Man and a Baby (Yösyöttö) by the established writer/director Marja Pyykkö (Black Widows, Hooked) was the third biggest local hit in Finland in 2017.

Based on a book by Eve Hietamies, the story centres on Antti Pasanen, a journalist whose life is turned upside down when his wife suddenly leaves him with their baby to take care of. The film won the Best Nordic Feature 2017 award at the Nordic International Film festival in New York.

The festival jury said: “Told with dark humour and a sense of melancholy, the story cleverly avoids all traps and clichés, and creates a world of love and pain.”

Released in January by Nordisk Film, Winning Ticket (Kaikki Oikein) has attracted 75,000 Finnish cinemagoers so far, making it the 5th top selling Finnish film of 2018 so far. The dramedy directed by Lenka Hellstedt is based on a book by Anna-Leena Härkönen. A couple wins a lottery ticket and tries to carry on with their lives as before. But the millions they have won starts to burn holes in their pockets and alter their relationship. 

Michael Werner will start negotiating these new titles at New Nordic Films in Haugesund this week. “These two films are quite commercial, with universal stories; with the growing demand for VOD titles, I believe both Man and a Baby and Winning Ticket will have a market, not only in their original version but also as remakes, a market that keeps expanding.”

Eyewell is also handling a third Solar Films production: Love & Fury starring Laura Birn and Lauri Tilkanen, the Finnish multi-awarded period drama The Eternal Road by Antti-Jussi Annila, and the 2013 film Miss Julie by Swedish director Mikael Berg, adapted from August Strindberg’s classic play. 

Upcoming titles include the Swedish action thriller Ragnarok by Fredrik Hiller, pre-sold to Japan, China, Thailand, Sweden and Poland.