HIGH COAST INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL – Auteur-driven Films in the Swedish High Coast.

Our festival came into existence with a vision - to become a focal point in Northern Sweden for promotion of the auteur-driven cinema: daring, unconventional, innovative films - as well as the meeting place of international and local filmmakers, film activists and enthusiasts in the heart of a Swedish forest landscape.

The creative emphasis of the festival lies on works that are willing to make bold and unorthodox choices, to explore atypical narrative structures, to utilize various techniques of visual storytelling, to seek out and highlight marginalized or untold stories and their protagonists, to search for new methods of communicating with the audiences, all the while retaining a distinguishable personal and uncompromising tone and approach.

There are no sections for contemporary films or attention to any specific topics or methods – film as a mean to artistically express and portray is what puts the program together. As a result we show films with all sorts of themes and methods. Strict fiction with a clear cut storyline, wild experimental film poetry, quiet anthropological documentaries. Comedies, dramas and everything there between. Some are entertaining, some are not. Some are easy to digest, some not at all.

The Festival is a two day event - Saturday and Sunday - held at Mannaminne, a village of culture and art, the unique place where different worlds meet.
At Mannaminne there are over 50 buildings inviting the visitor to an encounter with nature and culture, art and technology, with both local and global perspectives. The artist Anders Åberg (1945-2018) and Barbro Åberg's full-scale works of art spread inspiration and creativity.

We pay for accommodation for all selected film makers. This is something we do to help and support visiting the festival and part of our ambition to make it a valuable experience.

During our first four editions we are happy to have succeeded establishing the festival as a quality event for international auteur-driven films in the High Coast. Lots of press coverage by regional news paper, Swedish National TV and Swedish National wide radio have spread the word about what we do and it's had an impact. Full house screenings and attendance from both press, audience, film organizations and film makers have proved that the interest in our unconventional and daring program is high and the experience at the festival cherished.

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We spend months carefully watching and programming our festival selection. Presenting the best possible program we can is what our festival is built upon. Submitting to the festival is to pay to have the film considered and is not a guarantee to have it selected. We receive hundreds of submissions each edition and only around 5% are selected. Please make sure that you wish to submit before doing so.

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Grand Prix
Audience Award
Best Swedish Film

Please take a moment to read our Rules & Terms before submitting!

*Premiere Requirement
Films cannot have screened in any of the major Swedish Film Festivals: Uppsala, Gothenburg, Stockholm and Tempo. Other than that films can have screened at any other festival around the world and Sweden as well. This is to ensure that the festival remains a space for the independent films, and not become a platform for the same films that have already had exposure at the biggest Swedish Festival forums.

*There is no limit as to how many films a Film Maker can submit. However, each film can only be submitted once in one single category. If your film is suiting in more than one category, then please choose the one you find most suiting.

*Completion date does not influence the submission selection.

*Animation is by the Jury considered as a "technique" and therefore ALL animated films can be submitted as long as they fulfill the requirements of at least one of the submission categories.

*Please make sure that your submission includes the following: Director Photography, Director Statement, Film Synopsis, Director Biography as these are needed to produce the Film Festival Catalogue.

*No refunds.

*We do not offer a screening fee.

*The sender of the submitted film is responsible for all copyrights. The applicant is legally authorized to enter the film in the festival and, if selected for the festival, authorized to give screening permission.

*The applicant has secured all necessary rights for both picture and sound, and exhibition will not violate or infringe upon any rights, including but not limited to music, images, and content.

*If selected for the festival the applicant acknowledges and agrees that the film will be displayed in front of a live audience.

*The film remains the property of the author.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Colin Hickey

    A big thank you for screening my film 'The Evening Redness in the South'. I will be forever grateful.

    September 2022
  • Fotis Skourletis

    I was surprised to receive such great interest, appreciation and love for cinema from this lovely edge of Europe. Great communication, passionate people.

    September 2019
  • Samuel Perriard

    Although I couldn't be there, it was a wonderful experience and an absolutely great festival that dedicated itself to the indie film scene. I would absolutely recommend it!

    September 2019
  • Lovisa Charlier

    High Coast International Film Festival is a great film festival focused on independent filmmakers, very organized with really good communications. Very helpful and friendly staff, thank you! We recommend everyone to take part in this festival!

    September 2018
  • Great is a word that is overly used these days but this festival is really the definition of a GREAT organized film festival.
    In a pretty remote place in Sweden this festival made by people who love and care about independent film is taking place. A place where filmmakers can network with each other or talk with the audience and organizers.
    I've been to my fair share of film festivals in my days, but I have to say these blocks of short films really took me off guard. They were filled with films that had higher standard of independent film than some of the biggest film festivals in Sweden.
    If you get the chance you should definitely submit your work to this film festival!

    September 2018