The biggest and most beautiful film festival of the year is finally here! For the next 10 days, Helsinki will be full of film, culture, encounters and celebration.

Love & Anarchy kicked off on Thursday with two packed cinema halls at the opening gala. The festival’s first guest, Zlatko Buric, actor of the opening film Triangle of Sadness, came and went, charming the festival audience with his unforgettable presence. Also arriving in Helsinki are Bent Hamer, director of The Middle Man, and Samira Elagoz, director of the Silver Lion-winning Seek Bromance, which straddles the line between film and performance art and will be screened at Bio Rex on 17 and 19 September.

The first weekend of the festival will feature a sparkling line-up of films and a wide range of events. The Bio Rex Festival Centre will host a series of discussions led by Renaz Ebrahim. On Saturday 17 September, there will be a discussion on love in films.

Saturday evening will culminate in the festival’s 35th anniversary party, where you can dance the night away. There will also be a mysterious birthday surprise for the festival. Before the party, you can watch Totoro, which has also reached the age of 35.

The weekend includes Carla Simon’s award-winning Alcarràs, old R&A favourite Jacques Audiard’s Les Olympiades, Paris 13e, Julie Bezerra Madsen‘s moving All that remains to be seen and Rita Baghdadi‘s subversive documentary Sirens.