SF Studios (Svensk Filmindustri)

Overview

SF Studios (formerly AB Svensk Filmindustri) is the oldest and largest film production and distribution company in Scandinavia. Founded on December 27, 1919 through the merger of Svenska Biografteatern AB and Filmindustri AB Skandia, the company has operated for over 106 years. It is headquartered in Stockholm with offices in Oslo, Copenhagen, and Helsinki, employing 160 people across 4 countries. The company is owned by Bonnier Group, a Nordic media conglomerate operating in 16 countries with approximately 350 companies and 10,000 employees.

In 2025, SF Studios reported net revenue of SEK 1,416 million (down from SEK 1,538 million in 2024) and EBITA of SEK 76 million (up from SEK 52 million in 2024). The company is the leading theatrical distributor in the Nordic region, handling both Nordic original productions and international studio output titles across Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland.

Theatrical Distribution and Studio Output Deals

SF Studios distributes theatrically across all four Nordic countries through direct operations. The company holds long-term output deals with major Hollywood studios that give it exclusive theatrical and home entertainment distribution rights for their titles across the Nordic territories:

• Sony Pictures - long-term theatrical and home entertainment distribution across all Nordic countries
• Warner Bros. - theatrical distribution across the Nordics (expanded to include Sweden in 2019, having already covered Denmark, Norway, and Finland since 2011)
• Universal Pictures - home entertainment distribution across Nordic and Baltic regions
• Paramount Pictures - home entertainment distribution in Scandinavia (signed 2021)
• Walt Disney Studios - physical home entertainment distribution in Scandinavia (signed mid-2022)
• StudioCanal - distribution of StudioCanal titles in Nordic territories

These output deals mean SF Studios releases a high volume of international studio content alongside its Nordic productions, making it one of the primary theatrical distributors in Scandinavia regardless of source. The company also acquires independent films at festivals and markets for Nordic distribution.

Nordic Production

SF Studios produces original film and TV content through production divisions in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway (and since 2017, the UK). The company collaborates with independent Nordic production companies including FLX, Creative Alliance, Fridthjof Film, Yellow Film and TV, Helsinki Filmi, Cinematic, Cinenord, Amacord/Oslo Pictures, and Miso Film.

Recent and upcoming Nordic productions include The Son of Revenge - The Story of Kalevala (2026), a Finnish epic based on the national epic of Finland. In 2025, SF Studios produced the Netflix series The Murders of Are (Are Murders), Season 1, which reached a large global audience on the platform. A new adaptation of Vi pa Saltkrakan (Life on Seacrow Island) premiered on SVT in autumn 2025 and became a ratings success.

SF Studios' catalog includes the Academy Award-nominated A Man Called Ove (2015), which was adapted into the Tom Hanks film A Man Called Otto (2022). The studio has worked with Ingmar Bergman, Ingrid Bergman, Greta Garbo, Liv Ullmann, Jan Troell, Bille August, Carl Theodor Dreyer, Astrid Lindgren, Lasse Hallstrom, Stellan Skarsgard, Joel Kinnaman, and Alicia Vikander across its history.

Digital and Streaming

SF Studios operates SF Anytime, an SVOD and TVOD streaming platform serving Scandinavian audiences. The platform carries SF Studios' catalog alongside licensed content and provides a digital window for both its own productions and its international theatrical acquisitions. SF Anytime competes with Netflix, HBO Max, Viaplay, and local Scandinavian streaming services in a competitive Nordic streaming market.

SF Studios also operates SF Kids, a children's streaming service. The company's content is available internationally through its sales partner REinvent Studios, which handles global sales for SF Studios-produced feature films and TV series as well as catalog titles and third-party producer content.

Historical Significance

SF Studios' catalog spans from the silent era of Swedish cinema through the studio's working relationship with Ingmar Bergman during the 1940s and 1950s, a period that produced some of the most significant films in world cinema history. The company was majority-owned by industrialist Ivar Kreuger and Kreuger and Toll from its founding until Kreuger's death in 1932. It was owned by Hufvudstaden AB from 1970 to 1973, then sold to Dagens Nyheter, and has been owned by the Bonnier Group since 1983.

In 1998, SF was split into two separate companies: the production and distribution company AB Svensk Filmindustri (now SF Studios) and the cinema chain SF Bio (later renamed Filmstaden). The company adopted the name SF Studios in 2016.

What Filmmakers Should Know

For Nordic filmmakers seeking domestic distribution, SF Studios is the largest theatrical distribution option in the region, alongside Nordisk Film Distribution (owned by Egmont Group). SF Studios' scale and output deal relationships with major Hollywood studios mean it releases a high volume of international content alongside its Nordic productions. The company actively co-produces with independent Nordic producers and is a realistic distribution partner for commercial Nordic films with theatrical ambition.

For international filmmakers seeking Nordic distribution, SF Studios is one of the primary theatrical partners for major studio-level international releases in the region. The company acquires independent films at major festivals and markets (Cannes, Berlin, Toronto, AFM) for Nordic distribution. Smaller independent and arthouse films typically find Nordic distribution through specialist companies such as Folkets Bio, TriArt Film, or through international sales agents who have established relationships with Nordic buyers.

SF Studios does not operate an open submission portal for unsolicited films. Access runs through established industry relationships, festival premieres, or market acquisitions. The company's Nordic acquisition head, Martin Brandtler, handles international acquisitions.

Example Titles They've Released

SF Studios is the leading theatrical distributor in the Nordic region, handling both Nordic original productions and international studio output titles across Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland. The company holds long-term output deals with major Hollywood studios giving it exclusive theatrical and home entertainment distribution rights for their titles across the Nordic territories. In 2025, SF Studios reported net revenue of SEK 1,416 million (down from SEK 1,538 million in 2024) and EBITA of SEK 76 million (up from SEK 52 million in 2024). The company owns a library of classic Scandinavian films dating back to its founding in 1919, including works by Ingmar Bergman, Mauritz Stiller, and Victor Sjostrom. Recent Nordic productions and co-productions span commercial comedies, dramas, and crime thrillers. The company also distributes international arthouse titles acquired at major festivals and markets.

Deal Structure Reputation

SF Studios distributes theatrically across all four Nordic countries through direct operations, with offices in Oslo, Copenhagen, and Helsinki, employing 160 people across 4 countries. The company is owned by Bonnier Group, a Nordic media conglomerate operating in 16 countries with approximately 350 companies and 10,000 employees. SF Studios actively co-produces with independent Nordic producers and is a realistic distribution partner for commercial Nordic films with theatrical ambition. The company's scale and output deal relationships with major Hollywood studios mean it releases a high volume of international content alongside its Nordic productions. SF Studios does not operate an open submission portal for unsolicited films. Access runs through established industry relationships, festival premieres, or market acquisitions. The company's Nordic acquisition head, Martin Brandtler, handles international acquisitions.

Typical Acquisition Profile

For Nordic filmmakers seeking domestic distribution, SF Studios is the largest theatrical distribution option in the region, alongside Nordisk Film Distribution (owned by Egmont Group). For international filmmakers seeking Nordic distribution, SF Studios is one of the primary theatrical partners for major studio-level international releases in the region. The company acquires independent films at major festivals and markets (Cannes, Berlin, Toronto, AFM) for Nordic distribution. Smaller independent and arthouse films typically find Nordic distribution through specialist companies such as Folkets Bio, TriArt Film, or through international sales agents who have established relationships with Nordic buyers. In 1998, SF was split into two separate companies: the production and distribution company AB Svensk Filmindustri (now SF Studios) and the cinema chain SF Bio (later renamed Filmstaden). The company adopted the name SF Studios in 2016.

Watch: Trailers and Behind the Scenes

See Also

For how Nordic theatrical distribution fits into a European distribution strategy, see Distribution Deals Explained. To model the revenue from Nordic territorial sales as part of a Scandinavian co-production financing plan, use the Revenue Forecast Calculator.