Four new gender -neutral categories are being introduced by Filmiaura for this year’s Finnish film nominations, which received a record number of submissions.
Due to the distribution bottleneck caused by Covid, and the record number of Finnish films that premiered in 2022 (62 including co-productions), as many as 37 Finnish films and 15 docs were eligible for Jussi nomination, and Filmiaura, the association of Finnish film professionals overseeing the annual Jussis set their eyes on 14 films and three shorts.
The association which decided last year to introduce gender-neutral acting categories, has inaugurated four new categories for Leading Role, Supporting Role, Best Newcomer as well as the ‘Bright Spot on Screen’(“valkokankaan valopilkku”).
The Best Newcomer award can be given to an actor who hasn’t yet been nominated in an acting category and who hasn’t had more than two main roles in theatrical films. The bright spot award is given to an actor whose role or roles have made a special impact that particular year.
This year’s favourite for the Jussi race is Alli Haapasalo’s Girl Picture produced by Citizen Jane, which started a brilliant film year at Sundance 2022 where it scooped the Audience Award from the World Cinema Dramatic strand. The female empowering film is competing in eight categories including Best Film, Best Director and Best Script.
Other runners up for Best Film and Best Script, equally nominations in five categories, are the coming of age Bubble by Aleksi Salmenperä, produced by Rabbit Films, and the horror pic Hatching by newcomer Hanna Bergholm, produced by Silva Mysterium.
Veteran filmmaker Klaus Häro whose English language debut My Sailor-My Love was the third biggest Finnish domestic hit of 2022 (after The Grump: in Search of an Escort and Super Furball Saves the Future) collected nominations for Best Film, Best Director and Best Set Design. The romantic drama toplining James Cosmo and Bred Brennan was produced by Making Movies.
Heartbeasts, the psycho drama by debut director Aino Suni, allows singer/songwriter Elsi Sloan to nab a Best Newcomer nod for her striking role as 17-year-old Elina. The film gets a total of four nods including Best Film.
Director JP Valkeapää gets 5 nods for Hit Big, mostly for behind the scenes talent, as well as a Supporting Role distinction for Ilkka Heiskanen. The dark comedy set in the Finnish community of the Coast del Sol was produced by Komeetta.
This year’s candidates for Best Documentary are Ruthless Times, Songs of Care (Armotonta menoa – hoivatyön lauluja) by Susanna Helke, (Road Movies), Karaoke Paradise (Karaokeparatiisi) by Einari Paakkanen (Napafilms) and Shepherds of the Earth, Stories from the Cradle of Humankind (Luomakunnan vartijat) by Iiris Härmä, produced by Guerilla Films.
Nordisk Film & TV Fond is associated to 20 nominations in total - 5 each for Bubble, Hatching and Hit Big, 3 for My Sailor, My Love, and 2 for The Woodcutter Story by Mikko Myllylahti, running for Best Costume and Best Sound.
The Jussi awards ceremony will be held March 24, 2023 in Helsinki.
For the full list of Jussi nominations, CLICK HERE.
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