected Swedish films to be screened at the prestigious festival, which takes place between 25 January and 4 February 2024.
Inspired by true events, Madame Luna is a thrilling drama about an Eritrean refugee who is washed ashore in Libya, and with time becomes one of the most notorious human smugglers with deep ties to the Italian Mafia.
The film is written by Maurizio Braucci, Suha Arraf and Espinosa, and produced by David Herdies for Momento Film.
Madame Luna will have its Swedish cinema premiere this spring.
The Electric State Roleplaying Game is gathering attention on the Kickstarter platform, where it has gained close to 5.000 backers and topped its initial goal with more than 3,4 million SEK as the final date approaches on Wednesday, December 20.
The Electric State RPG is a tabletop RPG based on the art book The Electric State by acclaimed visual artist and author Simon Stålenhag. The Electric State RPG will feature never-before published art made by Stålenhag for the original art book project, and is written by Nils Hintze, who also worked on the Tales From the Loop RPG.
Moa Herngren has been awarded with “Norstedtaren”, an accolade bestowed by publishing house Norstedts to authors who accomplish the feat of selling more than 100.000 copies of a book in Sweden. Moa Herngren passed this milestone with her runaway bestseller The Divorce.
Today, Netflix announced that one of the most beloved stories in Sweden, Astrid Lindgren’s world-famous story Ronja the Robber’s Daughter, is coming to Netflix in 2024.
The Swedish-language show is written by Hans Rosenfeldt and directed by Lisa James Larsson and follows the adventures of a young girl born into a band of robbers in a medieval Scandinavian fortress. As Ronja grows up, she learns that the surrounding forest can be a magical and sometimes dangerous place filled with strange creatures. But when Ronja befriends the young boy Birk from a rival band, a vicious family feud ignites. Ronja and Birk flee into the forest and try to survive on their own.
Hans Rosenfeldt says: “I’m thrilled that Ronja the Robber’s Daughter has found a new home. It has a fantastic team both in front- and behind the camera, and that Ronja will meet its audience on Netflix feels like an early Christmas present.”
Jenny Stjernströmer Björk, Vice President Nordic Content: “The rich heritage of Astrid Lindgren is an integral part of Sweden’s DNA. We hope the series will bring joy to our Nordic members, and we want to recognize and thank all the people who have been working on the project over the years. We look forward to welcoming Ronja the Robber’s Daughter to Netflix in 2024.”
Ronja the Robber’s Daughter will be released on Netflix in the Nordics, CEE, UK, France, Spain, and the Netherlands in 2024.
When the American magazine Kirkus Reviews lists the best titles of 2023, Moa Backe Åstot’s lauded Fire From the Sky is featured on the list for “Best Young Adult Books of the Year”.
Kirkus Reviews was founded in the 1930s, and it is one of the most authoritative sources for book reviews. Each year, the magazine publishes thousands of reviews by professional reviewers, and lists the top titles in six categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Teens & YA, Middle Grade, Picture Books, and Indie.
Earlier this year, the magazine published a starred review of the novel, with the words:
“Despite the looming shadow of canonical queer tragedies in pastoral settings, debut Sámi author Åstot delicately manages to simultaneously honor tradition and push against it. The result is a rare and triumphant look at what it means for queerness to stay put, with all the messiness and pain that entails. The time-stopping emphasis on gazing and longing results in romantic tension that nearly rivals period romances, yet the story is anchored in the present. Sámi words and phrases and rich descriptions make for an immersive read. Though Ánte’s queerness is isolated, an adult gay Sámi’s reappearance hints at queer community. A fresh voice and a setting that’s pure fire.”
Photo: Jarli & Jordan
Oliver Lovrenski’s smashing debut, Back in the Day, has been shortlisted for one of the most prestigious literary awards in Norway, the Norwegian Radio’s Literary Award. The prize is awarded by NRK and the winner will be announced in March, 2024. Previous winners include Linn Ullmann, Karl Ove Knausgård and Matias Faldbakken.
“Oliver Lovrenski takes us inside a story told from within. /…/ But above all, it’s the incredible energy that emanates from this text that stays with me. He has cracked the code. He speaks to everyone,” wrote Knut Hoem at NRK about Back in the Day and gave it a top rating.
Annette Bjergfeldt’s Mr Saito’s Traveling Cinema features on the Danish newspaper Politiken’s ‘Best books of the Year’ for 2023. The books included on the list in question are curated by Danish literary critics selecting their favourite reads of the past year. The listing is accompanied by the following motivation:
“Annette Bjergfeldt’s second novel invites its readers along for yet another breathtaking world tour in the company of Lita, who was conceived in an intimate tango and then grows up among puffins, apparitions, lethal ocean conditions and the traveling cinema of the aforementioned title on the isolated Upper Puffin Island. A fantastic, fateful tale about adventure and love in unexpected places, told in a fabulous language that will infuse the dark winter days with light and colours.”
Finland, Otava
Closed by Linda Andersson
Taiwan, Sun Color
Closed by Emma Granberg
North Macedonia, Bata Press
Two-book deal closed by Emma Granberg
Arab World, Al Arabi
Closed by Emma Granberg
Arab World, Al Arabi
Closed by Emma Granberg
Estonia, Eesti Raamat
Two-book deal closed by Emma Granberg
The Russos make the most of their enormous budget, with a boatload of impressive visual effects, faithful recreations of Stålenhag’s epic vistas, and some nicely analogue art direction.
– Empire
The Stranger Things star, Chris Pratt and the Russo Brothers have made a Spielbergian treat. /…/ (…) what fun it is to watch a film this expensive and not be able to quite work out where it’s going – or even if it might just stay put for a bit, and soak up the dustily poetic death-of-the-American century vibe.
– The Telegraph
The Electric State is good. (…) [It’s] entertaining, stylish, and lavish. /…/ The 90s had little to nothing to do with the book, but it is the focus here, and in more ways than one, I think it works… and really well too. /…/ I had fun, from start to finish.
– Gamereactor
(…) you can certainly take away one thing from The Electric State, a strong message celebrating our differences and the fact that despite the technological advancements our world faces every day, nothing will ever replace human connection.
– GamesRadar
I liked the film’s great visuals, solid VFX, the world building and loved how it captured the dystopian atmosphere while remaining family friendly. I also absolutely adored the star cast, especially the incredible voice actors and the underlying message of inclusivity in today’s world that is highly polarised.
– MensXP
In Wolf Hour, Jo Nesbø sets the action in the American Midwest in 2016. A hard-boiled police novel in the best Nesbø style – from an America that’s on the edge of a precipice.
