Axel Petersen’s Shame on Dry Land leads Swedish Guldbagge nominations

With his Malta-set drama Shame on Dry Land, Petersén scoops nominations in several key behind the screen categories, including best director, script, editing, on top of best lead actor (Joel Spira) and supporting actors (Christopher Wagelin, Jacqueline Ramel), but misses out on a chance to win best film. The film which world premiered at the last Toronto Film Festival is produced by Fedra, with Levelk handling sales.

In the most coveted best film category, two out of four nominees are artistic documentaries - the mind-blowing The Gullspång Miracle by Maria Fredriksson, produced by Ballad Film, and hybrid personal film 100 Seasons by Giovanni Bucchieri, produced by French Quarter Film.

Fredriksson’s stranger than fiction doc which world premiered at Tribeca, is sold worldwide by MetFilm Sales, while the Rotterdam fest 2023 entry 100 Seasons was picked up by Pluto Film.

Besides the enduring high-quality craftsmanship of Swedish doc filmmakers, reflected in the best film category, the fact that three titles are helmed by first time feature-length filmmakers is another positive fact for the renewal of Swedish cinema. Those are The Gullspång Miracle, 100 Seasons and Paradise is Burning, fiction debut by Mika Gustafson.

Also highly-influenced by the documentary world, Gustafson has enjoyed international festivals kudos since her Venice Orizzonti world premiere where she won best director and screenwriting (shared with Alexander Öhrstrand). The HOBAB production is sold worldwide by Intramovies.

With his sophomore feature Opponent, Milad Alami also collects nominations in top categories including best film, director, script, actor (Payman Maadi) and actress (Marall Nasiri). The film produced by Tangy was nominated for this year’s Nordic Council Film Prize and represents Sweden at the Oscars runners up for best international film.

Running on equal terms with Opponent is the period biopic Hammarskjöld by seasoned Danish director Per Fly, vying notably for best film and best actor (Mikael Persbrandt). The film opens December 25 in Sweden via Nordisk Film.

In terms of distribution, the arthouse specialist TriArt leads with nominations notably for the films Shame on Dry Land, Opponent, Paradise is Burning, Exodus, while two features produced by SF Studios for Netflix scoop two nods each: the buzzed about comedy horror The Conference by Patrik Eklund and Thank You, I’m Sorry by Lisa Aschan, due to launch globally online December 26.

The Guldbagge awards ceremony hosted by actress Shima Niavarani will be held at Stockholm’s Cirkus January 15, 2024.

Full list of nominations:

• BEST FILM
  100 Seasons, producers: Daniel Oliva Andersson and Isabella Rodriguez
  Hammarskjöld, produce d by Patrick Ryborn (Unlimited Stories)
  The Gullspång Miracle, produced by Ina Holmqvist (Ballad Film)
  Opponent, produced by Annika Rogell (Tangy)
  Paradise is Burning, produced by Nima Yousefi (HOBAB)
• BEST DIRECTOR
  Milad Alami for Opponent
  Maria Fredriksson for The Gullspång Miracle
  Axel Petersén for Shame on Dry Land
  Ami-Ro Sköld for The Store
• BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
  Karin Franz Körlof in One Day All This Will Be Yours
  Marall Nasiri in Opponent
  Lena Olin in Second Act
  Sanna Sundqvist Thank You, I'm Sorry
• BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
  Gustaf Hammarsten Together 99
  Payman Maadi in Opponent
  Mikael Persbrandt in Hammarskjöld
  Joel Spira in Shame on Dry Land
• BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
  Ia Langhammer in Thank You, I'm Sorry
  Jessica Liedberg in Together 99
  Anja Lundqvist in Together 99
  Jacqueline Ramel in Shame on Dry Land
• BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
  Peter Haber for Dad in One Day All This Will Be Yours
  Henrik Norlén in Dogborn
  Johan Ulveson in The Final Race
  Christopher Wagelin in Shame on Dry Land
• BEST SCREENPLAY
  Abbe Hassan and Kristoffer Cras for Exodus
  Milad Alami for Opponent
  Axel Petersén for Shame on Dry Land
  Lukas Moodysson for Together 99
• BEST EDITING
  Mark Bukdahl and Orvar Anklew for The Gullspång Miracle
  Olivia Neergaard-Holm for Opponent
  Robert Krantz for Shame on Dry Land
• BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
  John Christian Rosenlund for Hammarskjöld
  Sebastian Winterø for Opponent
  Josua Enblom for Shame on Dry Land
• BEST SOUND DESIGN
  Jonathan Dakers for Forever
  Hans Møller for Hammarskjöld
  Andreas Franck for Shame on Dry Land
• BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
  Lisa Montan for Exodus
  Baba Stiltz for Shame on Dry Land
  Henrik Lörstad for Who Are You, Mamma Moo?
• BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
  Nora Berecoechea and Stefan Rycken for The Abyss
  Jacob Otterström and Torbjörn Olsson for Hammarskjöld
  Alan Banis and Andreas Hylander for The Conferenc
• BEST COSTUME DESIGN
  Sanna Nyström for Dogborn
  Karen Fabritius Gram and Pierre Vienings for Hammarskjöld
  Anne-Louise Thornblad för The Sugar Experiment
• BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
  Elle Furudahl for Dogborn
  Niels Sejer for Hammarskjöld
  Catharina Nyqvist Ehrnrooth for Paradise is Burning
• BEST MAKEUP
  Erika Nicklasson for Dogborn
  Tove Jansson, Eva von Bahr and Love Larson for The Conference
  Kaisa Pätilä for Paradise is Burning
• BEST SHORT FILM
  Leila by Fariba Haidari
  Madden by Malin Ingrid Johansson
  The Lovers by Carolina Sandvik
• BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM
  Hypermoon by Mia Engberg
  The Gullspång Miracle by Maria Fredriksson
  Son of the Mullah by Nahid Persson Sarvestani
  Vintersaga by Carl Olsson.