Daniel Kuitunen, founder of Helsinki-based Komeetta, has been selected as this year’s Finnish participant in the European Film Promotion’s Producers on the Move initiative in Cannes. Over the past decade, he has built a strong track record for auteur-driven and genre-leaning international co-productions. His films have screened at major festivals including Sundance and Toronto, with credits such as Maria’s Paradise by Zaida Bergroth, and The Missile by Miia Tervo, which received a Finnish Film Academy Award nomination. His latest feature, Nightborn by Hanna Bergholm, premiered in competition at the Berlinale earlier this year. We spoke to him about evolving festival strategies, working with filmmakers across different career stages, the positioning of genre films, and his upcoming goals in Cannes.

Cineuropa: Your films have screened at major festivals like Sundance, Berlin and Toronto. How has your festival strategy evolved when launching films internationally?
Daniel Kuitunen: Over time, you learn from experience and from sales agents how to navigate the festival landscape and identify the right launch platform for each film. It’s about understanding which festival best serves a particular title, but also how to build momentum afterwards, ideally following an A-list premiere.

Through Komeetta, you’ve worked with both emerging and established directors. What do you look for when committing to a filmmaker?
I look for a distinctive and compelling voice. Directors who are keen to safeguard their vision. The process is often challenging, but ultimately rewarding, for the producer too.

Your recent film, Nightborn, premiered in the Berlinale competition. What does a premiere at that level change for a film, especially for a horror one, and for you as a producer?
A main competition premiere is clearly an elevated experience. You see it in the film’s level of visibility, from major trade coverage to increased interest from buyers and meaningful industry connections. For a genre film, that kind of platform also helps reposition it in a more ambitious, auteur-driven space.

Finnish cinema often maintains a strong local identity whilst also travelling well. How do you balance that specificity with international expectations?
It’s about merging a distinct Finnish DNA with an international framework. Bringing something unique and specific while remaining globally accessible. At the same time, the creative ambition behind the film has to meet international standards.

As one of European Film Promotion’s Producers on the Move, what are you hoping this experience will unlock for your upcoming projects?
I am hoping to build new friendships and collaborations with producers and countries that are beyond my usual “co-production bubble”. That could then lead to broader funding possibilities and new strategies for my projects. It’s very much about expanding the network and finding new creative and financial partners for the next stage of work.