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AWARDS Finland

An even happier day for Kuosmanen’s The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki

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- The award-winning feature received eight Jussis – Finland’s national film prize – when Filmiaura presented this year’s winners in Helsinki

An even happier day for Kuosmanen’s The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki
Director Juho Kuosmanen (right) and producer Jussi Rantamäki with two of their Jussi Awards (© Markku Ulander/Lehtikuva)

Finnish director Juho Kuosmanen’s The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Juho Kuosmanen
film profile
]
cashed in on eight out of its ten nominations when the Filmiaura Association of Finnish Film Professionals presented the Jussi Awards – Finland’s national film prizes – at a gala ceremony at Helsinki’s Cable Factory last week (24 March). 

Kuosmanen’s first full-length feature, which had previously bagged the Un Certain Regard Award at Cannes, a Gold Hugo in Chicago’s New Directors Competition and the European Film Award for European Discovery of the Year, among other accolades, won in the top categories of Best Film, Best Director and Best Actor (Jarkko Lahti). Inspired by real-life events, the film follows Mäki, the first Finn ever to fight for the World Championship in featherweight boxing – he lost the match by a knock-out in the second round, but he still thought it was the best day of his life. 

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Finnish director Selma Vilhunen’s Little Wing [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
, which was also being considered in ten categories, had to make do with only one prize, for Best Actress: 13-year-old Linnea Skog was honoured for her performance as a young girl searching for her father, whom she has never met. The Audience Award went to Finnish director Tuukka Temonen’s Born in Heinola [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
, about five teens growing up in the titular small industrial town, where in 1991 they formed the punk band Apulanta, one of Finland’s most famous music groups.

Filmiaura has presented the Jussi Awards – statuettes of a man with a hat, designed by Finnish artist Ben Renvall – since 1944; the Helsinki gala was televised by Finland’s MTV3.

Here is the full list of winners of the 2017 Jussi Awards:

Best Film
The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Juho Kuosmanen
film profile
]
 – Juho Kuosmanen

Best Director
Juho Kuosmanen – The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki 

Best Actress
Linnea Skog - Little Wing [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]

Best Actor
Jarkko Lahti – The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki

Best Supporting Actress
Oona Airola – The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki

Best Supporting Actor
Jani Volanen – The Mine [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
 

Best Original Screenplay
Pekko Pesonen – The Mine

Best Cinematography
J-P Passi – The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki 

Best Musical Score
Panu Altio – Tale of a Lake [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]

Best Sound Design
Panu Riikonen – Bodom [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]

Best Editing
Jussi Rautaniemi – The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki

Best Set Design
Santtu Toivola – Flowers of Evil [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]

Best Costume Design
Sari Suominen – The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki

Best Make-up Design
Salla Yli-Luopa – The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki

Best Documentary
Kaisa’s Enchanted Forest [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
 – Katja Gauriloff

Audience Jussi
Born in Heinola [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
 – Tuukka Temonen

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