After three of the main venues for the Helsinki International Film Festival – Love & Anarchy closed down, the 29th edition of the event had to spread around the capital, stretching from the Arabia, over Töölö, to the Espoo suburbs. “It was a difficult and very challenging situation,” said artistic director Pekka Lanerva. 

So after last night’s closing ceremony at the Savoy, with French director Mia Hansen-Løve’s Things to Come [+leggi anche:
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Q&A: Mia Hansen-Løve
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intervista: Juan Antonio Bayona
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Festival crowd-pleasers included Dutch director Paul Verhoeven’s Elle [+leggi anche:
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Q&A: Cristian Mungiu
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intervista: Terence Davies
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This year’s Finnish Film Affair – the festival’s industry sidebar for international buyers (20-23 September) – presented 24 new Finnish works in progress and 21 projects in development; more than 200 local and foreign participants attended the introductions and discussions at the Kinopalatsi Cinema and the meetings at the Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel.

“I am particularly excited about the line-ups of new and upcoming films, which have been praised by the foreign buyers. Also, local filmmakers have reported strong international interest in their productions,” said festival and market executive director Sara Norberg. “And I am happy that in spite of the growing number of visitors, we managed to retain the intimate, laid-back atmosphere.” 

Next year’s showcase has been scheduled to unspool from 14–24 September.