Sweden’s Göteborg Film Festival will tackle society’s obsession with youth, aging, and immortality through its upcoming “Focus: Forever Young” program, running during the festival’s 50th-anniversary edition from January 20 to February 6, 2027, as variety.com reported.
Göteborg Film Festival Celebrates Milestone Anniversary with Youth Focus
- The 2027 Göteborg Film Festival marks its 50th anniversary by dedicating its central focus strand to our cultural fixation on staying young.
- Confirmed screenings include Joshua Oppenheimer’s short “The Revolution Against Death,” Maria Martínez Bayona’s “The End of It,” and William and David Greaves’ “Once Upon a Time in Harlem.”
- The announcement arrives alongside leadership changes, as Head of Industry Josef Kullengård prepares to depart for Copenhagen’s CPH:DOX after next year’s milestone event.
Celebrating Fifty Years by Questioning the Obsession With Youth
As the largest film and television event in the Nordic countries prepares for its golden anniversary, organizers have chosen a decidedly modern paradox for their core thematic programming. Running from January 20 to February 6, 2027, the festival turns half a century old by examining what it means never to grow old.
“We live in a time when everyone is expected to want to be young, no matter how old we actually are,” Göteborg Artistic Director Pia Lundberg stated. “But what happens when we’re never really allowed to grow old? With Focus: Forever Young we want to explore this era’s fixation with youth and ask questions about identity, life choices and what it means to become older.”
Lundberg pointed to the fitting irony of the milestone. “We have grown older as a festival, but our curiosity about cinema and the world around us is as strong as it’s ever been. There’s something beautiful about that paradox: turning 50 by examining what it really means to be young,” she added.
Curating the Forever Young Film Slate
The festival’s upcoming focus strand brings together a diverse selection of documentary and fictional works exploring longevity, time, and immortality. Among the highlighted titles is double Oscar-nominee Joshua Oppenheimer’s 23-minute short, “The Revolution Against Death.”
Acquired by The New York Times’ Op-Docs platform and slated for a December release alongside Mubi, Oppenheimer’s film observes the eccentric efforts captured at an annual longevity gathering known as the Revolution Against Aging and Death Festival. Joining it is the sci-fi comedy-drama “The End of It,” directed by Maria Martínez Bayona.
Starring Rebecca Hall, Gael García Bernal, and Beanie Feldstein, the film takes place in a world where death is an optional luxury for the ultra-wealthy. Hall stars as Claire, a 250-year-old artist who deliberately chooses to die in search of inspiration. The feature previously bowed at the Cannes Film Festival’s Premiere section.
Rounding out the initial film announcements is the cultural time-capsule documentary “Once Upon a Time in Harlem,” directed by William Greaves and David Greaves. Variety’s review described the project as brimming with witty, wise, and deeply entertaining perspectives as it captures legendary 1920s Harlem Renaissance figures gathering at a 1970 cocktail party in Duke Ellington’s townhouse.
| Title | Director | Format / Key Talent |
|---|---|---|
| “The Revolution Against Death” | Joshua Oppenheimer | 23-minute documentary short |
| “The End of It” | Maria Martínez Bayona | Sci-fi feature starring Rebecca Hall, Gael García Bernal, Beanie Feldstein |
| “Once Upon a Time in Harlem” | William Greaves and David Greaves | Archival documentary featuring Harlem Renaissance icons |
Leadership Transitions Ahead of the Milestone Edition
The unveiling of the festival’s thematic focus follows organizational shifts behind the scenes. Just two days prior, Göteborg announced that Josef Kullengård, who has served as Head of Industry since 2022, will step down to join Copenhagen’s CPH:DOX as its new head of Industry & Training.
“On a personal level, my family and I have been wanting to move closer to friends and family in southern Scandinavia, so that has certainly been an important part of it,” Kullengård noted. He will remain at his post through the conclusion of the upcoming 50th-anniversary festival.
