27/06/2006

Two Finnish films have been selected in the official programme of the upcoming Karlovy Vary International Film Festival(June 30-July 8): Frozen City, the new feature film by the successful Aku Louhimies, will screen in the main competition programme and Joona Tena’s FC Venus [+see also:
trailer
film profile] as part of Variety Critics’ Choice.

After wrapping the principal photography of his critically acclaimed top-grossing film of 2005 in Finland, Frozen Land director Louhimies made the 90-minute feature Frozen City (Valkoinen kaupunki), based on the fate of taxi driver Veli-Matti, one of the principal characters of the TV series Fragments (Irtiottoja) made in 2003. The series – which aired on Channel Four Finland in October 2003 – was a critical success because of its multifaceted storytelling and the sympathy it showed for the human condition, and was brought to life by outstanding actors who improvised a great deal of their dialogue.

In Frozen City, the main character, played by Janne Virtanen, has lost his family and is convicted of manslaughter, an act of violence that, hopelessly drunk at the time, he cannot remember committing. The film was produced by Markus Selin for Solar Films.

FC Venus is a modern football comedy produced by MRP’s subsidiary Talent House and sold internationally by Nordisk Film International Sales. Released last December in Finland by Nordisk Film Distribution, the film is the biggest local hit with over 235,000 admissions so far.