Government Outlines Sweden’s New Film Policy For 2017

Sweden’s new film policy to be implemented January 2017 gives the State overall control of the national film policy but the Swedish Film Institute will have overall responsibility for shaping the system which will have an estimated budget of SEK 545 million.

During a press conference on Thursday, Culture Minister Alice Bah Kuhnke (MP) outlined the new film policy. Under the bill, the Film Institute will be responsible for three areas: the Council for Development & Production, the Council for Distribution & Viewing, and the Council for Film Cultural Issues.

Alice Bah Kuhnke said: “The new film policy is a new way of working with the Swedish Film Institute. This means a clear new role and increased responsibility with demands for dialogue with the industry. The industry needs to have influence, much more than it has today.”

“It is a delicate task that the Film Institute is facing. The councils must have the industry’s confidence, but the entire industry must be included. I look forward to the councils’ development.”

“I want to clarify that there will be no less money for production. It will roughly be the same, maybe a little more.”

Currently, the Swedish Film Institute hands out SEK 400 million per year, of which half is from the state, over a quarter is from box office receipts, and the rest comes from other parties included in the Film Agreement, such as TV companies.