The most viewed films of Stockholm International Film Festival 2022

The 33rd edition of Stockholm International Film Festival 2022 has come to an end. We showed more than 130 films from 50 different countries consisting of a great blend of genres and 14 Academy Award entries. For the first time in the festival’s history, the award for Best Film went to a Swedish director – Ali Abbasi who won the Bronze Horse with Holy Spider. Yesterday, the festival announced The Banshees of Insherin by Martin McDonagh as the winner of the Audience Award 2022.

- I’ve always loved Stockholm, the Swedish people and Swedish movies, so I’m truly greatly touched by this award. Many many thanks! says Mr. Martin McDonagh

After two grueling years of pandemic, the Stockholm International Film Festival and its audience came back united with great fervor. We had the pleasure of hosting international guests, unforgettable panel discussions between directors and film lovers.

During the festival we put the spotlight on the conflicts in Ukraine and Iran. The festival has screened multiple films from both nations. The film festival and the audience were honored to listen to an special video message sent by First Lady Zelenskyi.

The festival also organized a manifestation with high-profile national and international filmmakers against Iran's imprisonment of directors and persecution of women.

Below are the festival's ten most watched films in cinemas:

1. The Banshees of Inisherin by Martin McDonagh

2. Bones and All by Luca Guadagnino

3. Holy Spider by Ali Abbasi

4. Empire of Light by Sir Sam Mendes

5. Boy from Heaven by Tarik Saleh

6. Decision to Leave by Park Chan-woo

7. Min vackra stjärna by Hirokazu Kore-eda

8. She Said by Maria Schrader

9. The Son by Florian Zeller with the actor Sir Anthony Hopkins

10. The Woman King by Gina Maria Prince-Bythewood

The Stockholm Lifetime Achievement Award 2022 went to the actor Sir Anthony Hopkins, who sent a touching digital greeting while holding dearly the Bronze Horse in his arms.

This year’s festival was inaugurated with the Nordic premiere of Tarik Saleh’s film Boy from Heaven, where the leading role played by Fares Fares received Stockholm Achievement Award. Barely two weeks later, the film festival was rounded off with the year's closing film »Master Gardener« by Paul Schrader, who participated in a digital Face2Face before the screening via a link from New York.

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Top from left: Gala opening. Award ceremony: Alexej Manvelov, Erika Wasserman, Ali Abbasi (winner of Best Film). Winner for Best Actor Mehdi Bajestani. Face2Face conversation with Nicolas Winding Refn. First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenskyj. Gala opening: Mansour-Jacques Hagerstrand Jallow, Fares Fares, Tarik Saleh. Face2Face conversation with Sir Sam Mendes. Winner for Best Actress Annabelle Lengronne. Lifetime Achievement Award 2022 recipient Sir Anthony Hopkins.

Photo: Thomas Persson and Ulf Berglund.

Next year, we will be back with the 34th Stockholm International Film Festival where we will continue to offer our audience the best quality films from around the world.