The Swedish Film Institute (SFI) was founded in 1963 on the initiative of film critic and businessman Harry Schein. The aim was to develop Swedish film and strengthen Sweden’s international position. Schein, who became SFI’s first CEO, implemented a reform that exempted cinemas from the entertainment tax. Instead, they had to pay 10% of their revenue to SFI, which in turn distributed the money in the form of grants. Part of the funds went to archiving, documentation and restoration of films.

In the mid-1960s, the SFI decided it was time for its own building. Schein commissioned the architect Peter Celsing with the brief: “no ordinary fucking building!”. He got what he asked for – the brutalist style and intended location next to the Defense Headquarters made the project controversial even at the drawing board. The original plan with windows facing the Armed Forces offices was opposed and Celsing was forced to design a short side without a single window. As a gesture to the neighbors, he had a large eye built into the facade instead.

In 2008, Filmhuset was modernized and is now home to many actors in the film industry – including Cinemateket, the Swedish Arts Council and several production companies. It also houses three cinemas: Bio Victor and Bio Mauritz (after silent film legends Victor Sjöström and Mauritz Stiller), and Bio Julius (after cinematographer and director Julius Jaenzon). The building also houses a library and one of the world’s largest film archives. A house moved in in 2020 with the mission to offer a vibrant gathering place for film and moving images.