Autumn has arrived in Helsinki, and cinemas across the city are once again filling with festival atmosphere, love and anarchy. We are incredibly excited to bring audiences hundreds of films that offer a much-needed escape from everyday reality and, on the other hand, help us better understand the world around us. Amid global political turmoil, defending democracy is more important than ever. The desire to highlight different voices and perspectives that can easily remain overlooked is at the heart of our festival. This year, R&A will once again screen films from all around the world, including Palestine, Ukraine, Afghanistan and Iran. Every film selected to the festival programme is also a political statement, and we are proud to be a festival that is not afraid to take a stand.
The process of putting the festival programme together has also become increasingly democratic and diverse, with R&A’s five-person programming team and the wider R&A Ministry now working under Programme Director Outi Rehn. Our programming team travels to the world’s biggest film festivals, selecting the most dazzling cinematic diamonds and rarest little film gems for R&A audiences. We are immensely proud that the festival’s prestigious gala spots will feature the most talked-about and award-winning films from Cannes: the Spanish queer epic La bola negra, festival guest Cristian Mungiu’s sharp examination of the Nordic welfare state, Fjord, the Korean sci-fi spectacle Hope, and Minotaur, a searing portrayal of Putin’s Russia. The Finnish Gala, opening R&A’s industry event Finnish Film Affair, will once again celebrate achievements in Finnish cinema with the national premiere of Nightborn, which had its world premiere at Berlinale. The high level of the National Competition is further evidence of the bright future of Finnish cinema. A record number of Finnish shorts were submitted to the competition this spring.
Alongside the galas and competition, R&A presents an astonishingly diverse selection of films from the cinematic year. Highlights include new films by Quentin Dupieux, Kiyoshi Kurosawa and Paolo Sorrentino. The new selection More Than Human features films that remind us of all beings’ right to live and to be treated equally, across the boundaries of species. The returning Let’s Talk About Sex selection breaks taboos in the spirit of R&A. The Power of Music selection explores how music can change lives and the world. We are also delighted that it has been an exceptionally strong year for animation, reflected in the unusually extensive Animated Dreams selection. This year’s socially engaged Fight the Power selection is particularly strong as well. On the other hand, those seeking escapism can turn to the R&A Shorts screening Fairytales for Grownups and the Live, Laugh, Love & Anarchy selection, which includes Erupcja, a hangout film starring Charli XCX.
Although R&A is approaching the ripe old age of 40, we have not forgotten our anarchistic roots. For us, cinematic anarchy means a bow towards the genre-mixing madness of the festival’s early years, found in selections like Midnight Mayhem. On the other hand, it means works that break the boundaries and conventions of cinema, celebrated in the Next Level selection. The crown jewel of the R&A Trailblazers selection is the new, uncensored restoration of Ken Russell’s legendary The Devils. Many of Russell’s films were screened at the 1989 festival, but The Devils was not, as the film was completely banned in Finland for 30 years. We are proud of R&A’s strong role in bringing the work of emerging stars to Finnish audiences from the very beginning of their careers. Among them is Jane Schoenbrun, who has become a major R&A audience favourite. Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma received the director’s first wide release in Finland—and, naturally, we will also screen it at R&A.
This year, the festival also offers an exceptional amount of free screenings and social discussion events. The LUX Audience Award selection, organised in collaboration with the European Parliament, presents an R&A-curated selection of films that have been nominated in previous years, alongside a fascinating panel discussion on equality in the European film industry. The R&A Talks series will also explore, among other topics, the themes of the Sami yoik musical Árru, in collaboration with the University of Turku.
A film festival is, above all, a communal experience. Every time, we are inspired anew by the way the festival brings different people together, from the smallest children at Pulpettikino screenings to audiences of all ages and backgrounds. An irreplaceable part of our festival community is our over 200 volunteers, without whom R&A would not be possible. Regardless of our backgrounds, we can meet one another in the darkness of a cinema, amid the bustle of the festival centre, or outside the theatre after a screening. So we invite you to meet the people around you, let the emotions spread, and breathe together with the big screen.
Outi Rehn
Programme Director
Pauliina Ståhlberg
Executive Director