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Finnish writer-director Selma Vilhunen and producer Venla Hellstedt will join Dionysos Films from the start of 2024.

Finnish writer-director Selma Vilhunen and producer Venla Hellstedt, who were previously company leaders at Helsinki-based Tuffi Films, will join Dionysos Films from the start of 2024.

Tuffi has produced titles such as Stupid Young Heart (Berlinale Crystal Bear winner), Hobbyhorse Revolution and the 2014 Academy Award nominated short Do I Have to Take Care of Everything? – all directed by Vilhunen. In addition to Vilhunen’s works, Tuffi’s other credits include Jenni Toivoniemi’s Games People Play, the feminist omnibus Force of Habit and Marja Pyykkö’s youth film Sihja,...

Finnish writer-director Selma Vilhunen and producer Venla Hellstedt will join Dionysos Films from the start of 2024.

Finnish writer-director Selma Vilhunen and producer Venla Hellstedt, who were previously co-founders of Helsinki-based Tuffi Films, will join Dionysos Films from the start of 2024.

Tuffi has produced titles such as Stupid Young Heart (Berlinale Crystal Bear winner), Hobbyhorse Revolution and the 2014 Academy Award nominated short Do I Have to Take Care of Everything? – all directed by Vilhunen. In addition to Vilhunen’s works, Tuffi’s other credits include Jenni Toivoniemi’s Games People Play, the feminist omnibus Force of Habit and Marja Pyykkö’s youth film Sihja,...

Berlin-based Picture Tree International has picked up global sales rights to two Scandinavian romantic comedies – the Finland’s “70 Is Just a Number,” about an aging female pop singer, and Sweden’s “Till Sun Rises,” about two lovers who escape their respective marriages to come together at night with the help of an ancient and magic book.

Pti will launch sales on the films at AFM, prior to their local releases via Nordisk Film: Dec. 29 and Dec. 25, respectively.

“70 Is Just a Number” is directed by Finnish comedy queen Johanna Vuoksenmaa, who directed “21 Ways to Ruin Your Marriage” – the top grossing Finnish film in 2013 with more than 400,000 admissions, still the biggest box office hit ever written, directed and produced by a woman in Finland. Produced by Nina Laurio and Riina Hyytiä with their Finnish company Dionysos Films, the film was supported by Finnish Film Foundation, and Tampere City/Film Tampere. The local broadcaster is Yleisradio.

Five Scandi shows will be judged for the award.

Five Nordic drama series will compete for the second annual Nordisk Film & TV Fond Prize, which will be presented on Jan 31 at the TV Drama Vision conference in Goteborg.

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Deadwind

One drama series apiece from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden is nominated for the award, which comes with a prize of $25,000 (Sek 200,000) for the main writer(s) of the series. The first two episodes of each series are shown at the Goteborg Film Festival.

This year’s nominees are Borderliner from Norway, Deadwind from Finland, The Lawyer from Sweden, Ride Upon The Storm from Denmark, and Stella Blomkvist from Iceland.

This year’s jury includes Swedish acterss Sofia Helin (The Bridge); Walter Iuzzolino, the UK-based TV executive and curator of streaming service Walter Presents; and Finnish journalist Kirpi Uimonen Ballesteros.

Petri Kemppinen, CEO of Nordisk Film & TV Fond, said: “Initiating this prize...

Producer Riina Hyytiä named producer of the year at Finnish Film Week.

At the closing gala of the Finnish Film Week (Sept 20-26), producer Riina Hyytiä was named Producer of the Year for Johanna Vuoksenmaa’s divorce comedy 21 Ways to Ruin a Marriage (21 tapaa pilata avioliitto).

The comedy is the first Finnish feature by a female director to exceed 400,000 admissions, which only four films have achieved in the last 25 years.

Organised for the fourth time as part of the Helsinki International Film Festival-Love & Anarchy included 24 domestic productions introduced by the filmmakers.

It included previews of Ulrika Bengts’ Lärjungen (The Disciple - Finland’s submission for the Oscars), Rax Rinnekangas’ Luciferin viimeinen elämä (The Last Life of Lucifer), Pekka Lehto’s Luciferin viimeinen elämä (The Surrealist and His Naughty Hand), Dome Karukoski’s Leijonasydän (Heart of a Lion) and Pirjo Honkasalo’s Betoniyö (Concrete Night).

More awards for industry professionals went to:

Director of the Year Simo Halinen for Kerron...