Greta Thunberg at Venice 2020 (pic: Nick Cunningham)
October 13. The Swedish Oscar Committee presented the shortlist for Sweden’s submission to the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. Selected for the shortlist are Nathan Grossman’s documentary Greta, about Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, that premiered in Venice before screening in Toronto, Roy Andersson’s Venice winner About Endlessness and Amanda Kernell’s Sundance hit Charter.
“I think the committee has made a very good choice. Three very different films, but all of them show the breadth of Swedish film today, as well as attracting the attention of an international audience at some of the world’s leading film festivals,” commented Steffen Andersen-Møller, Head of the International Department at the Swedish Film Institute and chairman of the Oscar Committee.
Debuting filmmaker Nathan Grossman’s documentary I Am Greta, about teenage Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg, had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September, followed by the Toronto Film Festival. It was recently awarded a Science Film Award at the Zurich Film Festival. I Am Greta is domestically distributed by TriArt Film and will have its Swedish cinema premiere on November 20. Hulu has the US distribution rights, sales are handled by Dogwoof.
Each year the Swedish Oscar Committee nominates a Swedish candidate for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. Swedish films that have had their domestic premiere between 1 October 2019 and 31 December 2020, and meet the requirements for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), have been eligible for the 2021 Oscars.
Jan Lumholdt, The Swedish Film Critics Association
Goran Kapetanović, The Swedish Union for Performing Arts and Film – directors
Lisa Ohlin, The Swedish Union for Performing Arts and Film – directors
Zoran Slavic, The Swedish Film and Television Cooperation Committee
Lena Rehnberg, The Swedish Film & TV Producers Association
Christer Nilson, The Swedish Film & TV Producers Association
Mirja Wester, Göteborg International Film Festival
