Movies
‘Paradise Is Burning’ Awarded Best Film at the Swedish Film Awards
Mika Gustafson's social drama Paris Is Burning has won the top honor for Best Film at the Guldbagge Awards, Sweden's most prestigious film ceremony.
The film, which premiered in Venice's Horizons section this year, tells the story of three sisters living in anarchic freedom, abandoned by their mother. When social services intervene, the oldest must find someone to impersonate their mother to avoid being placed into foster care. Paris Is Burning was recognized as the best Swedish film of the past year at the Guldbagge Awards ceremony in Stockholm on Monday night. The film also won Best Set Design for Catharina Nyqvist Ehrnrooth.
However, the evening’s biggest winner was Axel Petersén's Shame on Dry Land, a neo-noir set in the world of online gambling. It took home 7 Guldbagge awards, including Best Director and Best Actor for lead Joel Spira, as well as several technical honors. Despite this, it wasn't nominated for Best Film.

Best Actress honors went to Marall Nasiri for her role in Opponent, Milad Alami’s drama about a family fleeing Iran for Northern Sweden. Lukas Moodysson won the Best Screenplay award for Together 99, a sequel to his 2000 hit Together, which also earned Best Supporting Actress for co-star Anja Lundqvist.
Here’s the full list of the 2023 Guldbagge Awards:
- Best Film: Paris is Burning
- Producer: Nima Yousefi
- Best Director: Axel Petersén for Shame On Dry Land
- Best Actress in a Leading Role: Marall Nasiri for Maryam in Opponent
- Best Actor in a Leading Role: Joel Spira for Dimman in Shame On Dry Land
- Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Anja Lundqvist for Lena in Together 99
- Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Christopher Wagelin for Fredrik in Shame On Dry Land
- Best Screenplay: Lukas Moodysson for Together 99
- Best Editing: Robert Krantz for Shame On Dry Land
- Best Cinematography: Josua Enblom for Shame On Dry Land
- Best Sound Design: Andreas Franck for Shame On Dry Land
- Best Original Score: Baba Stiltz for Shame On Dry Land
- Best Visual Effects: Nora Berecoechea and Stefan Rycken for The Abyss
- Best Costume Design: Karen Fabritius Gram and Pierre Vienings for Hammarskjöld
- Best Set Design: Catharina Nyqvist Ehrnrooth for Paris Is Burning
- Best Makeup: Tove Jansson, Eva von Bahr, and Love Larson for The Conference
- Best Short Film: Leila directed by Fariba Haidari
- Best Documentary Film: The Gullspång Miracle directed by Maria Fredriksson
- The Guldbagge Audience Award: Beck – Inferno produced by Francy Suntinger
- Gullspira Award for extraordinary contributions to children’s films: Inger Nilsson, actress.