Four Directors and Eight Actors Selected for the Söderlångvik Masterclass Led by Zaida Bergroth

Amos Anderson Fund and Helsinki International Film Festival – Love & Anarchy continue their collaboration by welcoming acclaimed Finnish director Zaida Bergroth as the lead of the sixth Söderlångvik Masterclass. Taking place 17–20 September 2026 at Söderlångvik manor on Kimito Island, the masterclass brings together twelve Nordic filmmakers for an intensive residency focused on the creative collaboration between directors and actors.

One of the fundamental principles of the Söderlångvik Masterclass, and a core focus of Helsinki International Film Festival’s industry initiatives, is to foster collaboration among Nordic film professionals. For its sixth edition, the masterclass received 140 applications from across the Nordic countries. Four directors and eight actors from Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland were selected to participate. 

Selected participants for the masterclass are:

Directors

André Chocron, Norway
Yasmin Najjar, Finland
Hilke Rönnfeldt, Denmark
Julia Thelin, Sweden

Actors

Sólveig Guðmundsdóttir, Iceland
Amalia Holm, Sweden
Pelle Heikkilä, Finland
Samuel Kujala, Finland
Oksana Lommi, Finland
Mitra Matouf, Finland
Kardo Razzazi, Sweden
Elias Salonen, Finland

The sixth Söderlångvik Masterclass will conclude with a special public event as part of Helsinki International Film Festival – Love & Anarchy. On Sunday, 20 September at 16:00 at Bio Rex Lasipalatsi, the festival will present a screening of Bergroth’s Miami. First presented to international audiences at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2017, Miami returns to the big screen at Love & Anarchy, offering audiences a rare opportunity to revisit Bergroth’s acclaimed film.

Miami stars Krista Kosonen and Sonja Kuittinen as two sisters reunited after growing up apart from each other. Angela (Kosonen) is a charismatic show dancer whose life appears to glitter beneath the lights of nightclubs, while her 19-year-old younger sister Anna (Kuittinen) is still searching for her place in the world. Drawn to Angela’s glamour and magnetic personality, Anna joins her sister on tour, entering a world of neon-lit clubs and late-night stages. But behind Angela’s dazzling exterior are serious troubles, and as her past begins to catch up with her, the sisters’ journey turns into an escape in which they need each other more than ever. Kosonen received the Jussi Award for Best Actress in 2018 for her performance in Miami. 

Following the screening, director Zaida Bergroth and lead actor Krista Kosonen will take to the stage for an in-depth conversation about their successful collaborations, offering audiences an insight into their shared creative process and the relationship between director and actor. The conversation will be moderated by film journalist Marta Balaga.

Tickets for the event will be released on 4 September and can be purchased at hiff.fi

The Söderlångvik Masterclass is a collaboration between the Amos Anderson Fund and Helsinki International Film Festival – Love & Anarchy. Launched in 2024, this autumn’s event marks the sixth edition of the masterclass. Previous masterclass leads include directors Tarik Saleh and Magnus von Horn, as well as actors Alma Pöysti and Trine Dyrholm.