3 million euros of production support to 13 projects
In the final decision meeting of the year, the Finnish Film Foundation’s board gave production support to four feature films, eight documentary films and series and one short film.
Image: Burnt Earth / Yellow Film & TV
Ilja Rautsi
Production company Bufo is producing Red Snow (working title) by Ilja Rautsi. The film will be Rautsi’s feature debut as a director. Rautsi is best known as the scriptwriter of Hatching, the 2022 breakthrough horror film by Hanna Bergholm. Rautsi’s short horror comedies Helsinki Mansplaining Massacre (2018) and Night of the Living Dicks (2021) have been festival hits. Bufo is the co-production company of films such as Fallen Leaves (Aki Kaurismäki, 2023) and Cairo Conspiracy (Tarik Saleh, 2022).
NB: The support sums below include development and production support
Feature Films
The Kidnapping of a President (Kyyditys)
Director: Samuli Valkama
Scriptwriters: John Lundsten, Samuli Valkama
Producers: John Lundsten, Melli Maikkula
Production company: TACK Films
Support sum: 850,000 euros
The Kidnapping of a President is a satirical black comedy based on a true story, about the kidnapping of the first president of Finland.
Red Snow (Punaista lunta)
Director & scriptwriter: Ilja Rautsi
Producers: Misha Jaari, Mark Lwoff
Production company: Bufo
Support sum: 951,000 euros
The Seal Mother
minority co-production PO-NO-FI
Director: Agnieszka Trzos
Scriptwriters: Agnieszka Trzos, Anna Janyska
Producers: Agnieszka Trzos, Merja Ritola
Finnish co-production company: Greenlit Productions
Production company: Mamma Pictures (Poland)
Support sum: 140,000 euros
Kaya is a seal trainer at a seal centre on the Baltic coast. Keeping it secret from the others, she decides to become a single mother through an IVF procedure with the sperm from an anonymous donor. She overcomes financial and ethical concerns, yet it turns out that it is too late – she is barren. Kaya faces a dilemma: should she adopt an egg cell of another woman?
Suon tarina
Director & scriptwriter: Marko Röhr
Producers: Hanna Kauppi, Marko Röhr
Production company: MRP Matila Röhr Productions
Support sum: 320,000 euros
Documentaries
Amongst the Birds
minority co-production IS-FI
Directors: Mika Kaurismäki, Ragnar Axelsson, Gunnar Örn Arnorsson
Scriptwriters: Gunnar Örn Arnorsson, Ragnar Axelsson, Ingvar Thordarsson
Producers: Ingvar Thordarsson, Jukka Helle
Finnish co-production company: Solar Films
Production company: Neutrinos Productions (Iceland)
Support sum: 40,000 euros
Ólafur Aðalsteinsson and Jóhanna Óladóttir, a husband and wife duo, embody a rare connection to nature. Ólafur, widely regarded as one of the world’s premier ornithologists despite lacking formal accreditation, finds solace and purpose in his avian companions within the remote confines of Loðmundarfjörður, Iceland. A mythical fjord that’s not been inhabited by humans since the sixties. Ólafur and Jóhanna have dedicated their lives to the welfare of the eider birds.
Burnt Earth (Maastopalo)
Director & scriptwriter: John Webster
Producer: Marko Talli
Production company: Yellow Film & TV
Support sum: 153,000 euros
Burnt Earth is a story about a group of firefighters from Finland – 49 men and 1 woman – who train to become the newest and most northern unit in a pan-European emergency response organisation. To learn how to fight large fires now and in future, the Finns travel to Portugal to learn from the best: from the veteran Portuguese firefighters already fighting on the frontlines of our rapidly warming world.
But I’m No Influencer
Director: Jussi Sandhu
Scriptwriters: Jussi Sandhu, Hanna Kaihlanen
Producer: Pasi Hakkio
Production company: Wacky Tie Films
Support sum: 137,000 euros
In March 2022, the world’s first-ever higher education program for social media was launched in Tampere. But I’m No Influencer explores the questions of education export and social media through the eyes of a Filipino immigrant, Mark. What should we all really learn about Influencing?
Cyclovia
minority co-production UK-DK-SE-FI-CO
Director & scriptwriter: Finlay Pretsell
Producers: Sonja Henrici, Kaarle Aho
Finnish co-production company: Making Movies
Production company: Parcel of Rogues (United Kingdom)
Support sum: 40,000 euros
Cyclovia is a universal cinematic story about freedom, life and love set in Colombia. The bicycle is embedded deep within Colombia’s culture. A vivid multi-textured picture of not only why Colombia produces the best cyclists in the world but how the bike is a vital component for living.
In Full Agreement (Äitini Venäjä)
Director & scriptwriter: Panu Suuronen
Producer: Susanna Lasarov
Production company: Mediawan Finland
Support sum: 153,000 euros
Kuolemattomuusprojekti
series
Director & scriptwriter: Krista Hannula
Producer: Pete Eklund
Production company: Kaiho Republic
Support sum: 135,000 euros
A documentary series about a young man who decided to become Finland’s most popular pop star.
Rooms (Huoneet)
Director & scriptwriter: Antti Lempiäinen
Producer: Eliel Kilkki
Production company: Superreel Productions
Support sum: 38,000 euros
Soap Fever (Kaunarikuume)
Director & scriptwriter: Inka Achté
Producers: Liisa Karpo, Marianne Mäkelä
Production company: napafilms
Support sum: 155,000 euros
The director returns to live in Finland and begins to explore how in her childhood in the 1990s the recession caused the country to go berserk from the start of the soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. Reality and fantasy became mixed when a Los Angeles fashion house with all its interpersonal trials and tribulations suddenly intruded into their everyday lives. The director felt left out back then and ended up abroad. Only now, on her return, she understands the subtlety and importance of the past phenomena around The Bold and the Beautiful.
Short Films
Pieni joulutarina
Director: Maarit Lalli
Scriptwriters: Maarit Lalli, Lassi Vierikko
Producer: Maarit Lalli
Production company: Huh huh -filmi
Support sum: 160,000 euros