First Svenska Kyrkans Filmpris/ The Church of Sweden Film Prize at the 25th Göteborg Film Festival
25th January – 4th  February 2002

The Church of Sweden has established a special film prize. 30’000 SEK will be awarded for th first time at the Göteborg Film Festival 2002.
The prize will go to a Nordic film with a high artistic qualitiy, that can be seen through the light of the message from the gospel and which deals with social and justice aspects through the use of story and symbols. The film should also have a general impacts and not be limited by national or local contexts.
The Gothenborg Film Festival has nominated twelve films in competition for The Church of Sweden Film Prize.

The jury of the Church of Sweden Film Prize consisted of Per Jensen (Denmark), Niklas Hjulström (Sweden), Karin Nyberg-Fleisher (Sweden)

The Jury awarded its prize to:

The River
by Jarmo Lampela, Finland 2001

Painstakingly and with keen devotion to mankind >The River< weaves the threads of life into a fabric where the unselfish act of love manifests itself as the most powerful theme - even before death.

A honorable mention has been given to

All about my Father
by Even Benestad, Norway 2002

The lifelong project of Esben Benestad is to demonstrate that he – as everyone else – has the right to live according to his own identity, his own personality. His son, Even Benestad, is able to illustrate his father’s struggle for the right to be different on an existential plane and make clear the issues concerning the price that his surroundings must pay in his film. The film shows the importance of geeing able to communicate for life in crisis and conflict.