Film i Väst announced eight new co-productions at Cannes, including Lorne Scherfig’s romantic spy thriller Honeytrap, Levan Akin’s upcoming film Summer in Heat, and Ruben Østlund’s documentary Ruben.
In his 12th film, Scherfig (Italian for Beginners, Education) is collaborating with Zentropa on a spy drama set in Sweden. It’s a story about “seduction, deception, and innocent, optimistic love in the shadow of the Cold War.”
“‘Honey Trap’ unfolds at the intersection of the most loving intimacy and the most toxic international politics. The story has strong thriller elements and profound gravitas, but also lightness and humor,” said the director.
“Stockholm and East Berlin in 1968 were two very different, ultra-modern societies with clear parallels to the times we live in. We are very excited to deliver a thriller about life and death, simultaneously exploring culture shock and the love between two seemingly innocent anti-heroes.”
Sidge Eklund’s documentary on Ruben Östlund goes behind the scenes of his latest project, The Entertainment System is Down.
“This is his biggest and most dangerous project to date, so it’s a very exciting story from a documentarian’s perspective. He’s shouldering all of that responsibility. I realized right away that this was going to be a more suspenseful film than your average documentary about a filmmaker,” Eklund told Variety.
“It takes a huge toll on a director to be stuck in an airplane with poor air circulation, a large team and 300 extras for three months. It was a very interesting process.”
Eklund was fascinated by the concept of attachment.
“And Ruben is an obsessive person.”
“I don’t think that side of him has ever been portrayed much before. In one scene in our movie, when he’s writing the script for “The Entertainment System Is Down,” you see his two Palme d’Or trophies on a shelf above his head. Every so often he glances up at them. It’s very convincing to see him deal with that pressure and all the expectations.”
Their friendship was necessary for the kind of film he wanted to make.
“In my opinion, most documentaries about filmmakers are a little too polite and polite, which makes them a little cerebral. I wanted to tell a story that resonated with the audience, and to do that I needed to access his most private space and get him to truly open up. That would have been difficult if I didn’t know him that well.”
Levan Akin is set to produce Summer in Heat, following up on And We Danced and The Crossing, a drama about four cousins from Europe who arrive in their parents’ hometown for a family wedding, and tensions quickly rise.
Noomi Rapace and Mariam Touzani are set to star in Nabil Ayush’s Run, with No Tears, a psychological thriller co-written by Mariam Touzani and Ayush.
Gustav Skarsgard, making his directorial debut, will tell a “genre-bending story about the possibilities and misadventures of filmmaking” with Peter Biro’s The Cannibal. In this film, Ingmar Bergman plays an important role as both a “genius and a devil.”
“I had been aspiring to direct a feature film for years, but had never come across material that felt exciting enough. When Biro came up with this script, I instantly felt intuitively that this is what I had to do! This is a terrifying celebration of creative playfulness,” he said.
Biro added: “I was eight years old when I saw Bergman’s The Hour of the Wolf, and I was almost scared to death. Years later, I went to Faro to write a screenplay about Bergman, hoping to find inspiration on the island. But when I got there, the shadow of the evil director loomed over me, so I gave up, went home, and started writing a film about a brave writer who actually dares to challenge the masters.”
The event also introduced two exciting new voices: Jacob Markey and Marin Ingrid Johansson.
Johansson is currently in pre-production on her debut feature film, Ford, which is described as a “rural symphony about silence, belonging, and the fragile moment when childhood ends.”
“I always say this movie is dedicated to everyone who tried to ride a skateboard on a gravel road,” she said. “Having grown up on a farm myself, I know that the distance to the nearest city often leaves more room for the imagination. This isn’t an outside-in, romantic view of the countryside. I want this film to feel authentic. It comes from me, and I’m from there.”
Marky will debut with the dark comedy “Grand Final,” which depicts morality and exploitation in the theater world.
Henrik Mestad plays the pressured artistic director of the Swedish national stage, and Joel Spira plays a former comedic actor who lands the lead role in Richard III through a misunderstanding.
“‘Grand Final’ is as much an ensemble piece as it is a comedy of errors. It’s amazing how, as a human being, you can maintain the heroic part of your own story, no matter the cost,” Markey told Variety.
“Rather than admit defeat, we cling desperately to a version of reality where we can ride off into the sunset with a halo intact. It’s a comedy, but it’s because of the desperation of the characters. I consider myself to be very intuitively stupid. I’m drawn to stupidity, and I think we have a great ensemble that embodies that tone and that world.”
Finally, the “Johann Falk” series also returns, with the protagonist setting off a chain of events that threatens to tear apart both his family and the justice system he once served. Old alliances are being tested and the stakes are higher than ever.
The returning film series stars Jacob Eklund and Marie Richardson.
“We’re so proud to be producing three new Johann Falk films. This is not a soft reboot. This is a full-speed, uncompromising comeback. Faulk is an action hero who has always lived in a gray area, but now he’s pushed harder than ever, physically and mentally. As Johann himself would say, ‘Oh my god, let’s do this,'” said executive producer John Mankell.
“Grand Final”
Hugo Otto-Wallin / Bacon Photo
“Cannibal”
Screenwriter David meets his great idol, Ingmar Bergman, and this encounter soon takes over his entire life in a nightmarish way. This story is told on several levels. As a drama about a man’s mental breakdown after experiencing a painful personal loss. As a reflection on the sacrifices we make to create art. As a meta movie about making a movie about Bergman. And last but not least, as a darkly humorous horror film inspired by the cinematic universe of the greats.
The film, starring Ardalan Esmaili and Claes Jungmark, is scheduled to be premiered in Sweden in 2027. The film is produced by Anagram and Martin Persson, part of Studio TF1, and is a co-production with Finland’s Just Republic and Denmark’s Tall & Small, Sveriges Television, Film i Vest and Gotland Filmfond, with support from the Swedish Film Institute and film consultant Andrea Østlund. Distributed by Scanbox Entertainment.
“Ford” (tentative title)
This coming-of-age drama is set in the snowy Swedish countryside, where music, silence, and manual labor coexist. The film depicts a 19-year-old boy who grew up on a farm and is deeply connected to sound, nature, and the animals around him. His greatest source of comfort is his hometown. With my friends, family, and most importantly my brother. But when hidden truths in this close relationship begin to surface, he is forced to make the first decisive decision of his adult life.
Written and directed by Marin Ingrid Johansson, Pine was produced by Joel Rostmark and Adam Meinking.
“Grand Final”
When the charismatic Stefan (Henrik Mestad) becomes the new artistic director of the Swedish National Theatre, he promises to transform the theater. His wife Isabel has just been diagnosed with cancer, and Stefan has to rush into playing the title role in the upcoming Richard III. When he sees retired comedian Jacob Mosse (Joel Spira) with his wife’s cancer support group, he knows he has found the perfect actor. This unconventional choice surprises Jacob and causes a stir. However, Jacob’s illness has a completely different nature.
The film was produced by Magnus Nygaard Albertsen and Agnes Parkrud of Bacon Pictures STH with support from SFI’s talent development initiative Moving Sweden. A co-production between Film i Väst and SVT, it is distributed in Northern Europe by Scanbox Entertainment.
“Honey Trap”
1968. Stockholm was buzzing with energy and optimism for the future. Max is everything Inger has ever dreamed of, well-traveled and irresistibly charming. She falls hard in love. But beneath the passion lies deception. Max is a Stasi “Romeo” agent who is sent to seduce Inger and extract confidential information about the Swedish company she works for. What starts as a mission spirals out of control when Max falls seriously in love with Inger, putting the entire mission and their lives in jeopardy.
Produced by Lisette Jondzik for Zentropa Sweden AB, in collaboration with producer Rebecca Hamburger and co-producers Sisse Glaum Jorgensen, Charlotte Hjord and Solmz Azizi, and co-produced with Film i Väst, Zentropa Entertainments5 ApS and Zentropa Berlin GmbH, with support from the Swedish Film Institute and DR/Danish Broadcasting Corporation. Distributed in Northern Europe in cooperation with Nordisk Film Distribution. TrustNordisk will handle international sales.
“Johan Falk”
This iconic character returns to Gothenburg, where police operations and intelligence operations are complicated by constant threats and danger from the criminal underworld. Filming will begin in late summer and is expected to premiere in fall 2027.
The three new “Johann Falk” films are produced for TV4 by Bigster in co-production with Film i Väst. Producers are Matthias Grifmann and Calle Jansson. The film is directed by Pera Kogerman, Hugo Lilja, and Richard Holm, with Anders Nilsson serving as lead writer. Screenwriters: Agnes Jepson, Richard Holm, Viking Johansson, Taj Ørstrom. John Mankell is TV4’s executive producer, Helmi Toronen is TV4’s development executive producer, and Joanna Lind is TV4’s head of drama.
“Reuben”
The film follows the creation of Ruben Østlund’s new film The Entertainment System Is Down over five years. This project is driven by the near-impossible ambition of becoming the first film director to win three Palme d’Or awards at Cannes. It begins in 2022, right after the premiere of Triangle of Sorrow. By then, Ostlund was “at the pinnacle of the film world, but already obsessed with the need to create something bigger, bolder, and more uncompromising than before.” Soon, a full-fledged airplane set was built in a huge hangar in Budapest, and the production turned into a tightrope act, both technically, financially, and emotionally.
Directed by Sigge Eklund and produced by Stockholm Syndrome and Tisch Film in collaboration with SVT and Film i Vest. Distributed by SF Studios.
“Run without shedding tears”
Two women travel to Morocco to adopt another woman’s baby. The film stars Noomi Rapace and Mariam Touzani and is directed by Nabil Ayush, who co-wrote the screenplay with Touzani.
Shot in French and English, the film is produced by France (Les Films du Nouveau Monde), Morocco (Ali n’ Productions), Sweden (Rainy Days), Belgium (Velvet Films), and Norway (Staer). Distribution rights are handled by France’s Le Pacte, Belgium’s Cinéart, and Scandinavia’s TriArt, with overseas sales entrusted to Films Boutique. Produced by Nabil Ayush, Amin Benjeron and Jean-Rémi Ducourtiou, with co-producers Stella Hahnström, Piodor Gustafsson, Sebastien Shelenz and Elisa Fernanda Piril. Co-produced with Film i Väst.
“Summer heat”
Four teenage cousins from Europe arrive in their parents’ hometown along the Black Sea. There, the weight of family weddings and traditions stirs up tensions and secret desires as they all fall in love with the same forbidden young man.
Summer Heat is a Swedish-French-German-Danish co-production, produced by regular collaborators Mathilde Dedier and Ludwig Andersson of RMV Film, together with Ksenia Meingott of O Viv Productions and Katja Admeit of Admeit Film, and co-produced by Film i Vest and ZDF/Alte & Tint. The distribution companies are TriArt Film, SVT (Swedish Television), Reel Pictures, DR (Danish Broadcasting Corporation), Alamode, Haut et Court Distribution.
‘Ford’
Arvid Cornstrand
