The industry sidebar of the Helsinki Film Festival – Love & Anarchy, the Finnish Film Affair, showcased nearly 30 projects during its hybrid tenth edition. According to the organisers, the event welcomed nearly 400 film industry professionals from 27 different countries, with 300 of them on-site. “Many of our guests here in Helsinki commented how this was their first industry event in over a year, and you could sense the tangible joy in every one of our events,” mentioned Maria Pirkkalainen, head of the Finnish Film Affair & Nordic Flair.

Bubble, directed by Aleksi Salmenperä (A Man’s Job [+lire aussi :
bande-annonce
fiche film]) and produced by Minna Haapkylä of Rabbit Films, has received the Best Fiction Project Award. “The boldness of this film, and the round mix of humour and drama, really caught our attention. It presents a new take on the subject of family relations and is relatable to both children and parents internationally,” underlined the jurors Fulko Kuindersma, acquisitions manager at Dutch Features; Nele Paves, Estonian Film Institute’s film commissioner, and Annina Wettstein, programmer for Scandinavia and German-speaking territories at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR). Currently in post-production, the dramatic comedy follows a daughter’s scheme to reunite her parents by focusing their shared attention on her, until her plans slowly become a little too perilous.

A new award, the Best Nordic Project Award, went to The Great Silence, directed by Katrine Brocks and produced by Pernille Tornøe of Monolit Film (Denmark). Currently in production, the drama explores a sibling relationship as they work to overcome a shared history of guilt and shame. The jury noted: “We are very happy to support this great, fresh voice from the North. The context of the story is very impactful, and you can really see it come alive on the big screens around the world.”

Finally, Finnish Film Affair’s Best Documentary Project Award went to Nasrin’s Voice, directed by Kaisa Rastimo and produced by Ella Ruohonen for Image Club, which is currently in production and with many details still confidential due to the subject matter. The documentary follows the touching narrative of a young woman who no longer agrees to remain silent. The jury, which consisted of Kevin Chan, head of acquisitions at MUBI; Will Tizard, CEE correspondent of Variety, and Elaine Wong, content partnerships manager at Viveport, HTC VIVE, underlined: “The cause is very important and there’s an urgency to the untold story. This female-led documentary draws your attention and will resonate with international audiences.”

Here are the awards at the 10^th Finnish Film Affair:

Best Fiction Project Award
Bubble - Aleksi Salmenperä (Finland)
Producer: Minna Haapkylä (RABBIT FILMS)

Best Nordic Project Award
The Great Silence - Katrine Brocks (Denmark)
Producer: Pernille Tornøe (Monolit Film)

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