‘Paradise is Burning’ bags accolade for Best Film at Swedish Film Awards

The social drama Paradise Is Burning, directed by Mika Gustafson, has taken home Sweden's highest cinema award, the Guldbagge Award, for best picture.

The film, which debuted in Venice's Horizons section this year, centres on three sisters who, when their mother disappeared, were left to live anarchic, free lives.

However, to keep themselves from being placed in foster care, the oldest must locate someone to pose as their mother when social services call.

On Monday night in Stockholm, during the Guldbagge Awards ceremony, it was selected as the best Swedish film of the previous year. Additionally, Paris is Burning won the Guldbagge for Catharina Nyqvist Ehrnrooth's finest set design.

But Axel Petersén's Shame on Dry Land emerged victorious that evening. In addition to winning most of the technical categories, the neo-noir film, which is set in the realm of online gamblers, took home seven Guldbagge accolades, including best director and best actor for Joel Spira, the lead actor. The film, which made its Toronto premiere, did not receive a nomination for best picture.

Marall Nasiri won best actress for her lead performance in Milad Alami's play Opponent, which tells the story of a family that escapes Iran for Northern Sweden.

For his screenplay for Together 99, the follow-up to his 2000 international hit Together about life in a Swedish commune, Lukas Moodysson won the best screenplay award. Best Supporting Actress was also awarded to co-star Anja Lundqvist in Together 99.