Tove named Best Film at the Jussi Awards 2021

Tove, a biopic about the Finnish artist and author Tove Jansson, won seven Jussi awards last night, including awards for directing (Zaida Bergroth), female lead (Alma Pöysti) and cinematography (Linda Wassberg).

Games People Play and Aalto both won two Jussi awards. Any Day Now received the award for male lead (Shahab Hosseini) as well as the 20,000-euro Nordisk Film Award which is given to a film that uplifts Finnish film culture.

The documentary award went to Lady Time and short film award to The Bouncer. Ladies of Steel and Lost Boys both received one Jussi award each. The audience award was given to One Half of Me.

The lifetime achievement award Betoni-Jussi was handed to filmmaker Pirjo Honkasalo. She is known both for her internationally awarded documentary films (3 Rooms of Melancholia, Mysterion) as well as fiction (Concrete Night, Fire-Eater). Honkasalo was also one of the first female cinematographers in Finland.

The awards gala, typically organized in March, took place on Wednesday, September 15, 2021, in Helsinki. It was broadcast nationally on MTV3. The Finnish national film award Jussi was founded in 1944. The nominees are selected by a committee of film professionals and the members of Filmiaura vote for the winners. Finnish Film Foundation supports the Jussi Awards.

BEST FILM
Tove – producers Aleksi Bardy, Andrea Reuter, Helsinki-filmi

DIRECTOR
Zaida Bergroth – Tove

FEMALE LEAD
Alma Pöysti – Tove

MALE LEAD
Shahab Hosseini – Any Day Now

FEMALE SUPPORTING ACTOR
Saara Pakkasvirta – Ladies of Steel

MALE SUPPORTING ACTOR
Samuli Niittymäki – Games People Play

SCRIPT
Jenni Toivoniemi – Games People Play

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Linda Wassberg – Tove

MUSIC
Sanna Salmenkallio – Aalto

SOUND DESIGN
Arttu Hokkanen – Lost Boys

EDITING
Jussi Rautaniemi – Aalto

SET DESIGN
Catharina Nyqvist Ehrnrooth – Tove

COSTUME DESIGN
Eugen Tamberg – Tove

MAKE-UP DESIGN
Riikka Virtanen – Tove

BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM
Lady Time – director Elina Talvensaari, producers Emilia Haukka, Jussi Rantamäki

BEST SHORT FILM
The Bouncer – director Aleksi Salmenperä