27/09/2024 - The leading Finnish industry event has wrapped its 13th edition with an awards ceremony that spanned four different categories

The 13th edition of the Finnish Film Affair (25-27 September) has come to a close, celebrating the best in Finnish and Nordic filmmaking. This year’s event showcased a diverse range of projects, spanning fiction, documentaries and series, as well as the Nordic Selection category. It also introduced the first Finnish Weird (F-Weird) pitching session (see the report), highlighting the creativity and innovation shaping the future of cinema.

The Award for Best Fiction Project, accompanied by a €3,000 prize from the Finnish Film Foundation, went to the work in progress Sudden Outbursts of Emotions, directed by Paula Korva. This dramedy tackles modern love and mid-life crises through the story of Jane, a travel agent who finds herself navigating an open relationship and falling for a polyamorous partner. The jury, comprising producer Gudrun Giddings (Flypaper, Banshee Chapter); Heidi Zwicker, senior programmer at the Sundance Film Festival; Claire Willats, industry consultant at Rockwood Pictures; and Martín Morgenfeld, founder of MACO, a South American film company, praised the project for its passion, spirit and humour, describing it as a timely, witty exploration of love’s complexities. Korva, who hails from the Finnish Lapland and studied at the ELO Film School Helsinki, is making her feature film debut with this project, following a successful career in television.

The Best Nordic Project Award went to Nipster, directed by Sunniva Eir Tangvik Kveum, and was also awarded €3,000 by Konstsamfundet. The film follows 15-year-old Chris, who becomes entangled in an eco-fascist organisation. The jury commended the project’s fearless approach to a pressing global issue, viewed from a young person's perspective. Kveum, based in Oslo, is known for exploring themes of belonging and identity, and Nipster delves into the allure and dangers of extremist ideologies in today’s climate-conscious youth.

The documentary category saw But I’m No Influencer by Jussi Sandhu take home the €3,000 prize from AVEK. The jury, comprising Marianna Kaat, director, producer and Associate Professor at Tallinn University, Iris Olsson, film director and script consultant, and Freja Johanne Nørgaard Sørensen, senior sales and acquisitions executive at DR Sales, admired its unique balance of humour and global relevance, as it follows a character's journey within the world’s first higher-education programme for social media, launched in Tampere. Sandhu, a sought-after editor in Finland, is noted for his works screened at major festivals like Venice and CPH:DOX, and he brings a fresh, absurdist lens to his directorial projects.

The inaugural F-Weird session spotlighted the short film in development Mari, Sweetie by Vivian Säde as the standout project. Awarded €2,000 by Riimu Talent Agency and with further support from Angel Films and Post Control Helsinki, the decision was made by the jury comprising Elina Ahlbäck, founder and CEO of Elina Ahlbäck Literary Agency; Jason Gutierrez, Tribeca Film Festival programmer; Samuel Boateng, a Ghanaian-Italian cinematographer and director; and Jarno Laasala, a Finnish TV producer and director. The film explores the psychological journey of a woman whose emotions manifest in water flooding her apartment. Through a blend of magical realism, the project delves into themes of girlhood, body image, and reconciling with the past. Säde, an Estonian filmmaker, has previously gained recognition for her web series Kalamaja Blues.

Here is the list of all of the awarded projects:

Best Fiction Project
Sudden Outbursts of Emotions - Paula Korva (Finland)
Producer: Marko Talli (Yellow Film & TV)

Best Nordic Project
Nipster - Sunniva Eir Tangvik Kveum (Sweden)
Producer: Adam Lunenborg (Carbs Film)

Best Documentary Project
But I’m No Influencer - Jussi Sandhu (Finland)
Producer: Pasi Hakkio (Wacky Tie Films)

F-Weird Award
Mari, Sweetie - Vivian Säde (Estonia/Lithuania) – short film
Producers: Volia Chajkouskaya (Allfilm), WHY Films