The 15th Finnish Film Affair (23-25 September) has celebrated outstanding Finnish and Nordic projects at its annual awards ceremony, held following the Showcase Day on Thursday 24 September. This year’s showcase presented 38 projects across fiction, documentaries, series, the Nordic Selection and the newly launched Nordic Genre Lab. The awards recognised strong projects in fiction, documentary and genre, as well as granting industry opportunities for producers and filmmakers.

The Award for Best Fiction Project, accompanied by €3,000 from the Finnish Film Foundation, went to Halima, directed by Naima Mohamud and produced by Jani Pösö. The jury praised the director’s energetic and authentic voice that “translates into what promises to be a compelling lead performance. This is a 1990s-tinged snapshot of a Finland we haven’t seen on screen before, by a fresh Finnish voice.”

The Best Nordic Project Award, worth €3,000 and presented by the Amos Anderson Fund, went to 11 Hours by Emilie Beck, produced by Marte Hansen. The jury stated: “This pitch made us all immediately lean forward in our seats, as it uses the form of a ripped-from-the-headlines hostage thriller to illuminate a complex and layered social story. It’s a film we can’t wait to see more of.” The Fiction and Nordic Projects jury comprised producer and executive Jodi Hildebrand, Phoebe Hall (the BFI) and FEST festival director Fernando Vasquez.

In the documentary category, Darkness Counts by Anna Antsalo received the Best Documentary Project Award, worth €3,000 and supported by AVEK. The jury praised the filmmaker’s use of darkness as a visually captivating element as well as her connection to the film’s central character and his passion. The panel, comprising IDFA artistic director Isabel Arrate Fernandez, director Einari Paakkanen and documentary expert Filipp Kruusvall (Estonian Film Institute), highlighted the project’s ability to portray a world that is both unique and universal.

The Best Genre Project Award, presented as part of the new Nordic Genre Lab, went to Sauna Diplomacy by Teemu Niukkanen. The prize includes €2,500 worth of colour-grading services for the project’s international marketing, alongside €2,500 worth of production services, sponsored by Post Control Helsinki and Angel Films. The jury described the project as an original, fun and commercially viable concept, praising the team’s ability to communicate its vision clearly and convincingly. The Nordic Genre Lab jury comprised Goodfellas head of Acquisitions Noëmie Devide, producer Sydney Brumsfield (Searchlight) and screenwriter Espen Aukan.

This year’s ceremony also featured a new accolade presented in collaboration with the Marché du Film. The Producers Network Award went to Anniina Leppänen, of Helsinki Filmi, who pitched Babyface in the Fiction in Development category. The MIDPOINT Consulting Award was expanded this year to cover both fiction-in-development and series projects. The MIDPOINT Feature Consulting Award went to Big Deal by Hedda Mjøen, while the MIDPOINT Series Consulting Award was presented to Body in the Closet by Elin Grönblom.

The Connecting Cottbus Producers Exchange was awarded to Anita Hyppönen, who was selected to participate in cocoLAB, the East-West co-production market and networking platform dedicated to Eastern European cinema. Finally, the Göteborg Film Festival Award went to Linden Lane 6, pitched by producer Hyppönen (of It's Alive Films) and director Josefina Rautiainen. Presented in collaboration with the Göteborg Film Festival, the award grants full market accreditations for the 2027 edition of the festival.

Here is the list of award-winning projects and prize recipients at the 2026 Finnish Film Affair:

Best Fiction Project
Halima – Naima Mohamud (Finland/Ireland)
Producers: Anita Hyppönen, Jani Pösö (It's Alive Films), Hannu Aukia (No-Office Films), Cormac Fox, Colmán Mac Cionnaith (Vico Films)

Best Nordic Project
11 Hours – Emilie Beck (Norway)
Producers: Marte Hansen (Fenomen Studios), Maha Film

Best Documentary Project
Darkness Counts – Anna Antsalo (Finland)
Producer: Venla Hellstedt (Elokuvayhtiö Viisi Oy)

Best Genre Project
Sauna Diplomacy – Teemu Niukkanen (Finland)
Producers: John Lundsten, Oskari Huttu (TACK Films)

Producers Network Award
Anniina Leppänen – Helsinki Filmi (Babyface)

MIDPOINT Feature Consulting Award
Big Deal – Hedda Mjøen (Norway/Finland/Estonia)
Producer: Oda Kruse (Kruela Film)

MIDPOINT Series Consulting Award
Body in the Closet – Elin Grönblom (Finland)
Producers: Mia Oikarinen, Miira Karhula, Suvi Salokoski (Warner Bros International Television Production Finland)

Connecting Cottbus Producers Exchange
Anita Hyppönen – It's Alive Films (Linden Lane 6)

Göteborg Film Festival Award
Linden Lane 6 – Josefina Rautiainen (Finland)
Producer: Anita Hyppönen (It's Alive Films)