The Tempo Documentary Award is aimed at established filmmakers who have made at least one professionally produced film before (short or feature film).
Tempo Documentary Award 2027 is organized in collaboration with the Swedish Film Institute and Storyline Studios.
All Swedish documentary films that meet and approve the requirements below can compete for the Tempo Documentary Award 2027.
Rules and regulations
Terms of participation
The film must not have had its official premiere before April 1, 2026.
The film must be at least 50 minutes long.
The film must have a Swedish main producer. If no producer is specified, the director is considered the film’s producer.
Films that are distributed via television, streaming services or cinemas before screenings at Tempo Documentary Festival 2027 are not eligible for selection. Screenings at other film festivals, both in Sweden and internationally, are, however, permitted.
Registration
All films submitted for selection to the competition at Tempo Documentary Festival must be registered online via the official registration form by November 13, 2026.
A link that enables viewing of the film must be provided. The link must be password-protected, for example via Vimeo, YouTube or Google Drive, and must be valid until March 31, 2027.
The film’s submitter is obliged to inform the festival’s editor-in-chief of any changes to the film or the viewing link until the festival’s selection has been made.
We do not accept screening copies through file transfers in connection with registration.
Selection
A nomination panel, appointed by Tempo Documentary Festival, is responsible for selecting films for the competition and the festival’s program in 2026. Decisions from the nomination panel are final and cannot be appealed. The nomination panel’s justifications for individual decisions will not be disclosed.
Priority will be given to films that are not yet publicly available online, for example via YouTube, Vimeo or other video sharing platforms.
The applicant for films selected for the competition will be contacted before the end of the year. Applicants whose films are not selected will be notified shortly after the selected films have confirmed their participation in the festival. All applicants should be notified by January 31, 2027.
Material Delivery & Technical Specifications
All selected films must be delivered as DCPs with English subtitles. The festival will provide detailed specifications and delivery instructions after selection. Screening copies must be delivered according to these instructions and the deadlines set by the festival.
The festival reserves the right to request additional formats and materials if necessary.
The screening copies must be provided to the festival no later than February 19, 2027.
Marketing
After the applicant has accepted the film’s participation in the festival’s official program, Tempo’s official wreath will be sent out. The wreath may be used in all future marketing of the film, including press materials and social media. The festival encourages filmmakers to use the wreath to highlight the film’s selection for Tempo Documentary Festival 2027.
After the invitation has been accepted, the Tempo program department will request additional marketing materials, which may include, but are not limited to, press kits, stills and production information.
By submitting the application, the rights holder grants the festival permission to use press materials (such as stills, synopsis and trailers) as well as short excerpts from the film for marketing and press purposes in connection with the festival. The director also undertakes to participate in press activities before and during the festival.
The festival
Tempo Documentary Festival reserves the right to screen selected films on the number of occasions and at the times that the festival finds appropriate, according to the schedule determined by the festival. The selected films may also be screened digitally within the framework of the festival’s online program.
Films with their Swedish premiere at Tempo Documentary Festival 2027 may be designated by the festival management as, and highlighted as, the festival’s opening film.
The filmmakers will be informed of the film’s screening times before the festival program is announced.
The film’s director may be invited to attend and represent their film at one or more of the festival’s screenings.
The film’s director(s) are offered free festival accreditation.
If a film is withdrawn from the festival program after January 1, 2027, the film’s producer must reimburse the festival for costs related to venue rental and other expenses related to the screenings.
Jury & Prize
A separate jury, appointed by Tempo Documentary Festival, will select the winner of the Tempo Documentary Award 2027. Decisions from the jury group are final and cannot be appealed. A justification for why the winning film was selected will be provided to the winner, and other decisions will not be disclosed.
The director of the winning film will be awarded a prize of SEK 100,000 and a technical check of SEK 50,000.
The award ceremony takes place during the festival’s closing weekend, with invitations sent out close to the festival opening. Following the ceremony, the winner will be publicly announced, and the category’s official winner laurel will be provided to the film’s representatives for marketing purposes.
Rights
At the time of submission, all necessary rights for the film must be secured or in the process of being secured, including participant releases and clearance for music, archival material, or other third-party content. All obligations must comply with standard industry practice, applicable laws, and professional standards within the documentary and film industry.
Tempo Documentary Festival disclaims all liability for disputes or claims relating to these rights.
Acceptance
By submitting a film to Tempo Documentary Award 2027, the submitter confirms that they hold the authority to make the submission and that the film’s director, producer, and other key personnel have been informed of, understand, and accept the festival’s competition rules and terms.
Submitting a film to Tempo Documentary Award 2027 constitutes full acceptance of the above competition rules by the film’s creators and producer.