Way Out West offers night screenings of new horror films, the premiere of a new feature film starring Hedda Stiernstedt, and many premieres of music documentaries. See the full program here.
The film program for this year’s edition of Way Out West is live! A total of 31 feature films will be shown during the festival’s three days. Among these, 18 are premieres: six world premieres, nine Nordic premieres, and three Swedish premieres.
A new addition to the festival this year is the night cinema! After the shows in Slottsskogen, when Stay Out West kicks off, Way Out West will present world premieres of two new Swedish horror films at Bio Capitol: “Äkta skräck” directed by Daniel di Grado and “VIRGO” directed by Jakob Ekvall (on Friday and Saturday night, respectively).
Way Out West also presents the world premiere of the new feature film “Nova & Alice,” directed by Emma Bucht (Kärlek & Anarki), produced by Lena Rehnberg (Monica Z and Ted – För Kärlekens Skull) with Hedda Stiernstedt and Josefin Asplund as two mismatched artists, who are forced to embark on a tour in Sweden that culminates at Way Out West. Parts of the film were shot at last year’s festival, so many in the audience may recognize familiar scenes!
This year’s program is dominated by documentaries, most of which focus on music. There are several premieres, including the world premiere of the documentary “Min bror Ted” about Ted Gärdestad, which is largely based on interviews with Ted’s late brother Kenneth. Long time friend Janne Schaffer will be present during the premiere.
Way Out West also premieres new documentaries about Wu-Tang legend Old Dirty Bastard, controversial artist Peaches, Scottish indie band Mogwai, the multi-dimensional artist Mwuana, and American powerpop/punk/glam rock icons Redd Kross. Festivalgoers can also enjoy documentaries about Lil Nas X, Imperiet, Sara Parkman, José González, and Kal P Dal, among others. Another exciting premiere is the documentary “Free Party”, which explores the turbulent birth and upbringing of the English rave scene.
A sign of the times is the Swedish premiere of Loran Batti’s documentary “G – 21 scenes from Gottsunda,”. The film provides an inside perspective at how gang violence affects people in the vicinity in gripping scenes from Gottsunda in Uppsala.
The dramedy “Kneecap” (Nordic premiere), follows the members of the eponymous Irish band playing fictionalized versions of themselves. The film received acclaim at Sundance earlier this year.
Another contemporary reflection is “Dahomey”, a documentary that won the prestigious Golden Bear award at the Berlin Film Festival earlier this year. The film depicts how 26 royal museum artifacts from the Kingdom of Dahomey are received upon their return from colonial power France to their homeland of Benin. The screening is done in collaboration with CinemAfrica and Världskulturmuseérna and will be followed by a discussion.
