Last January the Finnish film industry had the pleasant surprise to receive €5m from the government as part of a €400m stimulus package to support its local economy. "We now have 1.25% of responsibility in getting the country out of recession," said Irina Krohn, jokingly. This extra grant from the government came on top of a 30% increase in the production budget (+€2.5m, to €18m in total) that was approved by the Finnish Parliament at the end of 2008, a victory for the local industry that had been lobbying the government for the past two years.
Krohn's priority for 2009 is to build on the current momentum for Finnish films, both nationally and internationally and to improve cooperation with European and Nordic partners. Domestic films had a 23% national market share in 2008. 2009 looks promising with already 400,000 admissions in only two months, and another seven films lined up until the end of the year.
As part of its plan to help Finnish films keep their local marketplace, the Foundation is helping producers widen their scope, and think more ‘internationally' from development stage, with special advisor and Head of International Affairs and Development Petri Kemppinen (see interview).
Helping Finnish films reach out and look outwards is one thing, but making sure other countries - especially from the Nordic region - embrace those films is another issue that Krohn intends to address. "Other Nordic countries seem to have archetypal ideas, almost prejudices about Finnish films. We have a new generation of directors, making great documentary and feature films. I wish other Nordic countries would distribute them better than they do" she lamented.
Krohn hopes the Finnish Foundation will increase its budget for Nordic cooperation, and sign more bilateral and multilateral agreements to improve long term relationships within the Nordic region.