Short films 08 14.1.indd

F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S 2 0 0 8 

F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S 2 0 0 8

Contents 

=X 4 

Butterfly from Ural 6 

Curse of the Remote Island 8 

Eestaas (working title) 10 

Firewood 12 

Girls’ Night 14 

Glenn 16 

Harvest Time 18 

Hietsu (working title) 20 

Jungle of Dreams 22 

Keidas 24 

Lapua 26 

Least One Can Hope for, The 28 

Little Traveller 30 

Luonnotar 32 

Mate, A 34 

Mongolian Afternoon 36 

Monte Rosso 38 

Muybridge 40 

My Crazyness Is My Love – 

Impressions of Vaclav Nijisnky 42 

My Portrait 44 

Naughty John 46 

PrePost 48 

Where is Where? 50 

World of Light 52 

Yksinen 54 

Film Festivals in Finland 2008 56 

Contacts 57


Experimental sci-fi animation | 2008 | 

Digibeta | 16:9 | Stereo | 18’ 

Director, script, animation: Eila Hutri 

Cinematography: Lasse Naukkarinen 

Editing, sound design, music, 

visual effects: Dile Kolanen 

Graphics: Ilkka Rosma 

Producer: Lasse Naukkarinen 

Production company: 

Ilokuva, Naukkarinen & Co 

Production support: 

AVEK, The Finnish Film Foundation 

Financing TV company: YLE 

=X 

=X is a sci-fi film about recycling and a futuristic research centre 

It is the year 2038. The world came to an end of sorts in 2012. All political, economical, and 

social structures have collapsed due to a catastrophic natural disaster. Power has been redistributed 

in the cruellest way possible. 

There is a secret space research centre on a far-away upland area behind the Himalayas. It 

has now gained a surprising position that can benefit the whole of the remaining world. 

The difficult task of saving the remaining world falls on this re-arranged complex. Nuclear 

disasters, physical and psychological damage to people, and increasingly stranger natural phenomena 

are now commonplace challenges for the venerable institution. 

An experimental film, =X offers random glimpses of life at this institution. It tells a story 

about hope, conflicts, and disobedience. It portrays people whose tenacity and thirst for life help 

them heal in the midst of all the horrors. 

Eila Hutri 

Eila Hutri is one of the oldest and most experienced animators 

in Finland. She was the first director from a non-socialist 

country to produce a film at the animation department of 

Tallinnfilm in Estonia at the turn of the 1990s, Cod Liver Oil 

(Kalanmaksaöljyä, 1990). Hutri is also known for her experimental 

animated films, including the rock animation Man’s Life 

(Miehen elämää, 1987) and the jazz film Made in Burbot (Made in 

Made, 1988). Since the 1990s, Hutri has also made animations 

for various TV series, short films, and documentary films. 

4


Animation | 2008 | 

35mm | 1:1,85 | Stereo | 27’ 

Director, editing: Katariina Lillqvist 

Script: Katariina Lillqvist, 

Hannu Salama 

Cinematography: Miloslav Spala 

Sound design: Jouko Lumme 

Music: Alec Kopyt, trad. 

Set design: Matteus Marttila 

Puppets: Erja Mikkola, 

Marie Mastna, Ondrej Zika 

Animation: Alfons Mensdorf-Poyilly 

Producer: Jyrki Kaipainen 


Elokuvaosuuskunta 

Camera Cagliostro 


The Finnish Film Foundation 

Financing TV company: 

YLE TV1 Co-productions 

Butterfly from Ural 

[ U r a l i n p e r h o n e n ] 

On his expedition in Kirghizia, a mythical uhlan meets a beautiful young man. The master and 

servant make a lovely journey together until their ways part at the bonfires of the Finnish civil 

war. A drama triangle in which no one seems to come out a winner. 

Katariina Lillqvist 

Katariina Lillqvist is one of the most internationally wellknown 

Finnish animation film makers, though she has also 

made several documentaries. Her recent works include 

Thunderdrum (Ukkosrumpu, 2000) about archaic architecture 

in Finland and Romanytheater (Romaniteatteri, 2004) 

about Czech Romani refugees. 

Her animation series Mire Bala Kale Hin – Tales from the 

Endless Roads (Mire Bala Kale Hin – Tarinoita matkan takaa, 

2003) is based on Gypsy fairytales and myths. 

6


Animation | 2008 | 

BetaSP / Digibeta / DVD | 16:9 | 

Stereo / Dolby Digital 5.1 | 16’ 

Director, script: Chrzu 

Cinematography: Ville Muurinen 

Editing: Ykä Järvinen, Chrzu 

Sound design: Mikko Paju 

Music: Lauri Hannu, 

Vauhtihirmu & Chrzu 

Set design: Chrzu, Taru Anttila, 

Sara Wahl, Minja Tuomisalo 

Animation: Jan Andersson, 

Antti Laakso, Chrzu, Risto Jankkila, 

Samppa Kukkonen 

Cast: Chrzu, Vauhtihirmu 

Producer: Tomi Riionheimo 


Indie Films Oy 


The Finnish Film Foundation, AVEK, 

West Finland Film Commission, 

Svenska kulturfonden, 

Arts Academy at Turku University 

of Applied Sciences 

Financing TV companies: 

YLE TV1, FST5 

Curse of the Remote Island 

[ K a u k o s a a r e n k i r o u s ] 

A curse falls upon Sir Void who is hunting his runaway moustache in the jungles of the tropical 

isle. Sir Void switches the channel and travels through time with dire consequences. 

Chrzu 

Chrzu (Christer Lindström, born 1977) 

graduated from the Arts Academy 

of Turku Polytechnic in 2004. 

His films include Treevil (2002, with 

Aino Ovaskainen and Aiju Salminen), 

Silencer (2003), Cinemare (2004) 

and Velcra: Memory Loss (2005, 

music video). He has won several 

international awards. 

8


Experimental | 2008 | 

Digital betacam | 4:3 | 

Dolby stereo | 53’ 

Director, script, cinematography: 

Seppo Renvall 

Editing: Alli Savolainen 

Sound design: Aslak Christiansson 

Music: Samuli Majamäki 

Producer: Janina Kokkonen 


Ex Professo Arts and Management 



Financing TV company: YLE TV1 

Eestaas (working title) 

Eestaas (working title) is an expressive film portrait of the director’s mother, painter Pirkko Lantto, 

but it also portrays the director himself, or some other person. The film is like a poem that 

uses aspects of life to tell something that may reflect reality as it was experienced. 

Lantto’s painting style has been called expressive colourism. She does not overwork her paintings; 

there may be white areas left in the finished works. The choice of material in the film was 

influenced by the painting style and the stories of the director’s mother. As a little boy, the director 

was puzzled by her utterance: “I was supposed to become a surfer.” 

The basic idea of the film is to present the material first forward, then backwards. Presenting it 

backwards lends the film a surreal and escapist feel that reflects how memory, feelings, and recollections 

work. In the film, an elderly woman lives and experiences memories, dreams, and joys. 

Seppo Renvall 

Seppo Renvall (born 1963) works with 

photography, visual arts, and experimental 

film. He makes use of intuition, atmosphere, 

and the power of everyday experience. 

Renvall’s interest in film came from his 

father’s home movies, which have influenced 

the content and technical realisation of his 

films. Renvall’s films manage to be 

interesting without sex and violence. 

10


Fiction | 2007 | 

35mm / HDCam / Digibeta / 

DVCam / DVD | 16:9 Anamorphic | 

Dolby Stereo | 13’ 

Director, script: 

Miikka Leskinen 

Cinematography: 

Kate Reid 

Editing: 

Miikka Leskinen& Maya Maffioli 

Sound design: Ayush Ahuja 

Music: Chris White 

Cast: Amy Tweed, Ashley George, 

Lynsey Beauchamp, Simon McLinden 

Producer: Meike Holsten 

Production: 

National Film + Television School, UK 

Firewood 

The last days of summer. Sam meets up with her best friend Billy for a lazy afternoon in the sun 

and what begins as a perfectly innocent trip to their usual hangout soon changes its nature. 

Firewood is a story about friendship, of unspoken words, and the inevitability of change. It is 

a moment in time which in its brevity and seeming insignificance marks the end of an era, a step 

towards adulthood. 

Miikka Leskinen 

Originally from Finland, Mikka Leskinen moved to London in 

1999 for a BA media degree at Goldsmiths College, University 

of London. After graduating in 2002, he worked for BBC for a 

few years before starting his MA Editing degree at the National 

Film + Television School. During the degree he also took the 

opportunity to direct and as a result he completed the short 

film Firewood on graduation in March 2007. He now works as 

a freelance director and film editor based in London, and he is 

currently in pre-production with his next short film. 

12


Fiction | 2008 | 

Digibeta | 16:9 Anamorphic | 

Stereo | 28’ 

Director: Reetta Aalto 

Script: Kirsikka Saari 

Cinematography: Heikki Färm 

Editing: Helena Öst 

Sound design: Mika Niinimaa 

Set design: Sattva Hanna Toiviainen 

Costumes: Jenni Rousu 

Cast: Pirjo Lonka, Elina Knihtilä, 

Reena Immonen, Jaana Pöllänen 

Producers: 

Kaarle Aho, Kai Nordberg 


Making Movies Oy 



Financing TV company: YLE 1 

Girls’ Night 

[ T y t t ö j e n i l t a ] 

Saara, 39, and her daughter Inna, 14, are getting ready for a Friday night at a housing estate in 

Eastern Helsinki. 

While Saara is re-living her youth at a local bar, Inna is at home trying to be more grown-up 

than she really is. The mother and daughter are both forced to face a reality that inevitably contradicts 

their expectations. 

Reetta Aalto 

Reetta Aalto (born 1976) is a 

film-maker from Helsinki. She is 

studying for a Master’s Degree at the 

School of Motion Picture, Television 

and Production Design at the University 

of Art and Design Helsinki. 

Her previous films include Durochka 

(Durotshka, 2004) and To Live, to Exist 

(Elää, olla olemassa, 2007). 

14




Director: Tapio Piirainen 

Script: Peter Snickars, 

Tapio Piirainen 

Cinematography: Jan Nyman 

Editing: Kauko Lindfors 

Sound design: Bengt Andersson 

Music: Pedro Hietanen 

Set design: Markus Packalén 

Costumes: Markus Packalén, 

Fia Derhogkasian 

Cast: Niklas Häggblom, 

Anders Ekborg, Lia Boysen, 

Leif Andrée, Gustav Wiklund 

Producer: Mats Långbacka 


Långfilm Productions Finland Oy 

Co-producers: Film i Västernorrland, 

Film i Västerbotten 



Financing TV companies: FST, NRK, SVT 

International sales: NRK, SVT 

Glenn 

Glenn Nygård, a 40 year old tomato-planter, has been falling in love with the local bar-keeper, 

Laila, for the past five years. His cruel father has raised Glenn locked-up in the basement of his 

house. There Glenn has learned to master the guitar but not how to handle women. When Glenn’s 

father dies suddenly, he finds a stack of letters which were signed by his mother. His mother 

might still be living somewhere in Sweden. Glenn locks the house up and leaves. Glenn is not able 

to find his mother. Instead he stumbles across two individuals: a Swedish law-officer, Bengt, and 

his step-brother’s wife, Annette. Nobody finds himself on the top of Kilimanjaro or in a hasty attempt 

to seek silence in a monastery. But sometimes the course of our lives changes, slowly, like 

a ship turning unnoticeably. 

Tapio Piirainen 

Tapio Piirainen is a screenwriter, film director, and 

Master of Arts (1996, School of Motion Picture, 

Television and Production Design). His directorial 

works include Siivoton juttu (1997), Poliisin poika 

(1998), TV series Raid (12 episodes, 1999), the movie 

Raid (2002), Nyrölä 3 (2003), and Bodomin legenda 

(2006). Awards: Anjalankoski Film Award 2001, 

Venla 2001 (best director, screenplay, drama series), 

Venla 2007 (best TV movie), one-year artist grant in 

2002 from the National Council for Cinema. 

16



35mm | 1:1,85 | 15’ 

Director: 

Sami Korjus 

Script: 

Sami Korjus, Jussi Syrjä 

(based on a short story 

by Rosa Liksom) 

Cinematography: Jussi Syrjä 

Editing: Timo Linnasalo 

Sound design: Jouko Lumme 

Set design: Katarina Lume 

Costumes: Outi Harjupatana 

Cast: Kaija Pakarinen, 

Juuso Hirvikangas, Elias Rautiainen, 

Julius Leinonen, Antti Litja, 

Jukka Peltola 

Producer: Ilkka Mertsola 

Production company: Sputnik Oy 

Harvest Time 

[ E l o n k o r j u u ] 

Harvest Time is a laconic tragi-comedy about a summer day on a farm in Kainuu, in the middle of 

Finland. 

It is a gentle-toned short film based on a short story by Rosa Liksom. A wordless battle between 

a man and a woman in a traditional Finnish landscape, both physical and mental, where silence 

is golden. 

Sami Korjus 

Sami Korjus has studied film-making in Farnham, 

England, at the Surrey Institute of Art & Design 

(Film & TV production) in 2000–2001. 

18


Documentary | 2008 | 

35mm | 1:2,35 | Dolby Digital | ~20’ 

Director, script, editing: PV Lehtinen 

Cinematography: Matti Helariutta 

Sound design: Sakari Salli 

Music: Tapani Rinne, Verneri Lumi 

Producer: PV Lehtinen 

Production company: CineParadiso 


The Finnish Film Foundation, AVEK 


YLE Co-productions 

Hietsu (working title) 

A different view of life on the beach. The film is set on the popular beach that is situated under big 

power lines. On hot summer days, the beach is filled with hundreds of people who have come to 

enjoy the heat and the blazing sun. 

PV Lehtinen 

PV Lehtinen was born and lives in Helsinki. He graduated as a director from the School of 

Motion Picture, Television and Production Design at the University of Art and Design Helsinki. 

His previous water-themed films include The Diver (Hyppääjä, 2000) and The Crawl (Krooli, 2004), 

which have been awarded at several international festivals. 

Lehtinen is equally at home directing fiction, documentaries and 

experimental films. In his works he examines the language of films. 

Lehtinen feels that the final form of a film is dictated by its subject 

matter and filming process. He leaves the categorizing of his films to 

others. A recurrent theme in his films, water is an element that 

Lehtinen finds extremely interesting visually. “Nothing compares to 

the peaceful feeling when in or under water. Water is like another 

world, and films allow me to bring parts of the feeling it arouses on 

to the screen,” says PV Lehtinen. 

20




Director, script: Esa Illi 

Cinematography: Pentti Keskimäki 

Editing: Annukka Lilja 

Sound design: Pietari Koskinen 

Music: Samuli Laiho; score: 

Jean W. & Esa Illi 

Set design: Marjaana Rantama 

Costumes: Siru Kosonen 

Animation: Kim Helminen 

Cast: Santeri Kinnunen, 

Mikko Kouki, Antti Reini, 

Tatu Siivonen, Pihla Viitala, 

Jani Volanen 

Producers: 

Petri Jokiranta, Tero Kaukomaa 


Blind Spot Pictures Oy 





Jungle of Dreams 

Jungle of Dreams is a comedic story about a rock band that consists of four men approaching 

thirty. Beginning to record their third album, they find themselves in a jungle of external and internal 

pressure, where their old dreams come to pieces. Each member has been reaching for his 

own special dream through the band. Now the men have to realise their dreams have gradually 

imprisoned them, and they should try to break free. The motto or premise of the film might be: 

dreams are important, but they need updating every once in a while. 

Esa Illi 

Esa Illi graduated as a director from the school of Motion Picture, 

Television and Production Design at the University of Art and Design. 

He was chosen as a Sparrausrinki-director in 1995, the result of 

which was Midsummer Stories (Juhannustarinoita, 1997). He has 

directed, for example, the short fictions which won awards at the 

Tampere film festival: Lazyman Death (Den lata döden, 1991), Break-In 

– The Anatomy of a Gig (Kili-Kali, 1994) and Monkey Business (Apinajuttu, 

2000) and the EBU-awarded short film, Kotiinpaluu (1998). 

His first full-length feature, Brothers (Broidit), was made in 2003. 

His latest short film was The Hedgehog Thing (Siilijuttu, 2006). 

22


Documentary | 2007 | 

35mm | 1:1,85 | Dolby Digital | 20’ 

Director, script, editing: PV Lehtinen 

Cinematography: 

Hannu-Pekka Vitikainen 

Sound design: Sakari Salli 

Music: Biosphere 

Producer: PV Lehtinen 

Production company: CineParadiso Oy 





Keidas 

A meditative journey to an oasis that a bunch of people consider their second home, where they 

return each summer. These people include a retired policeman, a musician, a professor and 

a worker. They and many others share the powerful experience of the swimming stadium as a 

source of vitality. Many have been going there since they were little children. 

Keidas continues the director’s visually impressive series of water films. It brings the beautiful, 

functionalistic swimming stadium, previously seen in many of his films, into the foreground. This 

film is like a layered portrait of Finland’s first outdoor swimming pool and its regular customers. 

About the swimming stadium: It took a long time for the Helsinki swimming stadium to be completed 

as a site for the Olympics and a popular bathing establishment. The designing work started 

in the early 1930’s and the building started in 1938 according to the plans by architect Jorma 

Järvi. The stadium was supposed to be finished for the 1940 Olympics, which had been awarded 

to Helsinki, but the work was suspended because of the Winter War. The swimming stadium was 

finally completed for the 1952 Olympics. 

PV Lehtinen 

PV Lehtinen was born and lives in Helsinki. He graduated 

as a director from the School of Motion Picture, Television 

and Production Design at the University of Art and Design 

Helsinki. His previous water-themed films include The Diver 

(Hyppääjä, 2000) and The Crawl (Krooli, 2004), which have 

been awarded at several international festivals. 

24



Beta SP PAL / Digibeta PAL | 

16:9 | CH1&CH2 / Dolby Surround | ~28’ 

Director, script: Katariina Järvi 

Cinematography: Arttu Peltomaa 

Editing: Katja Pällijeff 

Sound design, music: Antti Sipilä 

Producer: Markku Niska 


NBB Navy Blue Bird Oy 


The Finnish Film Foundation, 

AVEK, Arts Council of Finland 



Lapua 

A documentary about the actions of the media and society seen through the tragedy of Lapua, 

where a cartridge factory exploded and killed 40 people in 1976. How far does the freedom of 

speech warrant the right to invade individuals’ private sorrow, and why does the state take such a 

big role afterwards, ritualizing everything and leaving little room for private grieving for the families 

involved? The documentary Lapua raises questions. It is an essay 30 years after a catastrophe. 

Katariina Järvi 

Katariina Järvi (born in 1962, Finland) graduated in 

2006 from The School of Motion Picture, Television and 

Production Design in Helsinki. She majored in Documentary 

Directing. She has also worked as a props-master for 

both the Finnish Broadcasting Company and a number of 

Finnish independent production companies since 1994. 

Her two most recent documentary directions before 

Lapua are My Momma and Father (Äitini ja isä, 2005) and 

Stitches of Love (Rakkauslaulu, 2004). 

Photo: Kalle Kultala / The Finnish Museum of Photography 

26



35mm / Digibeta | 16:9 | 


Director: 

Mikaela Westerlund 

Script: 

Mikaela Westerlund, Mimmo Hildén 

Cinematography: Mimmo Hildén 

Editing: Juho Karhunen 

Set design: Okku Rahikainen 

Costumes: Susse Roos 

Cast: Sonja Ahlfors, 

Mikael Strömberg 

Producers: 

Leila Lyytikäinen, Claes Olsson 


Kinoproduction Oy 


The Finnish Film Foundation, AVEK, 

The Swedish Cultural Foundation 

in Finland 

Financing TV company: YLE FST5 

The Least One Can Hope for 

[ D e t m i n s t a m a n k a n b e g ä r a ] 

No one sells goods anymore – today they’re selling dreams. 

Amanda, who is old enough to get married, wants a home – the complete package. She buys 

herself what she thinks is her dream home, but it soon becomes obvious that the most important 

thing of all is missing: A Man. Amanda refuses to accept that she is not getting the whole package. 

She tries to find the man she is missing, but along the way she realizes she is not the only 

one left without a partner. With her drive and her conviction to find a man, Amanda makes the 

whole neighborhood come to life. In the end, Amanda gets her dream fulfilled, but in an unexpected 

way. 

This is the first Finnish film that looks at loneliness from a different perspective – no depression, 

no alcohol and no suicide! 

Mikaela Westerlund 

Mikaela Westerlund (born 1977 in Helsinki) has 

studied directing at the Arcada University of Applied 

Science and ESCAC, Escola Superior de Cinema i 

Audiovisuals de Catalunya, during the years 1998–2004. 

During her studies, Mikaela Westerlund has 

directed two short fictional films, The Same Old Story 

(Samma gamla visa, 2002) and en-Marie (2001). 

They have been screened at several film festivals 

and won awards. 

28




Little Traveller 

[ S y l i s t ä s y l i i n ] 

Little Traveller is a partially animated children’s documentary film about nine-year-old Oona 

whose parents are divorced. Since her father’s move to another town, Oona has travelled alone to 

see him every other weekend. 

During the train ride Oona ponders what it is like to be raised in two homes and why grownups 

don’t want to be together. The hundreds of kilometers long, sometimes boring and exhausting 

train ride is necessary so Oona can see both of her parents. 

30 

Director, script: Marika Väisänen 

Cinematography: Daniel Lindholm 

Editing: Joona Louhivuori 

Sound design: Olli Huhtanen 

Music: Otto Eskelinen 

Producer: Liisa Juntunen 

Production company: Kinotar Oy 




Marika Väisänen 

Marika Väisänen studied culture at the Kemi-Tornio University of 

Applied Sciences and graduated in 2004. Her previous documentary 

film, Whole Woman (Koko nainen), was released in 2005. It has been 

shown at the following festivals: Wij Zijn 17, a documentary festival 

for young people in Holland; DocPoint 2007; NUFF Nordic Youth 

Film Festival (Best Film in the 21–25 Age Category); up-and-coming 

Festival 2005 in Germany; Kettupäivät – Finnish Short and Documentary 

Film Festival 2005 (Best Documentary in Student Category); 

Tampere Film Festival 2005.


Music film, animation | 2008 | 

HDCAM / DigiBeta / DVD | 16:9 | 

Stereo / 5.1 Dolby Digital | 10’ 

Director, script, editing: 

Marikki Hakola 

Cinematography: Raimo Uunila 

Sound design: Epa Tamminen 

Music: Jean Sibelius ”Luonnotar” 

Animation and visual design: 

Marikki Hakola, Katriina Ilmaranta 

Costumes: Marikki Hakola, 

Liisu Vartija-Rissanen 

Soprano: Riikka Hakola 

Choreographer, dancer: Nina Hyvärinen 

Conductor: Leif Segerstam 

Orchestra: Slovak Radio 

Symphony Orchestra 

Producer: Marikki Hakola 


Kroma Productions Ltd. 

Production support: The Finnish 

Performing Music Promotion Centre 

ESEK, The Foundation for the Promotion 

of Finnish Music LUSES, 


Financing TV company: YLE Teema 

www.luonnotar.fi 

Luonnotar 

Luonnotar is a music fantasy and a new interpretation of the primeval Kalevala epic and the myth 

of the creation of the world. The first song of the Kalevala, the Daughter of Ether, is visualized by 

using a virtual set design and digital animation. The masterpiece of the music by composer Jean 

Sibelius is interpreted by great Finnish performing artists, soprano Riikka Hakola, dancer Nina 

Hyvärinen, and conductor Leif Segerstam, and the grand Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra. 

“In primeval times, a Maiden, 

Beauteous Daughter of the Ether, 

Passed for ages her existence 

In the great expanse of heaven, 

O’er the prairies yet unfolded...” 

Marikki Hakola 

Marikki Hakola (born 1960) is an internationally acclaimed media 

artist, film director and executive producer. She is executive producer 

of the production company Kroma Productions Ltd. Beginning 

in 1981, her works include dance and music films, video art pieces, 

installations, multimedia works, internet projects and documentaries. 

Hakola’s important directions include, for example, Butterfly 

Lovers (2005), a dance and music film based on the Chinese violin 

concerto and The Bewitched Child (L’enfant et les sortileges, 2004), 

a fantasy film based on the opera by Maurice Ravel. 

32



35mm | 1:1,85 | Dolby Surround | 7’ 

A Mate 

[ K a v e r i ] 

Pera wants to try something kinky in the bathroom and he asks his mate to help him. Pera’s wife 

comes home too soon... 

34 

Director, editing: Teemu Nikki 

Script: Teemu Nikki, Jani Pösö 

Cinematography: Jyrki Arnikari 

Sound design: Sami Kiiski 

Set design: Maria Ylätupa 

Cast: Matti Onnismaa, 

Jouko Puolanto, Elina Knihtilä 

Producer: Teemu Nikki 


It’s Alive Productions 

Teemu Nikki 

32 years old. Pig farmer’s son. 

Has directed plenty of commercials 

and music videos. Has also made 

some short films.



Digibeta / Beta sp / DVCAM / DV | 

16:9 | Stereo | 24’ 

Director, script, cinematography, 

editing, sound design: Rostislav Aalto 

Sound mixing: Eero Koivunen 

Music: Mongolian khuumi 

Producer: Rostislav Aalto 


Zen Media / Zen and Trading Oy 





Mongolian Afternoon 

[ M o n g o l i a l a i n e n i l t a p ä i v ä ] 

They are going to slaughter a sheep before dark. Nomads do the slaughtering themselves. But 

before its death, the sheep was able to live and graze in the wild. 

The film is tranquil in rhythm and very powerful esthetically as the setting sun paints the 

Mongolian steppe red. The film climaxes as a young girl washes the sheep’s blood off her hands. 

Rostislav Aalto 

Rostislav Aalto was born in Moscow, 1971, and moved to Finland eight years later. After studying 

at the University of the Industrial Art and Design in Helsinki in the Film department, he has 

worked as a photographer, editor and director in numerous productions. Since 1997, he has led 

a private enterprise, Zen Media, which produces documentaries and 

offers services for other film companies. 

Aalto has, for example, directed the films Gunshots in Orimattila 

(Orimattilan laukaukset, 2000), Cleaning Up! (2002), Rush (Kiire, 2004), 

Take Me in Your Arms (Ota minut syliin, 2006), Just Little Respect 

(Vähän kunnioitusta, 2006), and a serial of seven films: Mongo – Moments 

from the Far East (Mongo – hetkiä kaukoidästä, 2007) 

Aalto is a member of the Guild of Documentarists and member of 

the board of The Association of Finnish Film Directors. 

36



HDCAM SR / Beta SP | 

1:2,35 (Cinemascope) | 

Dolby Digital | 28’ 

Directors: 

Tuomas Milonoff, Jon Sundell 

Script, editing: Jon Sundell 

Cinematography: Hena Blomberg 

Sound design: 

Mikko Mäkelä, Tuomas Klaavo 

Music: Mikko Viljakainen, 

Timo Kaukolampi 

Set design: 

Ville Tervonen, Markus Friskberg 

Costumes: Anna Komonen 

Cast: Manne Tainio, 

Laura Sipiläinen, Jani Tolin, 

Jussi Piiroinen, Aku Kihlberg 

Executive producer: 

Aleksi Bardy / Helsinki -filmi 

Producer: Riku Rantala 


Gimmeyawallet Productions Oy 

Co-producer: Matias Putus 




Monte Rosso 

After an exhausting workweek, a stressed-out gourmet chef is determined to do nothing all weekend 

except get high and sit around in his underwear. But as he and his best friend are ensnared 

in a confounding love triangle, his plans of relaxation quickly unravel. Fighting over the same 

woman, the men engage in an epic battle of wits and dirty tricks that leads them to stolen bikes, 

bags of potting soil and an army of bodybuilders with a bad case of ‘roid rage. But the question is, 

who is really playing whom? 

Set in the legendary Helsinki neighborhood of Punavuori (Monte Rosso in Italian), the film attempts 

to capture some genuine sights and sounds of contemporary Helsinki, albeit in a comedic 

form. In its quest for authenticity, the film relied exclusively on an amateur cast who grew up 

speaking a specific brand of Helsinki slang. Shot in widescreen on a black & white negative, the 

Finnish capital has never looked better. 

Tuomas Milonoff & Jon Sundell 

Before Monte Rosso Tuomas Milonoff 

has directed two seasons of 

Madventures, an award-winning 

travel show with a big cult following. 

Milonoff works as an independent 

director and producer in Helsinki. 

Born and bred in Helsinki, 

Jon Sundell is a writer/director 

based in Los Angeles. 

Jani Häkli 

Matti Pyykkö 

38



Digibeta | 3:4 | Mono | 17’10’’ 

Muybridge 

[ M u y b r i d g e – m i e s , j o k a t e k i l i i k k u v i a k u v i a 

2 0 v u o t t a e n n e n e l o k u v a n k e k s i m i s t ä ] 

A “light” but factual documentary, with scenes from Muybridge’s life re-enacted in a way reminiscent 

of old, turn-of the century movies. 

Other sequences will feature Muybridge’s work, his nature photography in the Americas, such 

as Yosemite, San Francisco, and the North and South American Indians. 

A sequence about his photographing horses in motion, naturally including the first proof of 

all four hoofs in the air, and later the sequences of moving images of other animals, as well as 

humans. 

The dramatic aspects of Muybridge’s life, such as his murder case, will also be re-enacted in 

short scenes. 

The method Muybridge used for his motion photography will be presented in an animation, 

explaining the sequential tripping of the camera shutters. 

40 

Director, editing: Juho Gartz 

Script: Juho Gartz & Jan-Eric Nyström 

Cinematography: Jan-Eric Nyström 

Sound design: Antero Honkanen & 

Pekka Karjalainen 

Producer: Juho Gartz 

Production company: Muutama Metri Ky 

Co-producer: Sari Volanen / YLE TV1 

Production support: AVEK 


Juho Gartz 

Filmmaker Juho Gartz (b. 1934) has worked as an editor on 

over thirty feature films, and as a scriptwriter on two of them. 

In addition, he has edited a hundred or so short films. 

He has produced, written, directed and edited several documentaries 

for his own company (Muutama Metri Ky). Mostly seen on 

television, the documentaries were often about visual arts or sports. 

Gartz has written articles on cinema and other subjects to 

various magazines and compilations, and published four books 

on cinema.


Dance fiction | 2007 | 

35mm / DCI / Digibeta | 16:9 | 

Stereo | 58’ 

Director, script, editing, music: 

Joe Davidow 

Cinematography: Tahvo Hirvonen 

Choreography: Jorma Elo 

Sound design: Markus Kahelin 

Set design: Tanja Bastamow (3 D) 

Costumes: Anne Jämsä 

Actor: Kari Heiskanen 

(Director of Dance) 

Dancers: Jorma Elo, 

Nancy Euverink, Vaslav Kunes 

Producer: Claes Olsson 







My Crazyness is my Love – 

Impressions of Vaclav Nijinsky 

[ H u l l u u t e n i o n r a k k a u t e n i – 

e p i s o d e j a V a c l a v N i j i n s k i n e l ä m ä s t ä ] 

The film tells of a Director of Dance, who is attracted to and obsessed with Vaclav Nijinsky, the 

legendary Russian choreographer and dancer (1890–1950). While reading the Diary of Nijinsky, 

the Director of Dance is rehearsing with his Dance Company his edition of Nijinsky’s famous 

work, “The Faune”. Nijinsky wrote his Diary by hand during the 6 weeks he spent locked up in the 

study of his house in Switzerland. The Diary ends when Nijinsky was forcibly taken to the Insane 

Asylum, where he remained for over 20 years. Through Nijinsky’s Diary, the Director of Dance 

is experiencing that sensation where all of the revelations he is reading about are brought to life 

in his mind. Now he is learning about the deepest inner thoughts and feelings that Nijinsky has. 

The Director of Dance has always been infatuated with Nijinsky, first through his admiration of 

Nijinsky’s choreography’s and dance, and then through his realisation of the extraordinary similarities 

between Nijinsky and Himself. 

Joe Davidow 

Joe Davidow (b. 1949) is an American director and composer, 

who lives in Finland. As a director, he specialises in dance films. 

In 1987–91 he directed dance programmes for TV, including 

Obsessions (Pakkomielteitä), and for the Helsinki Festival a dance 

film Moments (1991). He has also directed for Kinoproduction Oy 

two dance films The Man Who Never Was (1997) and Hidden Passion 

(2000). He has also composed the scores to these films. 

42


Animation | 2007 | 

16:9 | 5’ 

My Portrait 

[ O m a k u v a ] 

The main character in the film, a lonely painter, sits in his studio before a blank canvas, wondering 

what to paint. He decides to paint a self-portrait. The film follows the artist working, this exciting 

and ever-escalating process, up until the painting is finished... but something goes wrong. 

The self-portrait may have become a little too realistic, it almost breathes... 

44 


editing: Christian Lindblad 

Producer: Ilkka Ruuhijärvi 


LR Film Productions Oy 


Christian Lindblad 

Christian Lindblad graduated as an actor from 

the Theatre Academy of Finland in 1985, but 

moved on to film soon after in 1988. His debut 

film Love Tank (Kärlekens bandvagn) was finished 

the same year. A series of live action films 

culminated in the feature film Ripa Hits the Skids 

(Ripa ruostuu, 1993). Since then, he has mainly 

made animated films, but has also written opera 

librettos and directed for theatre.




Director, script: Juha Mustanoja 

Cinematography: Jyri Hakala 

Editing: Maarit Nissilä 

Sound design: Micke Nyström 

Music: Miika Snåre 

Costumes: Tuomas Lampinen 

Cast: Sanna Hietala, 

Sari Viitasalo-Flander, Miko Kivinen, 

Jussi Rantamäki, Mira Donner-Spitz 

Producers: 

Mika Ritalahti, Niko Ritalahti 


Silva Mysterium Oy 




Naughty John 

[ T u h m a J u s s i ] 

Naughty John is a tale about a group of people having to face and solve a sudden crisis in their 

small-town community. 

Jussi is a mentally challenged 40-year-old man. He gets along very well with the small children 

in the neighbourhood kindergarten, which has such a small playground that the kids usually play 

either in the adjoining public park, or in Jussi and his sister Marja’s garden. 

Now one of the kid’s parents has become aware that there is an invalid hanging out with the 

kids, and she has demanded that the community forbid this “retard” from getting into the park. 

She has a lot of political clout in the community, and steps must be taken. Veera, the headmistress 

of the kindergarten and elementary school, must sort this matter out with Marja and 

Sami, who is Jussi’s nurse. But who can guarantee what Jussi will come up with? Is he good, or 

is he naughty? 

Juha Mustanoja 

Juha Mustanoja is a Finnish director-playwright who works in 

several media. He has written and directed several stage plays 

for the theatre group Aurinkoteatteri; he has also written and 

directed several radio plays, and is currently working on an opera 

production that premieres in 2008. He has also worked as a 

graphic artist for over two decades, specializing in poster design. 

Juha Mustanoja majors in Screenwriting and Directing at 

the Helsinki University of Art and Design. Naughty John is his 

graduation film. 

46


Experimental animation | 2007 | 

35mm | Stereo | 15’ 

Director, script, 

set design, costumes, animation: 

Milla Moilanen 

Cinematography: Raimo Uunila 

Editing: Raimo Uunila 

Sound design: Patrick Boullenger 

Music: Päivi Takala 

Cast: Tomi Kuisma, Pirjo Moilanen, 

Mikko Lankinen, Marjo Peiponen, 

Maria Talvitie 

Producer: Milla Moilanen 

Production company: Filmill Ky 





PrePost 

From frenology to aesthetic surgery. Viewpoints on the Western ideal of beauty in the dim light of 

history. An experimental short film / animation about the standards of human form. 

Milla Moilanen 

Director, media artist Milla Moilanen (born 1964) began 

working with moving images and multimedia at the end of 

the 1980s. Since then, she has created short films, multimedia 

works, and audiovisual projects as an independent 

artist, graphic designer, and photographer. 

Moilanen’s award-winning pieces (Signals 1993, 

Deep 1994, Scale 1996, Wanted 1998, Dual 1999, 

Passage 2001, Vertebra 2003) have been presented at 

numerous festivals and exhibitions around the world. 

48


Experimental fiction | 2008 | 

35mm | 1:1,85 | Dolby Digital 5.1 | 60’ 

Director, script: Eija-Liisa Ahtila 

Cinematography: Arto Kaivanto 

Editing: Heikki Kotsalo 

Sound design: Peter Nordström 

Set design: Kaisa Niva 

Costumes: Mari Savio 

Cast: Kati Outinen, Tommi Korpela, 

Leea Klemola, Alaeddin Alaeddine, 

Taha Muhammad Rguibi 

Producer: Ilppo Pohjola 


Crystal Eye Ltd. 




Where is Where? 

[ M i s s ä o n m i s s ä ? ] 

Where is Where? is an experimental film based on an incident which happened during the struggle 

for independence in Algeria. As a reaction to the acts of violence committed by the French, 

two young Algerian boys murder their friend, a French boy of the same age. The film starts from 

the present day when the Death enters the house of a poet. She starts to investigate the incident 

and the past events gradually become interwoven with the present moment. A mist clears from the 

back garden of the house to reveal a bright coloured boat which has appeared in the swimming 

pool. In it sit Adel and Ismael. 

Eija-Liisa Ahtila 

Eija-Liisa Ahtila (born 1959) experiments 

with narrative storytelling in her films and 

cinematic installations, creating extraordinary 

tales out of ordinary human experiences. 

Her masterfully crafted narratives 

and touching portrayal of characters have 

captured the public’s interest worldwide. 

Ahtila’s work has won her numerous film 

festival awards and visual art prizes. 

Photo: Nauska, Copyright Crystal Eye Ltd, Helsinki 

50



Digibeta / DVD | 16:9 | 

5.1 Stereo | 30’ 


editing, music: Jari Haanperä 

Sound design: Jari Haanperä, 

Epa Tamminen 

Producer: Mirka Flander 


Lumenia Productions 




World of Light 

[ M a a i l m a n v a l o ] 

A video montage by Jari Haanperä, where the lights of different metropoles intertwine into a network 

of lights that covers the whole planet. On the northern fringe of this network, in the light of 

an electric bulb, a group of Finns contemplate the concept of “world of light” and their individual 

relationships to it. 

”If you have the power, the might and the money, the simplest way of showing it all is to use 

enormous amounts of light.” 

“Lights make up a system which is similar to a neural network in the way they interconnect. It 

will probably grow a lot denser and then starts to seek its optimum form. We are possibly still in 

a state of growth.” 

“The amount of light in the world is equal to the ability of a man to generate it. There will be 

more light tomorrow than there is today, whether I want it or not. Then the only possibility that is 

left will be to get out of the light.” 

“Fear is one of the central issues associated with darkness. Man needs a lot of artificial light 

to keep the fear at bay.” 

Jari Haanperä 

Jari Haanperä makes short films, videos and 

light and sound installations. He uses the whole 

range of the moving image, from precinematic 

methods to videos and 35mm fiction films. 

His works have been shown in art museums and 

galleries as well as at film and art festivals all 

over the world. 

Photo: Sakari Viika 

52



Digibeta | 16:9 anamorphic | 


Director: Auli Mantila 

Script: Laura Ruohonen 

Cinematography: Jussi Eerola 

Editing: Harri Ylönen 

Sound design: Kyösti Väntänen 

Music: Antti Lehtinen 

Costumes: Sari Suominen 

Cast: Seela Sella, Leea Klemola, 

Aaro Wichmann 

Executive Producer: Auli Mantila 

Line Producer: Anu Hukka 

Production company: Do Films Oy 





Yksinen 

An architect and an ophthalmologist – who has commissioned a house from the architect – begin 

a heated argument on an uninhabited islet, right where the fancy new house is supposed to be 

built. The honourable, sharp-tongued, and heavily smoking ophthalmologist scolds the young, 

self-conscious, and ambitious architect, who consequently wants to go home right away. And then 

the outboard motor breaks down. Yksinen is an intelligent situation comedy about how a modern 

man survives when all the technology he depends on suddenly fails. It examines big choices in 

life hilariously, practically, and cruelly. Yksinen is a story about the impossibility of togetherness, 

but also about how close another human being, a fellow creature, really is – right now. 

Auli Mantila 

Auli Mantila (born 1964) graduated as 

a film director and screenwriter in 1995. 

Since then, she has worked in her field of 

training. Now, in 2008, having directed three 

feature films and some TV series, and having 

worked as a producer and teacher of 

directing, she finally dares to say that filmmaking 

and solving questions related to it 

is the thing she knows best. 

54


Film Festivals in Finland 2008 

DocPoint – 

Helsinki Documentary Film Festival 

23.–27.1.2008 

Fredrikinkatu 23, FI-00120 Helsinki 

Tel. +358 9 672 472, Fax +358 9 673 998 

info@docpoint.info 

www.docpoint.info 

Tampere International 

Short Film Festival 

5.–9.3.2008 

Tullikamarinaukio 2, FI-33101 Tampere 

Tel. +358 3 213 0034, Fax +358 3 223 0121 

office@tamperefilmfestival.fi 

www.tamperefilmfestival.fi 

Sodankylän elokuvajuhlat – 

Midnight Sun Film Festival 

11.–15.6.2008 

Jäämerentie 9, FI-99600 Sodankylä 

Tel. +358 16 614 524, Fax +358 16 618 646 

office@msfilmfestival.fi 

www.msfilmfestival.fi 

Espoo Ciné International Film Festival 

19.–24.8.2008 

PO Box 95, FI-02101 Espoo 

Tel. +358 9 466 599, Fax +358 9 466 458 

office@espoocine.fi, www.espoocine.fi 

Animatricks Animated Film Festival 

3.–7.9.2008 

Vanha Talvitie 11 A, FI-00580 Helsinki 

Tel. +358 50 322 2373, Fax +358 20 7749 819 

palikkary@animatricks.net, www.animatricks.net 

Helsinki Film Festival – Love & Anarchy 

18.–28.9.2008 

Mannerheimintie 21–24, Box 889, FI-00101 Helsinki 

Tel. +358 9 6843 5230, Fax +358 9 6843 5232 

office@hiff.fi, www.hiff.fi 

Oulu International Children’s Film Festival 

17.–23.11.2008 

Torikatu 8, FI-90100 Oulu 

Tel. +358 8 881 1293, Fax +358 8 881 1290 

oek@oufilmcenter.inet.fi, www.oukafi/lef 

56

Contacts 

Blind Spot Pictures Oy 

Hämeentie 11 

FI-00530 Helsinki 

Tel. +358 50 388 9479 

Fax +358 9 710 061 

spot@blindspot.fi 

www.blindspot.fi 

CineParadiso 

Hermannin rantatie 20 


Tel. +358 50 582 8634 

pvlehtinen@kolumbus.fi 

www.kolumbus.fi/ 

cineparadiso 

Crystal Eye Ltd. 

Tallberginkatu 1 / 44 


Tel. +358 9 694 2308 

Fax +358 9 694 7224 

mail@crystaleye.fi 

www.crystaleye.fi 

Do Films Oy 

Hiihtomäentie 34 

FI-00800 Helsinki 

Tel. +358 9 6873 4980 

Fax +358 9 6874 4981 

info@dofilms.fi 

www.dofilms.fi 

Elokuvaosuuskunta 

Camera Cagliostro 

Vellamonkatu 1 

FI-33100 Tampere 

Tel. +358 41 4344399 

jyrki@cameracagliostro.fi 

www.cameracagliostro.fi 

Ex Professo Arts and 

Management 

Iso-Roobertinkatu 20–22 A 9 


Tel. +358 40 519 4563 

Fax +358 9 648 691 

jkokkone@uiah.fi 

Festival contacts 

for all titles: 


Kanavakatu 12 


Tel. +358 9 6220 300 

Fax +358 9 6220 3050 

ses@ses.fi 

www.ses.fi 


57


Festival contacts 

for all titles: 


Kanavakatu 12 


Tel. +358 9 6220 300 

Fax +358 9 6220 3050 

ses@ses.fi 

www.ses.fi 

Filmill Ky 

Sannaistentie 277 

FI-07280 Ilola 

Tel. +358 40 558 7966 

www.filmill.fi 

milla.moilanen@filmill.fi 

moilanen.milla@gmail.com 

Gimmeyawallet Productions Oy 

Lönnrotinkatu 39 B 13 


Tel +358 50 593 5903 

riku@madventures.tv 

www.gimmeyawallet.fi 

Ilokuva, Naukkarinen & Co 

Palotie 23 

FI-02760 Espoo 

Tel. +358 9 8554 860 

Fax +358 9 8813 592 

ilokuva@ilokuva.fi 

www.ilokuva.fi 

Indie Films Oy 

Malminkatu 22 C 55 


Tel. +358 40 563 4603 

tomi.riionheimo@indiefilms.fi 

www.indiefilms.fi 

It’s Alive Productions 

Heinäsintie 79 

FI-08700 Lohja 


Pasilan vanhat veturitallit 


Tel. +358 9 6850 460 

Fax +358 9 6850 4610 

kino@kinoproduction.fi 

www.kinoproduction.fi 

Kinotar Oy 

Vuorikatu 16 A 9 


Tel. +358 9 1351 864 

Fax +358 9 1357 863 

kinotar@kinotar.com 

www.kinotar.com 

58

Kroma Productions Ltd. 

Magnusborg studios 

FI-06100 Porvoo 

Tel. +358 19 534 8015 

Fax +358 19 534 8016 

kroma@magnusborg.fi 

www.kromaproductions.net 

LR Film Productions Oy 

Caloniuksenkatu 9 d 63 


Tel. +358 9 490 696 

Lumenia Productions 

PL 719 


Tel. +358 40 552 3410 

flander@mbnet.fi 

Långfilm Productions 

Finland Oy 

Pietarinkatu 9 


Tel. +358 10 440 4800 

Fax +358 10 440 4809 

info@langfilm.fi 

www.langfilm.fi 

Making Movies Oy 

Linnankatu 7 


Tel. +358 9 621 3828 

Fax +358 9 6842 7870 

mamo@mamo.fi 

www.mamo.fi 

Muutama Metri Ky 

Pudasrinne 4 H 102 

FI-01600 Vantaa 

Tel. +358 9 532 744 

NBB Navy Blue Bird Oy 

Hämeentie 153 B 


Tel. +358 40 566 0374 

info@navybluebird.com 

www.navybluebird.com 

Skype: navybluebird 

Silva Mysterium Oy 

Pulttitie 16 

FI-00880 Helsinki 

Tel. +358 9 7594 720 

Fax +358 9 7594 7240 

mika.ritalahti@silvamysterium.fi 

www.silvamysterium.fi 

Sputnik Oy 

Museokatu 13 A 


Tel. +358 9 6877 100 

Fax +358 9 6877 1010 

sputnik@sputnik.fi 

Zen Media / 

Zen and Trading Oy 

Liusketie 6 D 19 


Mob. +358 41 530 5252 

raalto@zenmedia.fi 

rostislav.aalto@mail.com 

www.zenmedia.fi 

59


Front cover: Butterfly from Ural by Katariina Lillqvist 

Inside cover, front: Firewood by Miikka Leskinen | Inside cover, back: Girls’ Night by Reetta Aalto 

Back cover: Eestaas (working title) by Seppo Renvall, Where is Where? by Eija-Liisa Ahtila, Girls’ Night by Reetta Aalto, 

Firewood by Miikka Leskinen, Glenn by Tapio Piirainen, PrePost by Milla Moilanen, Yksinen by Auli Mantila 

Page 1: Monte Rosso by Tuomas Milonoff & Jon Sundell 

The Finnish Film Foundation | Kanavakatu 12 | FI-00160 Helsinki | Tel. +358 9 6220 300 | Fax +358 9 6220 3050 | ses@ses.fi | www.ses.fi 

Editor: Satu Elo | Translations / Editing: Broadcast Text | Layout: Maikki Rantala, Praxis Oy | Printed by: Erikoispaino Oy, Helsinki, 2008 | ISSN 1796-072X 

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