Seven films receive production support in December
The Finnish Film Foundation’s Board granted over 1.2 million euros of production support to seven films in December. The projects include one feature fiction film, four documentary films and two short films. Two of the documentaries are minority co-productions.
Image: from the short film Kaineus, by August Joensalo, produced by Aamu Film Company
Miia Tervo’s third feature-length film You Crazy Thing is produced by Yellow Film & TV. The film was selected to Berlinale Co-Production Market last year, and it has also won the Film Finances Scandinavia Award at the Discovery Forum of the Nordic Film Market in Gothenburg.
Concept image from Odd Birds by Veera Lamminpää, produced by Rata Motion
Veera Lamminpää is directing Odd Birds, a musical short film combining animation and live-action. Lamminpää was selected to European Film Promotion’s Future Frames programme at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival with her graduation film Fish River Anthology, which also won the Finnish national Jussi Film Award for Best Short Film.
NB: The support sums below include development and production support
Feature films
You Crazy Thing (Hulluna sinua rakastan)
Director & scriptwriter: Miia Tervo
Producer: Marko Talli
Production company: Yellow Film & TV
Support sum: 900,000 euros
In this darkly comedic exploration of class divide and love, Aino, a broke-ass mental health nurse, finds her anti-capitalist worldview challenged when she meets Mikael, a wealthy investor committed to her ward.
Documentary Films
The Bus of Broken Hearts
minority co-production SE-FI
Directors: Björn Carlberg, Johan Palmgren
Scriptwriter: Kaveh Akaber
Finnish co-producer: Oona Saari for Illume
Production company: Vindelfilm (Sweden)
Support sum: 12,000 euros
In the world’s biggest ski race, Sweden’s legendary Vasaloppet, 16,000 skiers chase the dream of crossing the finish line in Mora — but many never make it. Instead, they end up on the infamous “Brytbuss”, the bus of broken dreams.
The Days I Will Forget
minority co-production SE-FI
Director & scriptwriter: Morgane Dziurla-Petit
Finnish co-producer: Merja Ritola for Greenlit Productions
Production company: GötaFilm (Sweden)
Support sum: 35,000 euros
A filmmaker creates a time loop to force her alcoholic father to change. But as he relives the same day, she realizes she might be the one stuck in a cycle she can’t escape.
The Game of Chaos
Director, scriptwriter & producer: Ari Matikainen
Production company: Kinocompany Finland
Support sum: 169,000 euros
This investigative documentary follows Finnish and Estonian experts working on the frontlines of hybrid warfare. It exposes how modern influence operations bypass systems to manipulate perception, erode trust, and reshape power. In this game, firewalls don’t stop the attacks — people do.
Picnic – In the Light Invisible to the Human Eye
Director, scriptwriter & producer: Jan Ijäs
Production company: Atalante
Support sum: 40,000 euros
The film follows the Gaza War and the siege of the Gaza Strip as seen from Israel. The locations of the film are Israeli war memorials from previous battles and military operations. They are also popular so-called picnic spots for Israelis, where families come to spend time together and watch the Gaza siege war while reminiscing about previous victorious battles. In Israel, the mass extermination of Palestinians is commonplace and accepted. The locations are located about two kilometers from the Gaza Wall.
Short Films
Kaineus
Director: August Joensalo
Scriptwriters: August Joensalo, Aarni Pieski
Producer: Emilia Haukka
Production company: Aamu Film Company
Support sum: 75,000 euros
Odd Birds (Outolinnut)
animated & live-action
Director & scriptwriter: Veera Lamminpää
Producers: Janne J. Vanhanen, Jenni Pulli
Production company: Rata Motion
Support sum: 75,000 euros