With Government Bill 2015/16:132, a new film policy was established, including seven new objectives for the national film policy:
- Development and production of valuable Swedish film is done continuously in the entire country.
- More people see valuable film, which is distributed and shown in various ways, in the entire country.
- Film heritage is preserved, used, and developed.
- Swedish film is increasingly made available abroad, and qualified international exchange and cooperation takes place in the area of film.
- Children and young people have good knowledge about film and moving pictures, and are allowed to create on their own,
- Equality and diversity characterise the film area.
- Film contributes to strengthening freedom of speech and public discourse.
The central authority in Swedish film policy is the Swedish Film Institute (SFI). Before 2017, SFI was co-financed by the national government and other actors within the film sector, as per the Film Agreement (which had been renegotiated every fifth year by these parties since 2963). Since 2017, and as a part of the new film policy outlined in Government Bill 2015/16:132, grants and programmes within Swedish film policy are now entirely funded by the government. Among the arguments for this reform was providing a more stable platform for government support for the film sector.
In September 2023, the government announced that a government commission will be appointed to propose changes in the national film policy. This will include reforms made necessary by the changing landscape in the film sector, including the impact of streaming and A.I. The inquiry presented its report in March 2025 (SOU 2025:24). Among the recommendations is a new film fund with an annual budget of approximately SEK 300 million. This would be financed in equal parts by the state, cinema owners and streaming services that target a Swedish audience. A second proposal is that the cinema VAT, which currently stands at 25 per cent, will be reduced to six per cent. A third recommendation is that Swedish and foreign streaming services targeting a Swedish audience should be required to contribute to the financing of Swedish film. A fee of 1.5 per cent of the streaming services’ annual turnover in Sweden is therefore proposed to cover their contribution to the new film fund. A new government bill is expected later in 2026.
Public service TV and radio broadcasting is provided by three companies funded by a special tax on personal income: Swedish Television (Sveriges Television, SVT), Swedish Radio (Sveriges Radio) and Swedish Educational Broadcasting Company (Sveriges Utbildningsradio). These are organised as limited companies and owned by an independent foundation. The foundation’s board is appointed by the national government and consists of 13 representatives of the political parties in the Riksdag. The foundation in turn appoints the members of the SVT board.
Government support for computer games and similar media has so far been limited, but has occurred within specific programmes, e.g., within SFI’s work with Creative Europe grants. The Swedish Media Council acts as the central authority in the wider area of media policy.
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