Games People Play in Göteborg’s Nordic Competition

Colombia in My Arms and Tyhphoon Mama were selected to Nordic Documentary Competition.

Eight feature films were selected to Göteborg Film Festival’s Nordic Competition. The Finnish candidate is Games People Play, written and directed by Jenni Toivoniemi. The drama comedy, about a group of old friends gathered together for a nostalgic birthday party, is Toivoniemi’s first feature as the sole director.

Toivoniemi is also one of the seven directors of Force of Habit, selected to Göteborg’s Focus: Feminism section. Both films were produced by Tuffi Films.

Two Finnish films are among the eight films in the Nordic Documentary Competition. Colombia in My Arms, by filmmakers Jussi Rastas and Jenni Kivistö, is set in Colombia. It deals with the difficult process of building a sustainable society after years of unrest. The film is produced by Filmimaa.

Typhoon Mama, produced by Illume, is Lou Strömberg’s first feature documentary. Its protagonist is Yolanda, Strömberg’s step mother who moved to Sweden from the Philippines. She still sends financial aid to her sons who stayed in her native land. The films deals with the difficult relationships of a family split in different continents.

Nordisk Film & TV Fond Prize is given for a drama series writer. One of the five series in the competition is The Paradise, written by Matti Laine and produced by MRP Matila Röhr Production. The Finnish broadcasting company Yle will air the series later this year.

Ladies of Steel, a comedy by Pamela Tola, will have its international premiere in the Nordic Light section. J-P Valkeapää’s Dogs Don’t Wear Pants, which premiered in the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes, is also screened in the Nordic Light.

Two Bodies on a Beach, a short film by Anna Paavilainen, was selected to the Focus: Feminism section. Last year, the film won an award for Best Director in Fantastic Fest, Austin, and this year it will also compete in Clermont-Ferrand’s Lab Competition.

Göteborg Film Festival takes place Jan 24 – Feb 3, 2020, in Sweden. See details: https://goteborgfilmfestival.se/