“How long have I been watching movies on this rock?  Seven days? Five weeks?” is what you might be asking yourself if you’re lucky enough to be selected to view this year’s Göteborg Film Festival. The Swedish festival recently announced that their annual event, due to COVID-19, will look vastly different this year. The audience will consist of a singular film fan that will spend the week on the island of Pater Noster in a lighthouse.

Do not worry Robert Eggers cinephile, the lighthouse has been converted to a luxurious hotel with a screening room as well. In that room in particular the film fan will be able to view the 60 selected films from the festival. Typically, the event is held with more people and has hundreds of more films.

Though this lighthouse raffle does grab headlines, the actual 2021 Göteborg Film Festival is still going to be held online and somewhat in person. The festival will be held from January 29- February 8, 2021. The Draken cinema, located in Göteborg, will also be holding in-person screenings in their 707 capacity theaters for a single person as well as some other stadiums around the area.

It is endearing to see festivals continue against difficult odds. Most American festivals have pushed their dates or will be holding online events, which Sweden is also doing, but also having some more fun with their lighthouse plan. They certainly has a fascinating experiment on the horizon.

For interested film fans, there is more information about the festival here on their website.