Sigrid Hadenius-Ebner has been appointed as Festival Director of the Uppsala Short Film Festival from June 1, 2025. Niclas Gillberg, the longtime Festival Director, is stepping down after 20 years.
The board of the Cultural Association for the Uppsala Film Festival has appointed Sigrid Hadenius-Ebner as Festival Director for the Uppsala Short Film Festival. She has been part of the festival since 2011 and has extensive experience in the film and culture industry. After working at the Tempo Documentary Festival and the Stockholm Film Festival, she served as the Festival Producer for eight editions of the Uppsala Short Film Festival. Her primary focus has been to develop the festival’s industry events, and since 2023, she has been Head of the National Competition and the festival’s representative in charge of the streaming platform, This Is Short.
Sigrid Hadenius-Ebner takes over the role from Niclas Gillberg, who has been Festival Director since 2005. He will continue to be involved in the operations of the organisation as Development Manager for public support and financing.
– I am honoured and proud to have been entrusted with taking over from Niclas, who has successfully led the festival for 20 years. Niclas’s dedication and warmth is something that I will bring into my work to spread Swedish and international short films to our audience. My first year at the festival was as a volunteer in 2011. That was when I first encountered Hannah Ljung’s ‘How to Civilize a Waterfall.’ I was blown away by the power, humour, and efficiency of this 4-minute short film, and it sparked my desire to continue exploring this art form. Now, 14 years later, becoming the Festival Director feels incredible, says Sigrid Hadenius-Ebner.
The transition to a new Festival Director is made as the festival approaches its 44th edition. Uppsala Short Film Festival is one of the largest short film festivals in the Nordic region and Sweden’s premier arena for Swedish and international short films. Since its inception in 1982, the festival has established itself as one of the world’s most important short film festivals.
The 44th edition of the Uppsala Short Film Festival will take place between 20–26 October 2025.
