The 6th Helsinki film mini-market closed yesterday in an upbeat mood as industry attendees praised the wide variety of quality projects pitched and good networking opportunities.

After a smashing opening with Jukka Kärkkäinen and J-P Passi’s documentary Punk Voyage attended by the four members of the punk group Pertti Kurikan nimipäivät, Finnish Film Affair’s main attraction, the pitch day closed on Wednesday with the popular Pitch awards ceremony, dinner and sauna.

Selma Vilhunen’s Stupid Young Heart was handed out the €3,000 award from a jury comprising Jenny Cooney, member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Zsuzsi Bankuti of The Match Factory and Marge Liiske of Baltic Event/Tallin Film Festival. The jury said in its statement: “We felt the coming of age story stood out on many levels. The subject matter felt edgy and relevant and focuses on exploring all sides of the dilemma of making right choices in this complex contemporary world, personally and morally. Even though it’s in the early stages of filming, the footage looked great and the presentation and talent behind the project made us confident the film could reach international attention and would benefit from this prize."

Currently filming in Helsinki, Vilhunen’s second coming of age drama after her acclaimed Little Wing (Nordic Council Film Prize nominee) was pitched by Tuffi Films’ producers Venla Hellstedt and Elli Toivoniemi.

Other works in progress that caught industry delegates’ attention were Heikki Kujanpää’s Laugh or Die (picked up by Media Luna), Reetta Huhtanen’s documentary The Mercurius of Molenbeek (Cat & Docs sales), Simo Halinen’s East of Sweden (Yellow Affair) and The Violin Player by Paavo Westerberg, previously pitched in Haugesund.

Projects in post-production that impressed for their strong production value were the sci-fi action adventure Iron Sky:The Coming Race and psychological thriller The Guardian Angel, starring Pilou Asbæk, first recipient of the Nordic Flair Prize.

Among the most buzzed about titles in development pitched in Helsinki were Klaus Härö’s Dark Christ produced by Making Movies, Anna-Karin Grönroos’ documentary Conductivity produced by Tuffi Films, Kaisa el Ramly’s Scenes from a Dying Town produced by Zodiak Finland, Mari Mantela’s sci-fi/western Theia produced by MADE, and Teemu Nikki’s Nimby produced by It’s Alive Films.

Sacha Wieser, CEO of Eastwest Film Distribution and sales agent of the work in progress Pony and Pigeonboy, said he was impressed by the pitches and overall ‘dramatic improvement’ in Finnish film compared to 5-7 years ago.

Michael da Silva, Director of Acquisitions at Toronto-based The Annex Entertainment who handles the Finnish kids movies Jill & Joy 2 & 3, concurred with Wieser: “Finnish film has a high production value and a wide range of auteur films with international potential.”

Indie Sales’ Acquisition and Sales executive Simon Gabriele who was attending Finnish Film Affair for the first time said: “It’s a great market, very tightly run and practical. There was a good array of projects and a handful of quality arthouse films.”

Another first-time attendee Johanna Mayer-Lhomme, Head of Acquisitions at French distribution company Pretty Pictures, said she enjoyed meeting top industry people in a relaxed atmosphere and started discussing 2-3 Finnish titles in development. Pretty Pictures will soon release in French cinemas the Swedish film Borg vs McEnroe.

The Finnish Film Affair is the sidebar industry event to the 30th Helsinki International Film Festival that closes on Sunday.

Here is the full detail of the works in progress pitched in Helsinki:

  • East of Sweden Produced by Kaiho Republic in co-production with Zentropa International (SE) Sales: Yellow Affair. The accidental death of a young man ties three destinies together, those of two men and a woman in their 30s. “It’s a drama about human relations in a survival situation”, said director Simo Halinen (Open Up to Me). “I wanted to write an arcane story that could have been set in the Wild West but instead takes place in modern Europe. The topic is timely but it’s not politically-correct; the story is complex with a series of fatal twists.” East of Sweden will premiere in March 2018. 
  • Entrepreneur Documentary produced by Oktober Film  The latest film by Virpi Suutari (Garden Lovers) is about the everyday heroes and small entrepreneurs in today’s society. It depicts with warmth and humour people’s ability to survive.
  • The Guardian Angel Produced by Art Films, in co-production with Smile Entertainment (DK) and MP Film production (HR) Sales: AMBI Media Group. The psychological thriller is based on the true story of a man who used hypnosis to turn another man into a robber and murderer in post-war Copenhagen. “At a time when Europe suffers from terrorism, populism, and many people are manipulated, I want to encourage individual thinking,” said the director. The film is set to premiere in March 2018. Scanbox holds Scandinavian rights. 
  • Iron Sky: The Coming Race Produced by Iron Sky Universe in co-production with 27 films (DE) and Potemkino (BE) Sales: Myriad Pictures. Timo Vuorensola’s sequel to his 2012 sci-fi comedy Iron Sky is both an entertaining sci-fi action/adventure and a socio-political satire. The $20m film will be released next year. 
  • Laugh or Die Produced by Inland Film Company in co-production with Ljudbang (SE). Sales: Media Luna. The drama by Heikki Kujanpää (Falling Angels) is based on a true story that took place a century ago. A group of actors sentenced to death were asked by the commander to entertain German troops and make them laugh, otherwise they would all be shot. “The film will be hilarious but cruel. It’s a cross between One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Life is Beautiful”, said the director. Nordisk Film will release it in 2018. 
  • The Mercurius of Molenbeek Documentary film by Reetta Huhtanen, produced byZone2 Pictures in co-production with Clin d’oeil (BE) and Tondowski Films (DE). Sales: Cat & Docs. The film’s central character- 6 year-old Aatos - who lives in Brussel’s district of Molenbeek, discusses existential questions with his best friends, the Muslim boy Amine and atheist girl Flo. “I play with prejudice and break it with humour,” said Huhtanen. “My film is not about terrorism but how it affects children and their environment.” The film will be delivered later this year.
  • Moomins and the Winter Wonderland Produced by Filmkompaniet in co-production with Animoon (Poland). Sales: Global Genesis Group. The animated film brings back the world beloved stories of the Moomins created by author and illustrator Tove Jansson. Here Moomintroll won’t hibernate: he wants to explore the winter and gets Christmas on a visit. The voice cast includes Stellan Skarsgård, exec producer on the film and a Moomin fan who used to read the bedtime stories to his sons. Also cast are Bill Skarsgård and Alicia Vikander. The film will be released in the Nordics before Christmas. A sequel will start production in 2018 for a 2020 release.
  • Pony & Pigeon Boy Produced by Pohjola-Filmi in co-production with Cinenord (NO) Sales: Eastwest Film Distribution. The family film is based on Veera Salmi’s popular children’s book featuring the seven-year old Pony who doesn’t want to go to school and meets an imaginary friend. The film will be released in May 2018.
  • Stupid Young Heart Produced by Tuffi Films in co-production with Hob Film (SE) and Windmill Films (NL). The film is an edgy and warm drama about suburban teenagers, who unexpectedly are faced with adult problems of pregnancy, while extreme right wing ideas enter their multicultural neighbourhood.  Vilhunen was filming during Finnish Film Affair but said in a statement: “It’s at same time a sensitive and funny description of young people in this world that is at a turning point, with adults more or less lost and afraid. The script looks at weakness in people and hatred from the eye level, aspiring to see beyond prejudice. Stupid Young Heart is fiction, but the nucleus is in the reality in which we live.” The film will be released in October 2018. 
  • The Violin Player Feature debut for established scriptwriter Paavo Westerberg (Frozen Land). Produced by Mjölk Movies. The triangle love story and drama set in the classical music world stars Kim Bodnia, Matleena Kuusniemi and Olavi Uusivirta. SF Studios will release it domestically in January 2018.