School cinema day during BUFF 2026 (held in swedish) is free with pre-registration, our other seminars require accreditation.

Tuesday 10/3

School cinema day during BUFF – where dreams are born

Language: Swedish The day is free but registration is required. School Cinema Day aims to highlight school cinema and provide you, whether you are a teacher, librarian, experienced school cinema organizer or a curious newcomer, with the tools to get started at your school, in your municipality or region. Programme and Participants Welcome to School Cinema Day at BUFF 2026 Anna Croneman, CEO of the Swedish Film Institute Keynote: Jenny Jägerfeld Jenny Jägerfeld, an author and psychologist, offers insight into how combining books and film can lead to richer discussions and deeper engagement. Practical and inspiring film pedagogy Filmmaker and film educator Emilia Henriksson presents Artax Filmlabb, inclusive film pedagogy and relationship-building creative processes. Break and fika Meet the film distributors What new films are available for schools? Meet distributors Folkets Bio, TriArt, Njuta Film, Smorgasbord Picture House, TUFF and the Swedish Film Institute as they introduce their latest films. Reading Film Together – Shared reading film in practice Carolina Falk, Film i Skåne, presents Shared Reading Film – a structured discussion format for deepened film experiences. Creating film for young audiences – a director’s perspective Stefan Barkman from Filmregionerna discusses storytelling and motivation with director Christian Zetterberg. Trends and lessons learned Karolina Westling, university lecturer, talks about trends in film pedagogy and summarises this year’s School Cinema Day. Matchmaking + refreshments Wrap up School Cinema Day on a high note: enjoy a drink and engage in a series of short conversations with participants and speakers.

Wednesday 11/3

Masterclass: Amanda Kernell

Amanda Kernell: Directing children and young people Language: English Accreditation required Since 2007, Amanda Kernell has made award-winning short and feature films with children and young people in leading roles. In this session, she shares her experiences and methods for casting, rehearsals and filming with children and young actors. Her feature film debut, Sameblod, was one of the most-watched Swedish films in cinemas in 2017, and the follow-up, Charter, was Sweden’s Oscar submission in 2021. Amanda’s third feature film, Brace Your Heart, is scheduled to premiere in 2026.

Work in Progress

Language: English Accreditation required Moderator: Julia Granath von Redlich Welcome to presentations on three upcoming feature film projects. Kärlek och andra diagnoser Participants: Daniel Sawka, director and screenwriter Emma Åkesdotter Ronge, producer A romantic dramedy about a young couple on the spectrum trying to answer life’s big question: What the heck do you do when you fall in love? Blir du ledsen om jag dör? Participants: Sandra Harms, producer, Nicolas Lunabba, writer. Blir du ledsen om jag dör? is a touching and hopeful drama based on the book of the same name. The film tells the true story of an unexpected friendship between youth leader Nic and 14-year-old Elijah, a young basketball talent growing up amidst turbulence. Nelly Rapp 3 Participants: Matilda Gross, actor, Tove Forsman, screenwriter, Sofie Forsman, screenwriter When Nelly reunites with her mother, she learns that an ancient vampire plans to open the gateway to the underworld – where a slumbering evil waits to be unleashed.

The BUFF-pitch

Language: english Accreditation required Discover the future of children’s and youth cinema at the BUFF-pitch. Selected filmmakers present feature and short film projects to an audience of a youth panel, financiers, and industry representatives. During the pitch, projects receive feedback and have the opportunity to make connections that support their further development. The session concludes with a networking reception in Varvstaden. Panel: Miriam Vogt – Berlinale Rose-Marie Strand – Folkets Bio Ludvig Rodman – Film i Skåne Anne-Marie Söhrman Fermelin – Film Stockholm Eva Esseen Arndorff – Triart Janne Vierth – Film commissioner children and youth Hidde de Vries – Cinekid Prisha Dubey – youth panel Iris Ekenstierna – youth panel Programme: Presentation of Region Sörmland’s Children’s Film Residency Participants: Joakim Wassberg, Film i Sörmland Pitch #1 – To Hiba from Anja Format: Short film Participants: Stella Nilsson Pitch #2 – 1 2 3 – Action! Format: Feature film Participants: Anna Brodin, Victor Lindgren Sickan dreams of becoming a director, and when her school announces a film competition, she sees her chance. But making a film with others proves difficult, and suddenly everything is at stake. Pitch #3 – Natthärberget 1982 Format: short film. Participants: Julia Ammouri The year is 1982. At a youth care home, we follow newly formed friends Jawad and Eddie as their relationship is tested when Jawad receives a letter from Lebanon. Pitch #4 – Flickan och hunden Format: Feature film Participants: Jakob Ekvall A lost teenager and an even more lost dog are on the run across half of Sweden, both searching for family. Pitch #5 – Parkeringen Format: Feature film, documentary Participants: Emelie Löfgren, Tanja Holm Too old to stay at home, too young to get into a club–the teenage bedroom has moved out to the parking lot. A documentary about love, alcohol, and life’s big questions in the gap between childhood and adulthood. Pitch #6 – Accidental Shahada Format: Short film Participants: Hiba Fawaz Some seventh graders’ group work takes an unexpected turn when one of the girls becomes convinced that she has converted to Islam by accident. Read more about the projects on your Eventival page.

Thursday 12/3

Is Swedish film letting the audience down?

Language: English Accreditation required Moderator: Daniel Lundquist Participants: Hannes Holm, director Olga Ruin, film journalist Janne Vierth, film commissioner, Swedish Film Institute Baker Karim, director Kristina Börjesson, Head of production, Film i Väst Peter Fornstam, Svenska Bio   Swedish cinema faces a paradox: we produce films, yet cinema audiences hesitate to attend. Is it a question of audiences failing the films, or is it time to ask honestly: are the films failing the audiences? We aim to have a critical yet constructive discussion tackling the acute shortage of cinema audiences for Swedish films. Instead of focusing on external factors, we will look inward to examine the structures, decisions and creative processes shaping the Swedish film industry today. We invite you to a transparent forum that will challenge established truths and seek innovative paths forward.