Helsinki International Film Festival – Love & Anarchy’s industry event, the Finnish Film Affair, will showcase Finnish films to international film industry professionals for the seventh time. Finnish actress Laura Birn will receive the second Nordic Flair Award as part of Finnish Film Affair’s sidebar event Nordic Flair. Finland’s biggest film industry event will unfold in Helsinki from September 25th to 27th, 2018.
Actress Laura Birn is the recipient of this year’s Nordic Flair Award. The award is granted each year to a top Nordic talent who is helping to put Scandinavia front and centre on an international level. Birn is awarded for her inspiring and inspired work in a variety of roles she has played in both Finnish and international films and television series. A recent example is her role in the Netflix’s show The Innocents. The award is given by Helsinki International Film Festival – Love & Anarchy and its industry sidebar Finnish Film Affair. The first Nordic Flair Award was given in 2017 to Danish Game of Thrones actor Pilou Asbæk.
Finnish Film Affair is hosting nearly a hundred international guests for the three-day event and willshowcase the latest Finnish films to international industry professionals. Attending sales agents, distributors, TV buyers, festival programmers and representatives of the press will have a front row seat to the most interesting upcoming Finnish films and local filmmakers. A selection of completed Finnish films will be screened, and upcoming projects presented, including works in progress and development, both documentaries and fiction. The lineup consists of 28 completed films and 25 projects in production or development.
As the demand for audiovisual content is larger than ever, the importance of film industry events and markets is growing year by year. Finnish Film Affair is a crucial tool for many Finnish producers and filmmakers to introduce their work to international film industry professionals and buyers. Many Finnish films have found a sales agent, co-production partner, visibility in the trade publications and important future contacts while attending the Finnish Film Affair.
This year’s Nordic Flair programme, created to help and further Nordic talent’s international career development, has a focus on actors. Finnish Film Affair has invited ten top casting directors from the Nordic countries, Europe and the UK to lead an audition for Finnish and Nordic acting talent. The programme also includes industry panels discussing topics related to casting and actors’ career development.
