The Finnish Film Affair, Finland’s biggest industry event and a major international export forum for Finnish and Nordic films, is organised as part of the Helsinki International Film Festival – Love & Anarchy, and is celebrating its tenth anniversary with a hybrid event taking place both in Helsinki and online from 22-24 September. A total of 24 Finnish projects, which are either in development or in production, along with four projects from neighbouring Nordic countries, form this year’s selection. Over 50% of the projects have been directed by women or non-binary people, while 29% of the selection comes from debuting directors.

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Nine projects have been selected in the development section, and among them are Stormskerry Maja [+lee también:
crítica
ficha de la película], an adaptation by Tiina Lymi, the sophomore projects Viva la Vida by Ulla Heikkilä (Eden [+lee también:
tráiler
entrevista: Ulla Heikkilä
ficha de la película]) and JOSE by Annika Grof (There Will Be Spring [+lee también:
tráiler
ficha de la película]), as well as the new international animated project Trash Monsters, produced by Anima Vitae. In Finnish Fiction Works in Progress, six projects are vying for the Best Fiction Project Award, which consists of a €3,000 package from the Finnish Film Foundation to be spent on the film’s international marketing. The selection includes Inari Niemi’s (Wonderland [+lee también:
tráiler
ficha de la película]) new film Light Light Light [+lee también:
crítica
ficha de la película] and The Hullabaloos, a family feature directed by Reetta Huhtanen (Gods of Molenbeek [+lee también:
crítica
tráiler
ficha de la película]).

As for the documentary projects, all nine selected are competing for the Best Documentary Project Award, a €3,000 package from AVEK to be used to make an international trailer for the film, and are available for international sales. Music is a predominant theme among them, with projects about musicians, such as ALMA by Pamela Tola and Michael Monroe by Pete Eklund and Jussi Lehtomäki, and The Cello by Kira Jääskeläinen, which follows the story of the titular instrument.

The Nordic Selection highlights emerging talent (first or second feature directors), with one project from each Nordic country. These projects will be competing for the Best Nordic Project Award, which will be presented for the first time this year and is worth €3,000 for the film’s international marketing, sponsored by Konstsamfundet.

The event’s training initiative, Nordic Flair, is postponed until next year, and as the head of the event, Maria Pirkkalainen, underlines: “The level of applicants was of such a high standard that there is a clear demand for a leadership course, and we are confident we can offer it the way it deserves to be offered in 2022.”

Here is the complete selection of the tenth Finnish Film Affair:

Fiction in Development

After Us, the Flood - Arto Halonen
Producer: Arto Halonen (Art Films Production Oy)

The Beast Friend - Lauri-Matti Parppei
Producer: Julia Elomäki (Tekele Productions)

Family Time [+lee también:
crítica
tráiler
entrevista: Tia Kouvo
ficha de la película] - Tia Kouvo
Producers: Jussi Rantamäki, Emilia Haukka (Aamu Film Company)

A Happy Family - Paavo Westerberg
Producers: Johanna Tarvainen, Mikko Tenhunen (Mjölk Movies)

JOSE - Annika Grof
Producer: Joon Tervakari (Tarasow Films)

Lex Julia - Laura Hyppönen
Producers: Merja Ritola, Essi Haukkamaa (Greenlit Productions Oy)

Stormskerry Maja [+lee también:
crítica
ficha de la película] - Tiina Lymi
Producers: Jukka Helle, Markus Selin (Solar Films)

Trash Monsters (Finland/Indonesia/Australia)
Producers: Antti Haikala, Joseph Taylor
Production companies: Anima Vitae, Nusa Film, Seeding Pictures

Viva la Vida - Ulla Heikkilä (Finland/Spain/Denmark)
Producer: Marja Pihlaja (Tekele Productions)

Fiction in Progress

Bad Women - Niklas Lindgren
Producer: Miia Haavisto (Tekele Productions)

Bubble - Aleksi Salmenperä
Producer: Minna Haapkylä (RABBIT FILMS)

The Good Driver [+lee también:
crítica
ficha de la película] - Tonislav Hristov (Finland/Bulgaria/Sweden)
Producers: Kaarle Aho, Kai Nordberg (Making Movies)
Co-producers: Soul Food, Cinenic Film

The Hullabaloos - Reetta Huhtanen
Producers: Melli Maikkula, John Lundsten (TACK Films)

Light Light Light [+lee también:
crítica
ficha de la película] - Inari Niemi
Producer: Oskari Huttu (Lucy Loves Drama Oy)

Omerta 6/12 [+lee también:
tráiler
ficha de la película] - Aku Louhimies (Finland/Estonia)
Producers: Antti J Jokinen, Sirkka Rautiainen, Evelin Penttilä, Mikko Tenhunen
Production companies: Cinematic, Stellar Film

Nordic Selection

12 Hours to Destruction - Nanna Kristín Magnúsdóttir (Iceland/Finland)
Producers: Julius Kemp, Ingvar Thordarson, Nanna Kristín Magnúsdóttir, Markus Selin, Jukka Helle
Production companies: The Icelandic Film Company, Solar Films, CUBS Productions

Bad Women - Niklas Lindgren (Finland)

The Great Silence [+lee también:
crítica
tráiler
entrevista: Kristine Kujath Thorp
ficha de la película] - Katrine Brocks (Denmark)
Producer: Pernille Tornøe (Monolit Film)

Locals - Måns Nyman (Sweden)
Producers: Eliza Jones, Markus Waltå (Grand Slam Film)

Thomas vs. Thomas (A Sensational Theory Regarding an Insignificant Life in the Multiverse) - Jakob Rørvik (Norway)
Producer: Petter Onstad Løkke (Maipo Film)

Documentaries in Progress and Development

ALMA - WHO AM I? - Pamela Tola
Producer: Oskari Huttu (Lucy Loves Drama Oy)

The Cello - Kira Jääskeläinen
Producer: Oona Saari (Illume Ltd)

Hard to Break - Krista Moisio, Anna-Maija Heinonen
Producer: Oskar Forstén (Polygraf)

Homecoming [+lee también:
tráiler
ficha de la película] - Suvi West
Producer: Janne Niskala (Vaski Filmi)

The Lock-In - Chico Pereira (Finland/Spain)
Producer: Kaarle Aho (Making Movies Oy)

Lynx Man [+lee también:
crítica
tráiler
entrevista: Juha Suonpää
ficha de la película] - Juha Suonpää (Finland/Germany/Estonia)
Producers: Pasi Hakkio, Niina Virtanen
Production companies: Wacky Tie Films Oy, Alasti Kino Oü, Luzid Film GmbH

Michael Monroe – The Best Kept Secret in Rock’n Roll - Pete Eklund, Jussi Lehtomäki
Producers: Pete Eklund, Patrik Sigmundt (Kaiho Republic)

Nasrin's Voice - Kaisa Rastimo
Producer: Ella Ruohonen (Image Club Oy)

Power of the People - Mervi Enqvist, Inderjit Kaur Khalsa
Producer: Essi Haukkamaa (Greenlit Productions)