How Lars Jönsson is putting Sweden on the global film map Since 1996, after Swedish producer Lars Jönsson, of Stockholm-based Memfis Film & Television, decided to move from one-off productions and work locally on a more regular basis, he has notched up three features &endash; and they are all screening in this year's European Film Market. Earlier this week, two of them, Lukas Moodysson's Fucking Åmål (Show Me Love), which is showing in the Panorama, and Leif Magnusson's Hela härligheten (Love Fools) bagged, respectively, four and one Golden Bugs - the Swedish Oscars - thus claiming 50 per cent of the Swedish Film Institute's annual awards.

"I am not a good producer of concept thrillers," claims Jönsson, "but like projects from original, wilful film-makers with distinctive voices behind their work. Still, the results are often unexpected." Jönsson's Berlinale package is completed by Erik Pauser-Johan Söderberg's Lucky People Center International.

Designing his own learning-by-doing education in the film industry, Jönsson established his production company in 1989, and went on to produce Colin Nutley's $2 million Änglagård (House of Angels), which took 1.6 million admissions in Scandinavia and sold to more than 25 territories (with Miramax still working on a US remake).

Excited by the work of Lars von Trier, he entered a long-term relationship with Zentropa Entertainments, executive producing among other things von Trier's Breaking the Waves and his upcoming $15 million musical, Dancer in the Dark. The two companies jointly own Trust Film, handling international sales of their product, including the two Swedish award-winners.

"I really enjoy working with young and upcoming directors who want to deal with everyday life in a very personal way," says Jönsson, "adding a warmth, a heart and a sniff of humour to their stories - just like Moodysson in Fucking Åmål." Jönsson also worked on Björn Runge's feature debut, Harry & Sonja, the Stellan Skarsgård starrer.

Hela härligheten, which won Al Langhammer a Golden Bug as Best Supporting Actress, is the first feature by Magnusson, who was Emmy-nominated and Prix d'Italia-bestowed for his television series Den gråtande ministern (The Crying Minister). It follows a 43-year-old small-town teacher who has never had a woman and is deperate for romance.

Jönsson is currently readying Per Åhlin's $3.7 million, fully-animated Hundehotellet (Dog Days) - the veteran director's first film since Resan till Melonia (The Voyage to Melonia) in 1989 - which Buena Vista International will distribute in Scandinavia. And he is also developing new feature projects both for Moodysson and Magnusson.

Handled internationally by Jane Balfour Films, and being prepared for a major theatrical release in Germany, Lucky People Center International is a full-length documentary depicting a musical round-the-world tour to explore different aspects of spirituality - with "Maori war songs attacking credit cards, voodoo drums and Japanese noise music, orgasms and death."