For the fourth year in a row, Stockholm International Film Festival and the City of Stockholm have the honor to present the prestigious Stockholm Impact Award. Together with a cash prize of one million SEK, the winning director receives a unique award designed by the Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. This year’s winner will be announced at the film festival’s official award ceremony, on Friday, November 16th at 5:00 pm at Social At Six in Stockholm.

Photo: Stockholm Impact Award, designed by Ai Weiwei.

Stockholm International Film Festival and the City of Stockholm founded Stockholm Impact Award in 2015 with the purpose of highlighting quality films that reflect our contemporary world. The award is presented to a director who dares to address social issues such as democracy, equality and human rights to inspire debate and change.

Previous recipients of the Stockholm Impact Award are Anna Jadowska for the film Wild Roses (2017), Wayne Roberts for the film Katie Says Goodbye (2016) and Leena Yadav for the film Parched (2015).

— Stockholm Impact Award brings attention to important social issues such as human rights and democracy, which is very important for the City of Stockholm. That we do this through film, and at the same time support the film industry, is in line with our ambition to be a film friendly city, says Jonas Naddebo, Commissioner for Culture and Urban Environment, the City of Stockholm.

This year’s nominated films and directors are:

• Birds of Passage by Cristina Gallego & Ciro Guerra (Colombia)
• Cold Sweat by Soheil Beiraghi (Iran)
• Core of the World by Natalya Meshchaninova (Russia)
• Donbass by Sergei Loznitsa (Belarus)
• Los Silencios by Beatriz Seigner (Brazil)
• Manta Ray by Phuttiphong Aroonpheng (Thailand)
• Ray & Liz by Richard Billingham (Great Britain)
• Vox Lux by Brady Corbet (USA)

— Our vision for Stockholm Impact is a cinematic Noble Prize with a fresh twist, a competition that brings together the sharpest minds in film. The directors in competition are defined by a special interest in pressing issues and the ability to push the boundaries of film as an art form. The award would never be possible without the patronage of Ai Weiwei and support by the City of Stockholm, says George Ivanov, Program Director at Stockholm International Film Festival.  

The eight directors who have been nominated for this year’s Stockholm Impact Award will all visit Stockholm International Film Festival in November to meet the press and public during Face2Face conversations in conjunction with the screenings of their films. Accredited journalists will also have the opportunity to do longer interviews with the visiting directors.  

Dates for interviews and Face2Face conversations:

Richard Billingham (Ray & Liz)
Dates for interviews: November 7 or November 8
Face2Face: Thursday, November 8 at 6:00 pm at Sture 2

Soheil Beiraghi (Cold Sweat)
Dates for interviews: November 8 or November 9
Face2Face: Thursday, November 8 at 7:00 pm at Klarabiografen

Beatriz Seigner (Los Silencios)
Dates for interviews: November 11 or November 12
Face2Face: Sunday, November 11 at 3:00 pm at Sture 2

Phuttiphong Aroonpheng (Manta Ray)
Date for interviews: November 13
Face2Face: Tuesday, November 13 at 6:45 pm at Zita 1

Sergei Loznitsa (Donbass)
Dates for interviews: November 13 or November 14
Face2Face: Tuesday, November 13 at 6:00 pm at Sture 1

Natalya Meshchaninova (Core of the World)
Dates for interviews: November 14 or November 15
Face2Face: Thursday, November 15 at 6:45 pm at Sture 2

Cristina Gallego (Birds of Passage)
Date for interviews: November 15
Face2Face: Thursday, November 15 at 8:30 pm at Skandia

Brady Corbet (Vox Lux)
Date for interviews: November 16
Face2Face: Friday, November 16 at 6:30 pm at Skandia