Risto Jarva Award to two films by Jukka Kärkkäinen
The 10 000-euro award was given for the 48th time at the Tampere Film Festival.
Image: The Beauty of Errors / Mouka Filmi
Finnish Film Foundation grants the Risto Jarva Award in memory of filmmaker Risto Jarva (1934–1977). The aim of the award is to find new, fresh ideas in Finnish film, and it is given to a work selected to the National Competition at the Tampere Film Festival.
This year, the Risto Jarva Award goes to Jukka Kärkkäinen for his short documentary film The Beauty of Automobiles and for his feature documentary film The Beauty of Errors.
The jury writes:
Jukka Kärkkäinen / photo by Laura Jetten, Tampere Film Festival
“We would like to thank all the filmmakers included in the 2026 National Competition. We were delighted by the high quality of the films, as this shows us that Finnish film is fine and well and its future is bright. Nature and different kinds of familial relations were recurring themes in the programme.
The Risto Jarva Award can be awarded to two different films and two different filmmakers. This year we felt it necessary to reward films that impressed us with their originality. One of these films is short, one of them is feature-length. These works crystallize these two different but equally important ways of filmmaking.
The short film we awarded is the exact right length and form. The piece encapsulates the beauty of an everyday moment in all its shades. The director invites the viewer – and themselves – in a world of their own with its main characters. In this film, deep affection is communicated by small gestures and acts. This is exactly what the best short films can achieve.
The feature-length film we chose also displays an excellent understanding of form. Humour and comedy are utilized to highlight the serious message of the film. The filmmaker has built an exceptional relationship with their subjects, which allows the audience to participate in private moments and situations, where you rarely see the camera. The director has very perceptively chosen scenes from everyday life to create a controlled and contained whole.”
The jury members were last year’s winner, filmmaker Veera Lamminpää, Finnish Film Foundation’s vice board member Satu Kyösola and Finnish Film Foundation’s CEO Lasse Saarinen.
See all awarded films of the Tampere Film Festival: