Production support to 16 new films in June
Finnish Film Foundation’s board granted a total of 4,977,000 euros in production support in June.
Image: All the Light That Remains, a short documentary film by Moona Pennanen, received production support. The film is produced by Illume.
The supported projects include seven feature films, five documentary films and four short films. Two feature films, three feature documentaries and one short film are minority co-productions.
Alli Haapasalo
Alli Haapasalo, known for her festival hit and Sundance audience award winner Girl Picture (2022), will direct Amanda of the Night, a period drama about an unruly woman sent to a mental institution on the Seili island. The film is described as an empowering and epic adventure and love story.
Other supported feature films include new projects from Aleksi Salmenperä, Antti J. Jokinen, and Markus Lehmusruusu, as well as a debut feature from Lauri-Matti Parppei.
NB: The support sums include development and production support
Feature films
Amanda of the Night (Yön kantaja)
Director: Alli Haapasalo
Scriptwriter: Katja Kallio
Producer: Teea Hyytiä, Aleksi Bardy
Production company: Helsinki-filmi
Support sum: 900,000 €
Backstage (Takahuone)
Director & scriptwriter: Aleksi Salmenperä
Producer: Miia Haavisto
Production company: Tekele Productions
Support sum: 870,000 €
Sometimes it is too late to start over.
The Eternity Man
minority co-production UA-FI
Director: Ivan Nikolaichuk
Scriptwriters: Anatoliy Krym, Carlos De Los Rios, Ivan Nikolaichuk
Producers: Ilkka Matila, Iryna Asonova, Lev Karpov
Finnish co-production company: MRP Matila Röhr Productions
Production company: Niko Holding & Investment (Ukraine)
Support sum: 155,000 €
The Eternity Man is a spiritual drama set in 20th century Ukraine, following the life of Andriy Voron, known as the “Eternity Man”. It portrays his journey from childhood through old age, as he faces the horrors of war, societal changes, and his own inner struggles. His life is a testament to human resilience and the quest for harmony with nature and God. The film’s narrative, depicted through Andriy’s memories, explores themes of enlightenment, human spirit, and the enduring search for inner peace in the face of adversity.
Kalevala – The Story of Kullervo (Kalevala: Kullervon tarina)
Director: Antti J. Jokinen
Scriptwriters: Jorma Tommila, Antti J. Jokinen
Producers: Antti J. Jokinen, Johanna Enäsuo, Marko Röhr
Production companies: Finland Storm Inc., ReelMedia
Support sum: 1,022,700 €
A Light That Never Goes Out (Jossain on valo joka ei sammu)
Director & scriptwriter: Lauri-Matti Parppei
Producer: Ilona Tolmunen
Production company: Made
Support sum: 800,000 €
The Squirrel (Orava)
Director & scriptwriter: Markus Lehmusruusu
Producers: Misha Jaari, Mark Lwoff
Production company: Bufo
Support sum: 920,000 €
Rosa & Dara – Their Great Summer Adventure
minority co-production CZ-FI
Director: Martin Duda
Scriptwriter: Tomáš Končinský
Producers: John Lundsten, Vratislav Šlajer, Jakub Košťál
Finnish co-production company: TACK Films
Production company: Bionaut (Czechia)
Support sum: 100,000 €
Documentary films
All the Light That Remains (Kaikki jäljelle jäävä valo)
Director & scriptwriter: Moona Pennanen
Producer: Ida Karoskoski
Production company: Illume
Support sum: 47,300 €
All the Light That Remains introduces the old mining village and seasonal worker Oleksandr, who arrives in Finland from Ukraine and lives in an in-between state, waiting for the end of the war. All the Light That Remains tells a poetic story about the village of Mätäsvaara, located in North Karelia, near the eastern border. It is a former mining village whose history has been forgotten. Through Oleksandr, who arrives to work in the area, the history of the village and the question hovering over the future of the mine begin to open up.
Discontent
Director & scriptwriter: Chris Petit
Producers: Mika Taanila, Jussi Eerola
Production company: Testifilmi
Support sum: 111,500 €
Discontent is a montage of contemporary footage, archive and cinema history, creating an inquiry into the age of post-truth and how one young man’s illness became representative of the woes of the world and how he triumphed against adversity to produce his vision through singular paintings that are a result of his countless ‘trips’ into the other world.
In Cod We Trust
minority co-production NO-FI
Director & scriptwriter: Guro Saniola Bjerk
Producers: Benedikte Bredesen, Pasi Hakkio
Finnish co-production company: Wacky Tie Films
Production company: f(x) produksjoner (Norway)
Support sum: 45,000 €
In Cod We Trust is a meditation on home and belonging. The film portrays Båtsfjord, one of the northernmost fishing villages of the world. This self-contained world, wild fish-Klondike of the north, has gathered people from all over the world to live side by side. We dive into the village, making you feel like you are there, among the warmest people with the most outstanding humor. A mosaic of people as unpredictable as the weather and sea surrounding them.
Redlight to Limelight
minority co-production IN-FI
Director & scriptwriter: Bipuljit Basu
Producer: Nilotpal Majumd
Finnish co-production company: JW Documentaries
Production company: Touch Narrative (India)
Support sum: 25,000 €
The dream of telling their own stories brings sex workers and their children together to form a tiny self-taught film unit in a Kolkata brothel. The amateur but resilient film crew eventually scales the battle up to resist prostitution among girls and makes the brothel a better place to live.
The Smuggler
minority co-production SE-FI
Director & scriptwriter: Sylvelin Måkestad
Producers: Ina Holmqvist, Juha Löppönen
Finnish co-production company: Mouka Filmi
Production company: Ballad Film (Sweden)
Support sum: 41,000 €
Short films
Dollhouse Elephant
animated
Director & scriptwriter: Jenny Jokela
Producer: Jani Lehto
Production company: Böhle Studios
Support sum: 86,500 €
People living in the same building are governed by their private dreams and traumas. But small things in their behaviour have unexpected consequences for others in the building. Some of them will learn from this experience to change their ways for a happier life, while others are unable to learn.
Ederlezi
Director & scriptwriter: Carmen Baltzar
Producers: Danai Anagnostou, Maria Drandaki
Production company: Kenno Filmi
Support sum: 81,500 €
A pair of young Roma sisters sell toys at a tourist beach and interact with a colorful cast of sunbathers, unaware of impending danger.
In My Hand
minority co-production no-se-fi
Directors: Liselotte Wajstedt, Marja Helander
Scriptwriter: Liselotte Wajstedt
Producers: Linn Henriksen, Liselotte Wajstedt, Mete Sasioglu, Mauri Lähdesmäki
Finnish co-production company: Sons of Lumière
Production company: Paranord Film (Norway)
Support sum: 16,000 €
In My Hand is a documentary film, narrated through the eyes of Niillas Somby. He was one of the most prominent Sámi activists who protested against the Norwegian state during the Alta conflict.
At the Shadow of the World (Máilmmittkus)
Directors: Hans Pieski, Arttu Nieminen
Scriptwriters: Hans Pieski, Niillas Holmberg, Arttu Nieminen
Producers: Arttu Nieminen, Hans Pieski
Production company: R2 Productions
Support sum: 8,000 €
Surreal journey into the complex relationship between indigenous peoples and the unstoppable force of technological progress. The film depicts various stages of technological development and their impact on indigenous populations.