The first film produced at the newly built film studio Filmstaden Råsunda was Victor Sjöström’s The Phantom Carriage in 1921. The actor/director pushed the state-of-the-art setting to its limits and the film is still considered to be one of the most iconic silent films ever. Read more.
During the 1920s, SF Studios secured exclusive rights to film the work of Nobel Prize laureate Selma Lagerlöf. The adaptation of The Legend of Gösta Berling was directed by Mauritz Stiller and featured a young Greta Garbo. Both Stiller and Garbo headed to Hollywood following this film. Read more.
The Dream Waltz was SF Studios’ first film with sound and was released in 1929. The film set the direction for the future and marked the end of the silent film era. Read more.
The greatest discovery by legendary director Gustaf Molander was, of course, Ingrid Bergman. The film was her breakthrough and she reprised the role in a Hollywood remake three years later, opposite legendary actor Leslie Howard. Read more.
Norwegian-born Tutta Rolf was a superstar in Sweden during the 1930s. A Subtle Flirt was the first Swedish film to compete in international film festivals. Read more.
Released in the middle of World War II, the film Night Riders highlighted the challenges of resistance and war. Based on a novel by Swedish author Vilhelm Moberg. Read more.
Ingmar Bergman wrote the screenplay for Torment and director Alf Sjöberg brought it to life in 1944. The film won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival in 1946. The sadistic Latin teacher, nicknamed Caligula, has become an iconic character in Swedish film history. Read more.
The internationally acclaimed film Symphony of a City, directed by Arne Sucksdorff, was awarded an Academy Award for Best Short Film in 1949. It was the first of three Academy Awards for SF Studios. Read more.
The comedy Seventh Heaven was directed by director/actor/writer Hasse Ekman. He is part of the prominent Ekman family that has entertained Swedes since the 1910s. Read more.
The Seventh Seal, released in 1957, cemented Ingmar Bergman’s position as an internationally renowned director. The film is one of the most iconic films in the history of cinema. Read more.
To Go Ashore, released in 1965, was directed by the beloved comedy duo Hasse & Tage. The film is one of the most popular films of all times for Swedish audiences. The film’s ensemble cast includes famous jazz singer Monica Zetterlund. Read more.
A feature film with short stories by some of the most famous directors and stars of the time, such as Ingmar Bergman, Ingrid Bergman and Birgit Nilsson. In spite of the famous talent, Stimulantia did not meet the expectations when released in 1967. Read more.
In the early 1970s, SF Studios started one of its most important collaborations with the world-renowned author of children’s books, Astrid Lindgren. SF Studios brought to the screen some of her most beloved characters such as Pippi Longstocking, Emil in Lönneberga and Ronia, the Robber’s Daughter. Read more.
Jan Troell’s film The Emigrants (1971) is based on the first two parts of Vilhelm Moberg’s series The Emigrants, written between 1949 and 1952. The books and the film are often cited as being among the most important Swedish works. Read more.
The Man on the Roof, directed by Bo Widerberg and released in 1976, introduced the new genre: Nordic Noir. SF Studios adapted the thriller from the novel written by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö. Read more.
My Life as a Dog was Academy Award-nominated director Lasse Hallström’s international breakthrough. Released in 1985, the film reached a global audience and won several awards, including a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film. Read more.
Although not widely well-known internationally, the Swedish films series about the nerdy Stig-Helmer ranks among the most commercially successful films ever in Sweden. Snowroller, released in 1985, is the second in the series. Read more.
Director Colin Nutley and Swedish actress Helena Bergström are one of most successful duos in Swedish film and television. Black Jack was the first of many collaborations between SF Studios and the dynamic duo. Read more.
The adaptation of Fredrick Backman’s best-selling novel has become one of the most successful Swedish films in recent years, both in Sweden and internationally. A Man Called Ove, released in 2015, stars the acclaimed Swedish actor Rolf Lassgård as the cranky title character. There are plans to produce an American remake. Read more.
Borg/McEnroe, released in 2017, tells the story of the relationship between the legendary tennis players Björn Borg and John McEnroe. With a cast headed by internationally renowned actors Shia LaBeouf, Stellan Skarsgård and Sverrir Gudnason, the film was a huge success both in Sweden and internationally. Read more.
During Karin Swanström's leadership as an artistic director, SF Studios began primarily producing comedies. The film A Subtle Flirt contains many of the 1930s most distinguished comedians: Thor Modéen, Ernst Eklund and Tutta Rolf.
A Subtle Flirt (Swedish: En stilla flirt), based on a Norwegian novel by Edith Øberg and directed by Gustaf Molander, is about an orphaned girl, Diddi Werner…
Read moreAlthough not widely well-known internationally, the Swedish films series about the nerdy Stig-Helmer ranks among the most commercially successful films ever in Sweden. Snowroller, released in 1985, is the second film in this film series.
In 1980, the first in what would be a whole series of films was released. Package Tour centres on the toaster-controller Stig-Helmer Olsson (played by…
Read moreA feature film with short stories by some of the most famous directors and stars of the time, such as Ingmar Bergman, Ingrid Bergman and Birgit Nilsson. In spite of the famous talent, Stimulantia did not meet the expectations when released in 1967.
For Stimulantia (1967), eight Swedish directors were given free rein to make their own interpretation of the theme: stimulation. The original idea came from Ingmar…
Read moreThe comedy Seventh Heaven was directed by director/actor/writer Hasse Ekman. He is part of the prominent Ekman family that has entertained Swedes since the 1910s.
For more than a century, three generations of the Ekman family left their mark on Swedish films. Gösta, Hasse and Gösta (the younger) Ekman were…
Read moreReleased in the middle of World War II, the film Night Riders highlighted the challenges of resistance and war. Based on a novel by Swedish author Vilhelm Moberg.
Night Riders (Swedish: Rid i natt!), with its serious tone and biting dialogue, was released at the height of the Second World War and gave renewed…
Read moreBorg/McEnroe, released in 2017, tells the story of the relationship between the legendary tennis players Björn Borg and John McEnroe. With a cast headed by internationally renowned actors Shia LaBeouf, Stellan Skarsgård and Sverrir Gudnason, the film was a huge success.
One of the most acclaimed films of the last few years, not least internationally, is Borg/McEnroe. The film depicts Björn Borg’s journey from his upbringing…
Read moreThe adaptation of Fredrick Backman’s best-selling novel has become one of the most successful Swedish films in recent years, both in Sweden and internationally. A Man Called Ove, released in 2015, stars the acclaimed Swedish actor Rolf Lassgård as the cranky title character.
That Fredrik Backman’s bestselling novel about the world-weary widower Ove would become a popular film perhaps wasn’t so surprising. After all the book, which was…
Read moreThe Man on the Roof, directed by Bo Widerberg and released in 1976, introduced the new genre: Nordic Noir. SF Studios adapted the thriller from the novel written by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö.
The Man on the Roof (Swedish: Mannen på Taket) is based on Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö’s detective novel The Abominable Man. Directed by Bo Widerberg, it’s…
Read moreTo Go Ashore, released in 1965, was directed by the beloved comedy duo Hasse & Tage. The film is one of the most popular films of all times for Swedish audiences. The film's ensemble cast includes famous jazz singer Monica Zetterlund.
Writing for the newspaper Expressen, the final words of Lasse Bergström’s review of Hasse Alfredsson and Tage Danielsson’s second film at SF Studios, To Go…
Read moreThe Seventh Seal, released in 1957, cemented Ingmar Bergman's position as an internationally renowned director. The film is one of the most iconic films in the history of cinema.
The Seventh Seal (Swedish: Det sjunde inseglet), released in 1957, is probably the best-known Swedish film ever made. Along with Persona and Fanny & Alexander,…
Read moreIngmar Bergman wrote the screenplay for Torment and director Alf Sjöberg brought it to life in 1944. The film won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival in 1946. The sadistic Latin teacher, nicknamed Caligula, has become an iconic character in Swedish film history.
The great director-in-waiting was bedridden due to illness and, according to his own account, the film came to him in a flash, like a vision….
Read moreThe internationally acclaimed film Symphony of a City, directed by Arne Sucksdorff, was awarded an Academy Award for Best Short Film in 1949. It was the first of three Academy Awards for SF Studios.
Only seven Swedish films have won an Oscar. The first was Arne Sucksdorff’s Symphony of a City (Swedish: Människor i stad), which won Best Short Film in…
Read moreThe Dream Waltz was SF Studios' first film with sound and was released in 1929. The film set the direction for the future and marked the end of the silent film era.
When cinema audiences in the USA first heard sound in the movies they burst out laughing – that’s how strange it was. The Dream Waltz…
Read moreThe greatest discovery by legendary director Gustaf Molander was, of course, Ingrid Bergman. The film was her breakthrough and she reprised the role in a Hollywood remake three years later, opposite legendary actor Leslie Howard.
Intermezzo was Ingrid Bergman’s international breakthrough and the film that took her to Hollywood. The films she’d previously made at SF Studios included The Count…
Read moreDuring the 1920s, SF Studios secured exclusive rights to film the work of Nobel Prize laureate Selma Lagerlöf. The adaptation of The Legend of Gösta Berling was directed by Mauritz Stiller and featured a young Greta Garbo. Both Stiller and Garbo headed to Hollywood following this film.
The Legend of Gösta Berling (Swedish: Gösta Berlings saga) brings together three legendary names. Selma Lagerlöf, the author of the novel upon which the film was based,…
Read moreThe Legend of Gösta Berling was Greta Garbo's major breakthrough. But where did this great actress come from? Read more here!
Few film stars have been as mythologised, both during their life and after, as Greta Garbo. But before she was Garbo she was Greta Gustafsson,…
Read moreUntil the 1960s, before a film was played at a cinema, one watched a news program called SF-journalen. The audience might learn about the most recent national holidays, be updated on the latest events in the Second World War or enjoy interviews with stars returning home. Read more here!
Until the 1960s, news footage from around the world would be screened before SF Studios’ films. These newsreels were compiled under the name SF-Journalen and…
Read moreMany stars have contracts within the SF Studios archive, among these contracts are a few who stand out. The animals in the Pippi Longstocking films have their own contracts. Read more here!
It’s easy to lose yourself among all the gilded contracts at SF Studios. The archive contains the preserved signatures of Max von Sydow, Greta Garbo…
Read moreIngmar Bergman wrote the screenplay to the film Torment, directed by Alf Sjöberg. The young Bergman, who also worked as an assistant director on the film, was asked to re-shoot the last scenes of the film.
Even though Torment was based on Ingmar Bergman’s script, it was Alf Sjöberg’s film in all but the last scene. The ending was first filmed…
Read moreHans Alfredsson and Tage Danielsson, more widely known as the beloved comedy duo "Hasse & Tage", changed how humor was perceived on film in Sweden during the 1960s. Throughout three decades, Hasse & Tage produced numerous Swedish comedy classics together with SF Studios.
Few duos are as well known in Sweden as Hasse & Tage, whether in comedy shows, radio sketches or on film. Their connection with SF…
Read moreAcademy Award-winning Arne Sucksdorff is considered one of cinema's great documentary filmmakers of all time.
Arne Sucksdorff is, without doubt, Sweden’s greatest documentary filmmaker. From the 1940s until the 1960s, his films found great success the world over. He created…
Read moreThroughout the history of SF Studios, the studio has received with many awards for its films, including three Oscars for Symphony of a City, The Virgin Spring and Through a Glass Darkly.
In 1949, SF Studios earned the Swedish film industry’s first Oscar when Symphony of a City won for Best Short Film at the 21st Academy…
Read moreIn the 1970s, SF Studios initiated one of its most important collaborations with the world-renowned author, Astrid Lindgren. SF Studios brought to the screen some of her most beloved characters such as Pippi, Emil and Ronia.
It would be difficult to find a Swede or, indeed, a Scandinavian, who doesn’t feel a connection with the film adaptations of Astrid Lindgren’s books….
Read moreBorg/McEnroe proved to be an international success and cemented SF Studios' position as a leading Nordic film studio with international reach.
Borg/McEnroe quickly received a great deal of international attention and was sold to more than 150 countries. It’s also been a big hit with audiences….
Read moreNorwegian actress Tutta Rolf was one of Sweden's biggest film stars in the 1930s. In many ways, her films are representative of SF Studios' productions during this era.
Norwegian actress and singer Tutta Rolf had her breakthrough in Sweden in the early 1930s. With her chirpy voice and comedic talent, she became SF…
Read moreDirector Colin Nutley and Swedish actress Helena Bergström are one of most successful duos in Swedish film and television. Black Jack was the first of many collaborations between SF Studios and the dynamic duo.
Few people have managed to capture Swedishness on film as well as Englishman Colin Nutley. Black Jack (1990) was his first film with SF Studios….
Read moreThe first film produced at the newly built film studio Filmstaden Råsunda was Victor Sjöström's The Phantom Carriage in 1921. The actor/director pushed the state-of-the-art setting to its limits and the film is still considered to be one of the most iconic silent films ever.
In 2012, Sweden’s leading film review magazine, FLM, asked its readers to vote for the best Swedish film of all time. The Phantom Carriage (Swedish: Körkarlen),…
Read moreDirector & Screenwriter
Years: 1940-1969
The Seventh Seal (1957)
Ingmar Bergman, En passion © 1969 AB Svensk Filmindustri
Director & Actor
Years: 1919-1924
Erotikon (1920)
Mauritz Stiller. (From the archives of publishing house Bonnierförlagen at the Centre for Business History in Stockholm.)
Director & Screenwriter
Years: 1952-1980s
491 (1964)
Vilgot Sjöman, 491 © 1964 AB Svensk Filmindustri
Director
Years: 1920s-1950s
Torment (1944)
Alf Sjöberg, Torment (original: Hets) © 1944 AB Svensk Filmindustri
Text and credits designer
Years: 1919-1950s
Intermezzo (1936)
Alva Lundin, photo: J Hertzberg. Photo: private
Documentary filmmaker
Years: 1941-1965
Symphony of a City (1947)
Arne Sucksdorff, Symphony of a City (original: Människor i stad) © 1947 AB Svensk Filmindustri
Author & Screewnriter
Years: 1964-1988
Emil in Lönneberga (1971)
Astrid Lindgren, Ronia, the Robber’s Daughter (original: Ronja Rövardotter) © 1984 AB Svensk Filmindustri
CEO at SF Studios
Years: 1942-1961
Carl Anders Dymling. (From AB Svensk Filmindustri’s archive at the Centre for Business History in Stockholm.)
SF Studio’s first CEO
Years: 1919-1928
Charles Magnusson. (From AB Svensk Filmindustri’s archives at the Centre for Business History in Stockholm.)
Actor & director
Years: 1920-1936
Intermezzo (1936)
Gösta Ekman, Intermezzo © 1936 AB Svensk Filmindustri. Photo: Louis Huch
Actor & Director
Years: 1956-1990s
The Adventures of Picasso (1978)
Gösta Ekman, Egg! Egg! A Hardboiled Story (original: Ägget är löst) © 1975 AB Svensk Filmindustri
Actress & Hollywood star
The Legend of Gösta Berling (1924)
Greta Garbo, The Legend of Gösta Berling (original: Gösta Berlings saga) © 1924 AB Svensk Filmindustri
Head of Filmstaden’s Studio Lot
Years: 1935-1963
Harald Molander, archive photo: Swedish Film Institute
Author and screenwriter
Years: 1919-1923, 1927-1931
Father and Son (1931)
Photo: Hjalmar Bergman. (From Bonnier Publishing archives at the Centre for Business History in Stockholm. )
Actress & Hollywood star
Years: 1935-1940, 1967
Intermezzo (1936)
Ingrid Bergman, Intermezzo © 1936 AB Svensk Filmindustri. Photo: Louis Huch
Head of Music Department
Years: 1927-1970s
A Subtle Flirt (1934)
Jules Sylvain, photo: private
Cinematographer
Years: 1919-1945
The Phantom Carriage (1921)
Julius Jaenzon, The Dream Waltz (original: Säg det i toner) © 1929 AB Svensk Filmindustri
Artistic Leader & Actress
Years: 1920s-1942
Swedenhielms (1935)
Karin Swanström. (From Bonnier Publishing’s archives at the Centre for Business History in Stockholm.)
CEO at SF Studios, Actor
Years: 1963-1980
Kenne Fant. (From AB Svensk Filmindustri’s archive at the Centre for Business History in Stockholm.)
Actress
Years: 1960s-2000s
491 (1964)
Lena Nyman, Morrhår och ärtor © 1986 AB Svensk Filmindustri
Actress & Singer
Years: 1960s-1970s
The Emigrants (1971)
Monica Zetterlund, To Go Ashore (original: Att angöra en brygga) © 1965 AB Svensk Filmindustri
Head of artistic advertising
Years: 1929-1953
Designed SF Studios logotype
Nils Hårde. (From AB Svensk Filmindustri’s archive at the Centre for Business History in Stockholm.)
Actor & Director
Years: 1930s-1960s
The Seventh Seal (1957)
Nils Poppe. (From archives of AB Svensk Filmindustris at the Centre for Business History in Stockholm.)
Nobel laureate & author
The Phantom Carriage (1921)
Selma Lagerlöf. (From Bonnier Publishing archives at the Centre for Business History in Stockholm. Photo: Atelier Florman.)
Actress
Years: 1932-1944, 1956-1961
Seventh Heaven (1956)
Sickan Carlsson, Seventh Heaven (original: Sjunde himlen) © 1956 AB Svensk Filmindustri
Actress & Hollywood star
Years: 1939-1941, 1950
Emelie Högqvist (1939)
Signe Hasso, Karriär © 1938 AB Svensk Filmindustri
Head of Screenplay Department
Years: 1935-1947
Dollar (1938)
Stina Bergman. From the archives of Bonnier Publishing at Centre for Business History in Stockholm.
Director & Actor
Years: 1964-1984
To Go Ashore (1965)
Tage Danielsson, The Apple War (original: Äppelkriget) © 1971 AB Svensk Filmindustri
Actress & Singer
Years: 1932-1939
A Subtle Flirt (1934)
Tutta Rolf, A Subtle Flirt (original: En stilla flirt) © 1934 AB Svensk Filmindustri. Photo: Louis Huch.
Read more about Tutta Rolf here!
Director & Actor
Years: 1919-1923, 1931-1957
The Phantom Carriage (1921)
Victor Sjöström, Valborgsmässoafton © 1935 AB Svensk Filmindustri. Photo: Louis Huch