Close to 2.2 million euros of production support in June

First feature film by a Finnish black female director goes into production.

Image: Naima Mohamud on stage at New Nordic Films in Haugesund 2024. Photo by Grethe Nygaard.

Altogether 16 projects received production support in June. Six of the films are minority co-productions: two feature films and four documentary films.

It’s Alive Films received production support for Halima, a feature film for young audiences. Halima will be the feature debut for writer-director Naima Mohamud. Set in the 1990s in Finland, the film tells a story about a 10-year-old Somali girl who loves dancing, pop music and Leonardo DiCaprio. The themes include friendship, cultural identity and tolerance.

Halima won the Best Pitch Award at New Nordic Films in Haugesund last year. The production company It’s Alive Films is known for the films of Teemu Nikki, latest of which, 100 Liters of Gold, has been a runaway hit at the Finnish box office with over 220,000 admissions this year.

NB: The support sums below include development and production support

Feature films

Bloodsuckers
minority co-production SE-FI

Director: Elin Grönblom
Scriptwriters: Josefin Sonck, Elin Grönblom
Finnish co-production company: Good Hand Film & TV
Producers: Inka Hietala, Petri Kemppinen, Patrik Andersson, Jakob Abrahamsson
Production company: Mylla Films (Sweden)
Support sum: 150,000 euros

Johanna leaves with her husband Linus, teenager Tove and small Alfons for a well-deserved family vacation to a cabin in the woods. Despite the family promising her she can get some rest, there is no calm moment. During a visit to a nearby murder scene, mosquitoes begin to swarm her. Irritating at first, she eventually finds unexpected peace when allowing one to bite her. The experience awakens her selfish side, and with each bite, her desire to break free from the family grows. Nature’s influence makes her transform into a mother driven to extremes in pursuit of her desire.

Flight From Kabul
minority co-production SK-FI

Director & scriptwriter: Sahraa Karimi
Finnish co-production company: Lucy Loves Drama
Producers: Wanda Hryckova, Oskari Huttu
Production company: Wandal Production (Slovakia)
Support sum: 180,000 euros

Zibaa, a successful Afghan filmmaker and head of the National Film Fund, recently got engaged to Samir, the love of her life. Her end-of-summer wedding plans are horribly destroyed when Taliban un- expectedly seizes Kabul, and Zibaa finds herself facing a life-changing decision. As a famous anti-Taliban activist and a governmental employee, Zibaa’s life is at risk. While Samir suggests escaping to the conservative, male dominated south for safety, Zibaa’s sister-in-law begs her to leave the country and take her daughter with her. Caught between her love for Samir and her niece’s future, Zibaa has only one hour to make a decision.

Halima

Director & scriptwriter: Naima Mohamud
Producers: Anita Hyppönen, Jani Pösö, Hannu Aukia
Production company: It’s Alive Films
Support sum: 738,000 euros

Documentary films

About Horses Wives and Weapons
minority co-production BE-FI-FR

Director & scriptwriter: Volkan Üce
Finnish co-production company: Silmu Films
Producer: Magalie Dierick, Emmy Oost, Jenni Jauri, Valérie Montmartin
Production company: Timescapes (Belgium)
Support sum: 50,000 euros

With a dose of humour, director Volkan Üce explores a young man’s role in the modern society.

Eclipse (Auringonpimennys)

Directors & scriptwriters: Azar Saiyar, Juuso Paaso
Producer: Mika Taanila
Production company: Testifilmi
Support sum: 34,000 euros

The short film Eclipse looks at the bankruptcy of a small entrepreneur during the depression of the 1990s in Finland and the personal collapse that followed. It paints a picture of the euphoria of the upswing years, the middle-class dream, the longing for success and love, and growing up in the aftermath of the recession. The documentary film focuses on a forty-something entrepreneur and family man, Pekka Paaso, the father of one of the directors.

Good Girls
minority co-production SE-FI

Director & scriptwriter: Ania Winiarska
Finnish co-production company: Tekele Productions
Producers: Melissa Lindgren, Tobias Janson
Production company: Story (Sweden)
Support sum: 45,000

Good Girls is a coming-of-age story of young Polish girls living in a correctional center. The girls undergo a behavioral reprogramming so that they may become good girls. But what does it take? And is that even something they want? Told through the eyes of the girls, this documentary depicting the micro cosmos of the center, reflects the values and expectations on young women in today’s Poland.

Homesick
minority co-production DK-KR-FI

Director & scriptwriter: Tanja Inwol
Production company: Euphoria Film
Producer: Rikke Tambo, Virpi Suutari
Production company: Tambo Film (Denmark)
Support sum: 32,000 euros

Homesick delves into the lived experience of an adoptee from Korea, growing up in a dysfunctional Danish family. After the deaths of her adoptive parents, Tanja Inwol turns to the mediums of film, imagination and writing to reflect on memories and unveil the complexities of transnational adoption.

Kunnes ruoste meidät erottaa
series

Director: Ossi Piispanen
Scriptwriters: Ossi Piispanen, Emilia Hernesniemi
Producer: Oskari Huttu
Production company: Lucy Loves Drama
Support sum: 160,000 euros

The Pitcher
series

Director & scriptwriter: Lotta-Kaisa Riistakoski
Producer: Tiina-Mari Pitkänen
Production company: Rabbit Films
Support sum: 216,873 euros

Sense and Sensibility (Järki ja tunne)

Director & scriptwriter: Hanna Nordenswan
Producer: Hannu-Pekka Vitikainen
Production company: Zone2 Pictures
Support sum: 138,000 euros

As the seasons change in Malmi Cemetery, the story of letting go unfolds in Sense and Sensibility. In her recovery from alcoholism, daughter Christa has buried her feelings and grown into a symbiotic relationship with her mother, but as mother Carita approaches retirement, the security of shared work and leisure time is at breaking point. Will Christa dare to make room for her feelings and open up her sheltered life?

The Silence of the Lams
minority co-production IE-FR-FI

Director & scriptwriter: Ciaran Deeney
Finnish co-production company: Polygraf
Producers: Ciaran Deeney, Dave Clarke
Production company: EZ Films (Ireland)
Support sum: 55,000 euros

A curry-war has broken out in Ballyfermot, Ireland. A son has opened up a Chinese take-away right next door to his dad’s long standing operation. It’s big news and everyone is talking about it, but they’re not talking to each other.

Unmade in Japan

Directors & scriptwriters: Catarina Diehl, Tommi Seitajoki
Producer: Tommi Seitajoki
Production company: Impressio Films
Support sum: 90,000 euros

Unmade in Japan is an autobiographical film about divorce, trauma, and lack of communication. Catarina tries to repair her family’s broken relationships by making a film about her parents’ divorce, but instead she may only deepen the family’s wounds.

Short films

Beyond the Black Hole of the Sun

Director, scriptwriter & producer: Ilppo Pohjola
Production company: Kristallisilmä
Support sum: 150,000 euros

Call Me into the Darkness (Kutsu minut pimeyteen)

Director & scriptwriter: Niina Vuorisara
Producer: Hannu-Pekka Vitikainen
Production company: Zone2 Pictures
Support sum: 159,958 euros

A story about power, the human mind and sexual violence.

Don’t Ruin the Party by Talking about Death (Ei pilata juhlia puhumalla kuolemasta)

Director, scriptwriter & producer: Pia Andell
Production company: Of Course My Films
Support sum: 87,000 euros

A party at a new villa, with six old friends and one surprise guest, Nicke, Satu’s new boyfriend. The film depicts one day from afternoon to night. During the evening, it becomes clear that most of the friends are going through difficult times in their lives and have to hold back their emotions. What to reveal and what to leave unsaid so as not to spoil the atmosphere of the party? A multi-perspective realistic and somewhat satiric drama about the approach of death, real or imagined.

Red or Black (Punainen vai musta)
animated

Director & scriptwriter: Heta Okkonen
Producers: Mika Koskinen, Tomi Riionheimo
Production company: Indie Films
Support sum: 78,000 euros