Three Weeks to Go: Explore the Full Finnish Film Affair 2025 Programme
The countdown is on! Just three weeks to go until Finnish Film Affair, and our full programme is now live. The 14th edition of FFA promises inspiring talks, fresh perspectives, and plenty of chances to connect.
This year’s French Focus, in collaboration with the Finnish Film Foundation, offers valuable insights into co-producing and financing with France—alongside great opportunities to meet French representatives throughout the event.
We kick things off on Wednesday, 24 September with Liisa Sauri (Creative Europe MEDIA Desk Finland), presenting the new AgoraEU proposal and key findings from the European Media Industry Outlook 2025 report.
The opening day also features a set of quality panels. In “Chasing the Red Carpet: Dismantling the Festival Strategy of Today”, Jim Kolmar (SXSW), Jaana Puskala (Finnish Film Foundation), and Magdalena Banasik (M-Appeal) will unpack the shifting rules of visibility, access, and festival strategy, moderated by Marta Balaga.
Meanwhile, “Beyond the Application: Navigating Europe’s Public Funds” with Liselott Forsman (Nordisk Film & TV Fond), Katre Kajamäe (Eurimages), Roxanne Tour (CNC, France), and Attica Dakhil (BFI Global Screen Fund) will give an honest look at major European public funds, new trends, and practical tips for getting noticed, all under the moderation of Petri Kemppinen.
This year, the opening film makes a comeback at FFA, shining the spotlight on a heartfelt new Finnish film. We’re screening Oskari Sipola’s latest romantic gem, The More Loving One, starring Pyry Kähkönen and Rita Behm as two aspiring musicians navigating love, their passion for music, and dreams of stardom. The film is an adaptation of Juha Itkonen’s 2005 novel of the same name.
On Thursday, 25 September, we will once again present a bold, daring, and refreshing line-up of 45 new projects from Finland, the Nordics, and beyond. Explore the full line-up of fiction, documentary, series and short projects here: hiffindustry.fi/projects
Wrapping up the event, Friday, 26 September highlights include discussions on fresh approaches to distribution and XYZ’s masterclass on navigating a transforming industry, along with a deep-dive case study on Tarik Saleh’s Eagles of the Republic.
Of course, FFA also takes networking to another level. Over three days, you’ll have countless chances to meet Finnish and international industry professionals—whether with a glass of bubbly at our receptions and industry afterparty, or over a cup of coffee during panel breaks.
This year, we take over Gilda cinema for the first time for the Wednesday and Friday programme, whilst the showcase on Thursday returns to the beautiful Bio Rex Lasipalatsi right next door.
Explore the full programme, secure your accreditation (if you haven’t already), and see you very soon in Helsinki!