Current CEO of the Scandinavian sales company The Yellow Affair will join the production company Anagram Sweden in May as its new Managing Director.

Paasilinna will replace the current Anagram Sweden MD Magdalena Jangard, and will continue as The Yellow Affair's CEO until her successor is appointed, at which time Paasilinna will then become Chairman of the sales company.

Anagram Sweden is part of the Scandinavian independent group Anagram Production, together with sister companies Anagram Live and Anagram Norway.

Paasilinna is already familiar with the company's team and content, as Anagram is co-shareholder of The Yellow Affair, together with Helsinki filmi, Marianna Films and Visiorex. The sales executive said: “Anagram is known for its high productions and I look forward to developing both TV series and films together with the company’s talented team of producers and writers. Anagram has an integral place in the Nordic film and TV industry as an independent entity, and my goal is to intensify the company’s international presence.” 


Anagram Production’s CEO Mats Alders added: "We are very happy that we have been able to attract Miira Paasilinna as our new MD of Anagram Sweden. Her broad and long experience of working in Sweden and abroad is in line with our international ambitions.” 

“There is a big international demand for Scandinavian content, so we do our best to nurture that demand,” said in-house producer Martin Persson.
Anagram Sweden has a dozen films and TV dramas in its pipeline.

Projects in production include:

  • The spy thriller series West of Liberty (6X45’), co-produced with Germany’s Network Movie for SVT and ZDF, set to be delivered end of 2018/early 2019. ITV Studios handles global distribution. 
  • The family film Halvdan-Almost a Viking by Gustav Åkerblom, inspired by Martin Widmark’s book. SF Studios will release it end of 2018 and handles world sales. 

Other upcoming projects include:

  • Summer of 68 (3x60’), produced for SVT. The comedy drama is directed by Kristina Humle (Real Humans, Before We Die), co-written by Humle with Gynekologen i Askim’s Maria Thulin and Martina Bigert. Producer Martin Persson said: “It’s a drama comedy about women’s lib and political upheaval in 1968, seen through three women friends who learn how to take control of their destinies.” Filming is set to start in June, with a delivery set for end of 2018/early 2019. 
  • The Machinery, TV series in development for MTG Studios. The thriller is created/co-written by Håkan Lindhé (30 Degrees in February), with co-writers Peter Arrhenius (Welcome to Sweden), Peter Lindmark (The Lawyer) and Jimmy Lindgren (The Lawyer). The director is Richard Holm (Gåsmamman, Johan Falk). Olle Granath is an ordinary guy-until one day, he wakes up on a ferry between Sweden and Norway with a bag full of money, a gun, and no memory of how he got there.
    The project was pitched at Canneseries/MIPTV 2018’ In Development. 
  • the film My Life as a Comedian, to be directed by Rojda Sekersöz (Beyond Dreams). The comedy drama is written by Jonas Gardell based on his own best-selling novel ‘Growing Up as a Comedian’. It’s a coming of age story about how far you are ready to go to try to fit in. Producer Martin Persson says the film is set in two time periods with the bulk of the story taking place when the main character, the young boy Juha goes to school. Co-financiers include Film i Väst, SVT, SF Studios, the Swedish Film Institute. Cast and crew will be announced during the Cannes Film Festival.

THREE QUESTIONS TO MIIRA PAASILINNA:
What triggered your decision to move from international sales/co-financing to production?
MP: My background is actually in TV-production so I feel like I am going back to my roots and I feel excited that I can combine production together with the knowledge that I have gained in international sales and financing. I have been following Anagram’s development as a company and its productions closely during the past years and I feel like the company shares many of the visions I personally have. I have great respect for Anagram’s producers and the people that built the company. They have a lot of integrity, which is something that I value. I also always enjoy a new challenge and want to keep on learning.

Will The Yellow Affair continue under its current constellation of shareholders and expand its catalogue to TV dramas? 
MP: One of the core principals of The Yellow Affair has always been to work closely with producers keeping their best interest in mind. Anagram is one of the owners of The Yellow Affair together with Helsinki filmi, Marianna films and Visiorex and all the owners are committed to The Yellow Affair and not afraid of changes. The recruitment process for a new CEO has started and I will transition to the role of Chairman of the Board of the company.

The Yellow Affair is known for its arthouse feature films, but we have also sold documentaries and mini-series in the past, so yes, the company is open to all media formats. The most important selection factors are the story, high production quality and knowing what the market is looking for.

What is The Yellow Affair’s strategy to survive it today’s tougher market for indie middle films?
MP: During the 10 years I have been working in international sales, the industry has changed radically. I think that everyone in the value chain has to work closer together, developing an idea into a product and marketing it for the targeted market. The Yellow Affair is a boutique sales company and a competitive advantage has been the flexibility of the company. Already a few years ago the company stepped out of the traditional role of sales agent and has been involved in financing, executive production and packaging of films and TV-series in combination with international sales. I believe that this is the road the company will stay on.