Submissions are now open for Tempo’s three Swedish competitions – Tempo Documentary Award, Tempo Short Award, and New Doc – for the 26th edition of Tempo Documentary Festival, taking place March 3-9, 2025.
We welcome documentaries of all lengths from both established and emerging filmmakers! To participate, films must have been produced no earlier than April 2024. You can submit the same film to multiple competitions, such as both the Tempo Short Award and New Doc, if the film meets the criteria for both. The final submission deadline is November 12, 2024.
Please note that Tempo Documentary Award, Tempo Short Award and New Doc are only open to Swedish (main) productions.
Tempo Documentary Award
Tempo Documentary Award is Sweden’s largest documentary film competition, offering a grand prize of 100,000 SEK to the winning director, along with an additional 50,000 SEK equipment grant from Dagsljus. The award is presented in collaboration with the Swedish Film Institute.
Submission Tempo Documentary Award (in Swedish)
Rules and Regulations Tempo Documentary Award (in Swedish)
Tempo Short Award
The Tempo Short Award is a competition for the best Swedish short documentary, with the winning director receiving a prize of 40,000 SEK, along with an additional 10,000 SEK technology grant from Dagsljus. The award is presented with support from the Swedish Film Institute.
Submission Tempo Short Award (in Swedish)
Rules and Regulations Tempo Short Award (in Swedish)
New Doc
New Doc is an award given to a promising new Swedish documentary film director, with a prize of 50,000 SEK, funded collectively by regional film bodies and cultural organizations, including Film Stockholm, Film i Dalarna, Film i Öst, Film Västernorrland, FilmCloud/Förvaltningen för kulturutveckling, Filmregion Sydost, Kultur i Halland – Film, Region Gävleborg, Region Värmland, Region Västmanland, Region Uppsala, BoostHBG, Filmresurscentrum at Katrinebergs Folkhögskola, Region Gotland, Scenkonst Sörmland – Region Sörmland, and Region Östergötland – Film i Öst.
Submission New Doc (in Swedish)
Rules and Regulations New Doc (in Swedish)
If you have questions about Tempo Documentary Award, please email christina.hoglund@tempofestival.se. For questions regarding Tempo Short Award and New Doc, please get in touch with daniel.andishmand@tempofestival.se.
Stefan Jarl International Documentary Award
The Stefan Jarl International Documentary Award is named after the renowned Swedish documentary filmmaker, known for iconic films such as They Call Us Misfits (Dom kallar oss mods) and A Respectable Life (Ett anständigt liv). Established in 2012, the award aims to recognize the best international documentaries from the past year, with the winner receiving a prize of €3,000. The award is presented with the support of The Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation.
For the international program, we do not have an open submission process. The program is curated by the international editor together with the artistic director. If you have any questions or suggestions, please email cecilia.bjork@tempofestival.se.
Short Dox Radio
In the Short Dox Radio competition, ten three-minute radio documentaries compete for a prize of 5,000 SEK. The winning entry also qualifies to participate in the Nordic ShortDox competition. Since 2019, the prize has been upgraded through a collaboration with the production company Munck, offering the winner studio time and a producer for their next audio documentary. The award was established by Bengt Bok, professor of radio production at the Stockholm Academy of Dramatic Arts.
Submission is open 13/11-8/1.
Tempo Pitch
Tempo Pitch is aimed at professional producers and directors, where at least one of them has previously produced at least one film that has been distributed in cinemas, on TV, or via VOD. The pitched project should result in a feature-length film and be in need of financing. Seven projects are selected to be presented in front of an audience and a jury of industry experts. The winner is awarded 90,000 SEK in development funding.
Submission is open 1/11-8/1.