Finnish films in Cannes 2023
Image: behind the scenes of Fallen Leaves / Malla Hukkanen, Sputnik
Welcome to the Scandinavian House!
The hub for Scandinavian Films is located very centrally, across the street from Palais des Festivals, on 11 Square Mérimée. Come and meet us there!
Book a meeting online
You can also set up an online meeting with our International team to discuss Finnish films and how we can help your festival find the films you need.
Attending Cannes 2023

Lasse Saarinen
Chief Executive Officer
+ 358 9 6220 3023

Jaana Puskala
Head of International Department
• managing international promotion
• project support for international promotion: feature films
+ 358 9 6220 3026

Jenni Domingo
Advisor / International Promotion and Cultural Export of Feature Films
• festival distribution strategy for feature films
• travel support and material support for international promotion: feature films
+ 358 9 6220 3032


Otto Suuronen
Advisor / International Promotion and Cultural Export of Short Films
• festival distribution strategy for short films and short documentary films
• project, travel and material support for international promotion: short films and short documentary films
• monthly short film screenings at Kino K13
• curating short film programmes
+ 358 9 6220 3019

Matti Paunio
Head of Production
• management of the production department
• coordinating the Foundation’s international training and co-production projects
• the Finnish representative in the Eurimages Fund
• support for the promotion of other film culture
+358 9 6220 3038

Kirsi Hatara
Film Commissioner
• development support and production support for feature films
• minority co-productions
• development support for drama series (episodes 22 minutes and over)
• slate development support
•50/50 production support
+358 9 6220 3029

Ilkka Mertsola
Film Commissioner
• development support and production support: feature films
• development support for drama series (episodes 22 minutes and over)
• slate development support
•50/50 production support
+358 9 6220 3012

Iris Olsson
Film Commissioner
• scriptwriting grant: documentary films and series
• development support: documentary films and series, short films, animated and drama series (episodes under 22 minutes)
• production support: documentary films and series, short films, animated series
+ 358 9 6220 3022

Reetta Hautamäki
Head of Communications
• management of the communications and research department
+ 358 9 6220 3044
In official competition
Fallen Leaves
Original title: Kuolleet lehdet
Written and directed by Aki Kaurismäki
Produced by Sputnik & Bufo
International sales: The Match Factory
The film tells the story of Ansa, a supermarket shelf-stocker on a zero-hour contract, later a recyclable plastic sorter, and Holappa, a sandblaster, an alcoholic, later an ex-alcoholic, whose paths have accidentally crossed and who, despite adversity and misunderstandings, try to build some kind of relationship on the harsher side of the welfare state.
Screening times
Monday May 22, at 16:45 in Lumière
Tuesday May 23, at 9:00 in Le Cineum Imax
Tuesday May 23, at 12:00 in Lumière
Tuesday May 23, at 17:00 in Salle Agnès Varda
Wednesday May 24, at 9:00 in Le Cineum Aurore
Thursday May 25, at 11:30 in Le Cineum Aurore
Press screenings:
Monday May 22, at 11:00 in Bazin (embargo)
Monday May 22, at 17:15 in Bazin
Producers on the Move
Emilia Haukka
Emilia co-owns Aamu Film Company with Jussi Rantamäki and was one of the producers of Juho Kuosmanen’s Cannes 2021 competition title Compartment No. 6 as well as Mikko Myllylahti’s The Woodcutter’s Story in the Cannes Critics’ Week line-up in 2022 and Tia Kouvo’s Family Time screening at the Berlinale’s Encounters in 2023. She is now working with new filmmaking talents Aino Suni, August Joensalo and Jojo Erholtz on the development of their projects.
Cannes Docs: Docs-in-Progress Scandinavia Showcase
May 20, 2023
Once Upon a Time in a Forest (working title)
By Virpi Suutari
Production company: Euphoria Film
Once Upon a Time in a Forest is a film about brave young people who are defending one of the last coniferous forest areas in Europe. It’s a love story of a younger generation whose main object of love is the Finnish forest.