Swedish directors

1. Alf Sjöberg

Alf Sjöberg was born on June 21, 1903 in Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden. He was a director and writer, known for Miss Julie (1951), Ön (1966) and Torment (1944). He died on April 16, 1980 in Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden.

2. Ingmar Bergman

Writer | Smultronstället

Ernst Ingmar Bergman was born July 14, 1918, the son of a priest. The film and T.V. series, The Best Intentions (1992) is biographical and shows the early marriage of his parents. The film Sunday's Children (1992) depicts a bicycle journey with his father. In the miniseries Private Confessions (...

3. Bo Widerberg

Director | Ådalen 31

Bo Widerberg was born on June 8, 1930 in Malmö, Skåne län, Sweden. He was a director and writer, known for Adalen 31 (1969), All Things Fair (1995) and Joe Hill (1971). He was married to Vanja Nettelbladt and Ann-Mari Björklund. He died on May 1, 1997 in Ängelholm, Skåne län, Sweden.

4. Jan Troell

Director | Här har du ditt liv

Jan Troell was born on July 23, 1931 in Limhamn, Malmö, Skåne län, Sweden. He is a director and cinematographer, known for Here Is Your Life (1966), The Emigrants (1971) and Il capitano (1991). He is married to Agneta Ulfsäter-Troell. They have one child.

5. Victor Sjöström

Actor | Smultronstället

Victor Sjöström was born on September 20, 1879, and is the undisputed father of Swedish film, ranking as one of the masters of world cinema. His influence lives on in the work of Ingmar Bergman and all those directors, both Swedish and international, influenced by his work and the works of ...

6. Hasse Ekman

Writer | Sommarnöje sökes

Being the son of actor / theatre director Gösta Ekman, it was natural for him to start a career in the movie business. He was first noticed for playing against his father in Intermezzo (1936). He also showed a talent for writing, and his first script was filmed as Blixt och dunder (1938). Producer ...

7. Tage Danielsson

Director | Ronja Rövardotter

Tage Danielsson was born in 1928, in a working class home in Linköping, Sweden. He went to Uppsala University, and graduated as a Master of Arts in English, French and the history of literature. In 1956 he met Hans Alfredson at the Swedish Radio company. They worked together for almost thirty years...

8. Hans Alfredson

Actor | Den enfaldige mördaren

During 1956-60 Hans Alfredson worked at Sveriges Radio together with Tage Danielsson. They wrote, directed and starred in several revues 1962-1982. As a director and scriptwriter for the screen Alfredson tried many different genres. He had his greatest critical successes with Ägget är l&...

9. Mai Zetterling

Actress | The Witches

Mai Zetterling was born in Sweden in 1925, and lived briefly in Australia while still a child. She's known as a director and actor and trained on the Stockholm repertory stage, she began appearing in war-era films starting in her teens. Following her debut in Lasse Maja (1941), she made quite an ...

10. Ulf Malmros

Writer | Den bästa sommaren

Ulf Malmros was born on March 16, 1965 in Molkom, Värmlands län, Sweden. He is a writer and director, known for A Summer Tale (2000), Tjenare kungen (2005) and Bröllopsfotografen (2009).

11. Ruben Östlund

Director | Triangle of Sadness

Ruben Östlund was born on April 13, 1974 in Styrsö, Västra Götalands län, Sweden. He is a director and editor, known for Triangle of Sadness (2022), Force Majeure (2014) and The Square (2017). He was previously married to Andrea Östlund.

12. Lukas Moodysson

Director | Fucking Åmål

Lukas Moodysson was born on January 17, 1969 in Malmö, Skåne län, Sweden. He is a director and writer, known for Show Me Love (1998), Lilya 4-Ever (2002) and Together (2000). He has been married to Coco Moodysson since 1994. They have three children.

13. Vilgot Sjöman

Writer | Garaget

Vilgot Sjöman was born on December 2, 1924 in Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden. He was a writer and director, known for The Garage (1975), A Handful of Love (1974) and My Sister, My Love (1966). He was married to Lotta Sjöman and Kristina Hasselgren. He died on April 9, 2006 in Stockholm, ...

14. Olle Hellbom

Director | Bröderna Lejonhjärta

Olle Hellbom was born on October 8, 1925 in Stockholm, Sweden. He was a director and producer, known for The Brothers Lionheart (1977), Tjorven, Batsman, and Moses (1964) and Raggare! (1959). He died on June 5, 1982 in Stockholm, Sweden.

15. Jesper Ganslandt

Director | Farväl Falkenberg

Jesper Ganslandt was born on October 31, 1978 in Falkenberg, Halland, Sweden. He is a director and writer, known for Falkenberg Farewell (2006), The Ape (2009) and Snabba Cash (2021).

16. Anna Odell

Writer | Återträffen

Anna Odell was born on October 3, 1973 in Stockholm, Sweden. She is a writer and director, known for The Reunion (2013), X&Y (2018) and Okänd, kvinna 2009-349701 (2009).

17. Hannes Holm

Director | En man som heter Ove

Hannes Holm was born on November 26, 1962 in Lidingö, Stockholms län, Sweden. He is a director and writer, known for A Man Called Ove (2015), Adam & Eva (1997) and Klassfesten (2002).

18. Per Åhlin

Director | Dunderklumpen!

Per Åhlin was born on August 7, 1931 in Hofors, Gävleborgs län, Sweden. He was a director, known for Dunderklumpen! (1974), The Journey to Melonia (1989) and Alfons Åberg (1979). He died on May 1, 2023 in Malmö, Sweden.

19. Mikael Håfström

Writer | Ondskan

Mikael Håfström was born on July 1, 1960 in Lund, Skåne län, Sweden. He is a writer and director, known for Evil (2003), 1408 (2007) and The Rite (2011).

20. Lasse Hallström

Director | What's Eating Gilbert Grape

Lasse Hallström inherited his enthusiasm for film from his father, who was an amateur filmmaker. In high school he made his first short film, which was released on Swedish television. Hallström then began working as a director, cameraman and editor for Swedish television. He also made music videos ...

21. Tomas Alfredson

Director | Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Tomas Alfredson was born on April 1, 1965 in Lidingö, Stockholms län, Sweden. He is a director, known for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011), Let the Right One In (2008) and The Snowman (2017). He is married to Charlotte Alfredson. They have one child. He was previously married to Cissi Elwin.

22. Mauritz Stiller

Director | Erotikon

Moshe "Mauritz" Stiller, born July 17, 1883, in Helsinki, Finland, was a director, writer and actor. He began his artistic activity in the theatre, as an actor at 16. Mauritz Stiller portrayed 87 roles from 1899-1916 and directed 16 productions 1911-28. Together with Viktor Sjöström ( director, ...

23. Arne Mattsson

Director | Hon dansade en sommar

Arne Mattsson was born on December 2, 1919 in Uppsala, Uppsala län, Sweden. He was a director and writer, known for One Summer of Happiness (1951), För min heta ungdoms skull (1952) and Hemsöborna (1955). He was married to Elsa Prawitz. He died on June 28, 1995 in Sweden.

24. Stefan Jarl

Director | Godheten

Stefan Jarl was born on March 18, 1941 in Skara, Västra Götalands län, Sweden. He is a director and writer, known for Decency (2013), Time Has No Name (1989) and A Respectable Life (1979).

25. Gustaf Molander

Director | En stilla flirt

He attended the Royal Dramatic Theatre's acting school 1907-1909 and went on to become an actor at the same theatre 1913-1926. His first work for the movies was the script to Wanted - A Film Actress (1917) and the follow-up Thomas Graals bästa barn (1918). He made his directing debut with ...

26. Lasse Åberg

Actor | Den ofrivillige golfaren

Lasse Åberg was born on May 5, 1940 in Hofors, Gävleborgs län, Sweden. He is an actor and writer, known for Den ofrivillige golfaren (1991), Sällskapsresan eller Finns det svenskt kaffe på grisfesten (1980) and The Health Journey (1999). He has been married to Inger since 1965. They have...

27. Colin Nutley

Director | Änglagård

Colin Nutley was born on February 28, 1944 in Gosport, Hampshire, England, UK. He is a director and producer, known for House of Angels (1992), Under the Sun (1998) and The Bomber (2001). He has been married to Helena Bergström since 1990. They have two children.

Technically British, but does Swedish movies.

28. Kjell Sundvall

Director | Jägarna

Kjell Sundvall was born on March 31, 1953 in Älvsbyn, Norrbottens län, Sweden. He is a director and writer, known for The Hunters (1996), The Last Contract (1998) and Grabben i graven bredvid (2002). He was previously married to Ann Sundvall.

29. Richard Hobert

Director | Kärleksbevis

Hobert was born in Kalmar, Sweden Dec 1, 1951. He studied political science, languages and film and theatre at the Lund University from 1970 to 1973. He debuted as a radio playwright in 1974. Hobert worked as a writer and assistant director up to his debut as a director in 1978. During the eighties...

30. Josef Fares

Director | Jalla! Jalla!

Josef Fares, born September 19, 1977 in Beirut, Lebanon, is a director, writer and actor. His family moved to Sweden in 1987 and settled in Örebro. Josef Fares was a very productive filmmaker in his teens. He diligently sent his works to all the world's festivals for short films. Encouraged by the ...

31. Daniel Espinosa

Director | Morbius

Jorge Daniel Espinosa is a Swedish-Chilean film director, screenwriter and film producer from Trångsund, Stockholm. He graduated from the National Film School of Denmark in 2001. He notably directed the Sony's Marvel Universe film Morbius starring Jared Leto and other films including Life, Easy ...

32. Daniel Lind Lagerlöf

Director | Miffo

Missing, presumed dead, near Tanumshede on the Swedish west coast. While doing research for an upcoming movie and taking photos, Daniel Lind Lagerlöf disappeared from two other members of the crew, and has not been seen since 6 October 2011.

The search for Lind Lagerlöf was cancelled after more than...

33. Roy Andersson

Director | En kärlekshistoria

Roy Arne Lennart Andersson is a Swedish film director, best known for his distinctive style of absurdist humor and melancholic depictions of human life. His personal style is characterized by long takes, and stiff caricaturing of Swedish culture and grotesque. Over his career Andersson earned ...

34. Kjell Grede

Director | Hip hip hurra!

Kjell Grede was born on August 12, 1936 in Bromma, Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden. He was a director and writer, known for Hip hip hurra! (1987), God afton, herr Wallenberg (1990) and Hugo and Josephine (1967). He was married to Anita Grede and Bibi Andersson. He died on December 15, 2017 in ...

35. Sven Nykvist

Cinematographer | The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Sven Nykvist was considered by many in the industry to be one of the world's greatest cinematographers. During his long career that spanned almost half a century, Nyvist perfected the art of cinematography to its most simple attributes, and he helped give the films he had worked on the simplest and...

36. Kay Pollak

Writer | Så som i himmelen

Kay Pollak was born on May 21, 1938 in Gamlestaden, Gothenburg, Västra Götalands län, Sweden. He is a writer and director, known for As It Is in Heaven (2004), Children's Island (1980) and Älska mej (1986). He has been married to Carin Pollak since 1986. They have three children.

37. Björn Runge

Director | The Wife

Björn Lennart Runge, born June 21 1961, in Lysekil, Sweden. He is a director, screen writer, playwright and author. Björn Runge has been involved in the film industry since he was 20 years old. He studied film directing at Dramatiska Institutet, Stockholm, 1986-89. In 1996 he made his debut in ...

38. Gustaf Edgren

Director | Styrman Karlssons flammor

Gustaf Edgren was born on April 1, 1895 in Östra Fågelvik, Värmlands län, Sweden. He was a director and writer, known for Styrman Karlssons flammor (1925), Skeppargatan 40 (1925) and Närkingarna (1923). He was married to Linnea Spångberg and Svea Hellberg. He died on June 10, 1954 in Bromma, ...

39. Ragnar Frisk

Director | Hammarforsens brus

Ragnar Frisk was born on December 15, 1902 in Hudiksvall, Gävleborgs län, Sweden. He was a director and actor, known for Hammarforsens brus (1948), Åsa-Nisse i kronans kläder (1958) and Sten Stensson kommer till stan (1945). He died on December 11, 1984 in Stockholm, Stockholms län, ...

40. Suzanne Osten

Director | Skyddsängeln

Suzanne Osten was born on June 20, 1944 in Stockholm, Sweden. She is a director and writer, known for The Guardian Angel (1990), Bröderna Mozart (1986) and Mamma (1982).

41. Marie-Louise Ekman

Director | Barnförbjudet

Marie-Louise Ekman was born on November 5, 1944 in Stockholm, Sweden. She is a director and writer, known for Barnförbjudet (1979), Puder (2001) and Nu är pappa trött igen (1996). She was previously married to Gösta Ekman, Johan Bergenstråhle and Carl Johan De Geer.

42. Stig Olin

Soundtrack | Resan till dej

A distinguished actor, director and composer in Sweden; Stig Olin made his success in many areas of the Swedish entertainment business in the 1940s and 50s. As an actor, he claimed success when he played boyish characters and naive students on film. He was the actor who eventually took the claim of...

43. Lars-Magnus Lindgren

Director | Käre John

Lars-Magnus Lindgren was born on July 3, 1922 in Västerås, Västmanlands län, Sweden. He was a director and writer, known for Dear John (1964), Träfracken (1966) and Love Mates (1961). He was married to Vibeke Lindgren, Gunilla Pontén and Kerstin Lindgren. He died on November 23, 2004 in Nacka,...

44. Gabriela Pichler

Director | Äta sova dö

Gabriela Pichler is known for Eat Sleep Die (2012), Amateurs (2018) and Painkiller (2024).

45. Lisa Aschan

Director | Apflickorna

Lisa Aschan is known for She Monkeys (2011), The Deposit (2015) and Call Mom! (2019).

46. Pernilla August

Actress | Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace

Pernilla August started acting as a child, performing in plays at Vår teater and at school. In 1979 she was accepted at the Statens scenskola to study acting professionally. Director Ingmar Bergman took note of her early and cast her as a nanny in his Fanny and Alexander (1982).

In 1982 she got ...

47. Ella Lemhagen

Director | Patrik 1,5

Ella Lemhagen was born on August 29, 1965 in Uppsala, Uppsala län, Sweden. She is a director and writer, known for Patrik, Age 1.5 (2008), Tsatsiki, Mum and the Policeman (1999) and The Crown Jewels (2011).

48. Daniel Alfredson

Director | Flickan som lekte med elden

Daniel Alfredson was born on May 23, 1959 in Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden. He is a producer and director, known for The Girl Who Played with Fire (2009), The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (2009) and Varg (2008). He is married to Stina. They have three children.

49. Anna Hofman-Uddgren

Director | Fröken Julie

Anna Hofman-Uddgren was born on February 23, 1868 in Stockholm, Sweden. She was a director and actress, known for Fröken Julie (1912), Stockholmsfrestelser eller Ett Norrlands-herrskaps äventyr i den sköna synderskans stad (1911) and Blott en dröm (1911). She died on June 1, ...