The final festival weekend included, in addition to films, a wide variety of events and memorable moments that deepened the festival atmosphere. Over just a few days, audiences experienced gala highlights, meaningful discussions on activism, an action film that blew the audience away, and energetic evening gatherings. These are the moments we will look back on with nostalgia!
Finnish Film Affair showcased a glimpse of future cinema
On Thursday, Bio Rex Lasipalatsi was filled with film industry professionals for the Finnish Film Affair. Organized alongside the Love & Anarchy Festival, the FFA is a three-day international industry event running from Wednesday to Friday. Thursday’s program was dedicated to presenting projects in various stages of production and seeking missing collaborators and supporters.
Thursday morning featured glimpses of promising Nordic film projects currently in production. Directors, producers, and filmmakers presented their works-in-progress to other professionals, showing clips and trailers. From genre films to documentaries, Nordic creators and producers took turns in the spotlight, searching for distributors, funding, or other partners.
Awards for the best Finnish short films at Bio Rex
On Thursday evening, the lobby of Bio Rex buzzed with a warm atmosphere as filmmakers of different ages and backgrounds gathered to hear the jury’s decisions in the R&A Shorts: Domestic Competition. Out of a remarkable 188 submissions, 29 films were selected to compete, with awards given in five categories.
The jury consisted of Maryan Abdulkarimi, Angeliki Vergou, and Leena Närekangas. Greek ambassador Natalia Karageorgou also gave a speech. Love & Anarchy received praise for launching a collaboration with the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, seen as strengthening ties between Finnish and Greek cinema.
The main prize went to Sherwan Haji’s My Name Is Hope (2025). Sponsored by the Theatre and Media Workers’ Union Teme ry, the award carried a message stressing the importance of highlighting Finnish creators’ creativity—especially now, as domestic film funding faces potential cuts.
The government’s planned cuts to the film industry were mentioned in nearly every acceptance speech, reflecting the sector’s anxieties but also the need for resistance. Haji’s speech concluded on a hopeful note: “Let’s fill cinemas with laughter, tears, and everything in between—let’s make more films!”
Criminalization of climate activism, emotions, and hope amid crises
The documentary Rebellion for Life (2025) packed the auditorium of Puistokatu 4’s House of Science and Hope full of eager viewers. After the screening, Minttu Salminen moderated a discussion featuring director Saku Soukka, entrepreneur-activist Merja Turpeinen, and Environmental Litigation Foundation founder Tuuli Talvinko.
The film offers an inside look at the Extinction Rebellion movement, building personal portraits of its members and examining Finnish climate activism in relation to the prevailing political climate. At its core are the many motivations behind the movement’s activism and the varied reactions it sparks in activists, bystanders, and the police.
The discussion emphasized different forms of activism and their potential, personal motivations, and the increasingly urgent issue of the criminalization of climate activism in Finland, with its complex consequences. Despite the weight of the topics, a strong sense of hope and vitality ran through the conversation—echoing the resilience born in the pursuit of a sustainability transition.
Surprise gala revealed the latest Finnish action spectacle
Saturday’s program climaxed with a surprise domestic gala screening, surrounded by wild speculation throughout the festival. Artistic director Pekka Lanerva revealed to a packed audience that the film was Sisu: Road to Revenge (2025), the latest action film by director Jalmari Helander. Helander was present at the screening and introduced the film to an enthusiastic crowd.
The film received thunderous applause from festivalgoers. Afterward, journalist Kalle Kinnunen interviewed Helander and opened the floor to audience questions. Many were struck by the film’s international scope and high production values. Kinnunen highlighted its exceptional quality and surprising emotional depth, predicting success both in Finland and abroad. Helander stressed that his path to directing large-scale action films has required persistent trust in his own intuition—listening to skeptics, he said, has never been useful.
The success of Sisu has opened new doors: Helander has been tapped to direct the next Rambo film, a prequel to the classic First Blood (1982), with Noah Centineo set to play John Rambo.
Deca-dance carried festivalgoers into a night of dancing
On the last Saturday of September, Kino Konepaja glowed red to the beat of new wave and film music, as the Film Tonight! collective hosted the Love & Anarchy closing party under the name Deca-dance. Music was provided by Film Tonight!, Alte Excellenz, and Waldemar Blom.
The venue was decorated in the distinctive styles of the hosting collectives—red roses, striking vintage movie posters, and kitschy tablecloths. The atmosphere was hazy and moody, with crowds of film fans dancing late into the night. Countless faces drifted between the bar, dance floor, and terrace.
Mariangela Pluchino of Film Tonight! praised the festival’s film curation and shared how much she has gained from R&A over the years. Inspired by this, she explained, Deca-dance is her way of giving back to the community that has given her so much.
Closing gala bid farewell to the festival and addressed Iran’s political climate
Love & Anarchy culminated in its traditional Closing Gala, filling Bio Rex’s sold-out theater with bittersweet festivity. The festival team took the stage to loud applause.
Festival director Pauliina Ståhlberg, serving in the role for the first time, thanked partners and drew attention to looming cuts in film industry funding. She urged people to resist political headwinds and boldly promote the art of cinema.
Artistic director Pekka Lanerva and Head of Programme Outi Rehn introduced the closing film. It Was Just an Accident (2025), directed by Jafar Panahi and winner of the Cannes Palme d’Or, provided a suitably weighty yet darkly humorous finale to a festival full of love and anarchy. Panahi’s film immersed the audience in themes of harsh moral dilemmas and political oppression, whose gentle, humane treatment still managed to elicit laughter.
The screening carried a double poignancy—not only due to Iran’s political situation but also because it marked Lanerva’s last appearance as artistic director. Yet Pekka is not disappearing; he will remain involved with R&A behind the scenes. As in the closing scene of the film It Was Just an Accident, some things do not vanish.
