06/02/2007

During the annual awards film ceremony held last Sunday night in Helsinki, Aki Kaurismaki received the Jussi award for Best Film of the Year, for Lights in the Dusk [+see also:
trailer
film profile], presented to him by French filmmaker/producer Luc Besson.

“I’m a great advocate of European films”, said Besson, who is currently visiting Finland, ahead of the Finnish launch of Arthur and the Invisibles [+see also:
trailer
film profile] through Scanbox on March 2.

Kaurismäki’s film, produced by his company Sputnik Film, also received a Jussi for cinematographer Timo Salminen, who has worked on almost all of Kaurismaki’s films, and a third one for production designer Markku Pätilä.

The other big winner of the evening was Aku Louhimies with Frozen City [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Aku Louhimies
interview: Markus Selin
film profile], which won five Jussi Awards for Best Director, Best Script (Paavo Westerberg and Mikko Kouki), Best Actor (Janne Virtanen), Best Actress (Susanna Anteroinen), and Best Editing (Samu Heikkilä). The Solar Films production, which also won three major awards at Karlovy Vary 2006, received the most Jussi nominations (eight).

Mikko Kouki, who works regularly with Louhimies as assistant director and actor, picked up another Jussi for Best Supporting Actor in Louhimies’ other 2006 film, Man Exposed.

Veteran actress Seela Sella was voted Best Supporting Actress for her part in Timo Koivusalo’s The Leaning Tower [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and Jade Warrior won two statuettes for Best Music (Kimmo Pohjonen and Samuli Kosminen) and Best Costume Design (Anna Vilppunen).

Lastly, Jouko Aaltonen’s successful documentary Revolution was rewarded in its category.