Love & Anarchy
17.–27.9.2026

The spirit of Ingmar Bergman is present in this brutally beautiful, Cannes-dazzling tale that avoids unnecessary sentimentality as it delves into themes of love, grace, art and sisterhood.

This epic that instantly placed Mascha Schilinski among the top tier of arthouse cinema entwines the fates of four generations of women and girls on the same German farm.

In this mind-blowing film, a father, looking for his daughter with his son at a desert rave, are drawn into a perilous journey steeped in apocalyptic undertones.

In R&A’s Surprise Gala, we present a brand new Finnish film from a festival favourite director. Tickets on sale now!

Jafar Panahi’s Palme d’Or-winning new film delivers a scathing critique of Iran’s regime, telling the story of a group of people who, by chance, are given the opportunity to take revenge on their torturer — but do they have the right man?

A raw teen love story bathed in neon, this urban Chinese drama flirts with crime in admirably authentic fashion.

Siblings record intimate, everyday routines in a video diary to escape the sirens and reality of war during the bombings in Yugoslavia.

The latest film from Sylvain Chomet (The Illusionist, The Triplets of Belleville) is a beautifully poetic animated portrait of the life of Marcel Pagnol.

Fueled by love and anarchy, this Thai film is like a vacuum cleaner that’s swallowed genre after genre – only to cough up a vengeful horror comedy and a lustful ghost romance hybrid.

Hanna’s sheltered life in a New Age community in the Danish countryside is thrown into turmoil when her brother arrives unexpectedly, stirring up deeply buried traumas.

In this immersive hospital drama, a compassionate nurse struggles with the case of a severely malnourished young boy.

In Márta Mészáros’ feminist masterpiece, a middle-aged factory worker and a rebellious teenager defy societal expectations and make their own choices.

This epic-scale drama explores decades of Palestinian history through the story of a single family.

A captivating tale of two nurse friends in Mumbai, whose lives are thrown off course by an unexpected gift from a long-lost husband and a forbidden relationship with a Muslim man.

This award-winning drama from the Venice Film Festival paints a slow-burning, feminist portrait of Georgia, where an obstetrician who performs abortions on the side is held responsible for the death of a newborn.

The poetic new documentary from the director of Gunda follows architect Michele de Lucchi as he reflects on humanity’s relationship with nature, construction, time, and destruction.

Raised in a religious community, Aurora’s secret affair with an artist casts a shadow over her wedding day celebrations.

This Georgian film about a Jehovah’s Witness community delivers visually stunning but coldly realistic slow-cinema horror simmering beneath the surface — tailor-made for fans of Haneke and austere arthouse.

The final instalment of the Cairo trilogy is a sharp political thriller about a vain film star, offering a pointed commentary on the state of democracy in Egypt. The film will be followed by a fascinating Behind the Scenes discussion with director Tarik Saleh.

Elvira, a confident Sámi teenager, firmly believes that her mother conceived her at a Danish fertility clinic. She often daydreams about her father, envisioning him as a charismatic movie star. However, her world is turned upside down when her real biological father unexpectedly steps into her life. Tave-Taažân sajadum mainâs kuávdáást lii sämmilâš nuorâ Elvira. Nieidân lii muštâlum, ete suu enni lii sovâttum tanskalâš klinikkast, mutâ talle pääihi oolâ almostuvá suu olmâ eeči. Elvira maailm nubástuvá pisovâžžân.

Against the backdrop of roaring motocross bikes, this stirring queer drama follows two teenage boys as they fight against the suffocating values of their small town.

Set in present-day Tehran, this quietly playful film evokes the spirit of Jafar Panahi, weaving intergenerational dialogues about identity, belonging, and the fate of Iran.

Based on a Stephen King novella, Tom Hiddleston captivates in this beautiful drama that forms a puzzle-like portrait of one man’s life.

Inspired by Dostoevsky’s classic, this film is set in the urban greyness of Swedish-speaking Helsinki, echoing Pirjo Honkasalo’s Concrete Night.

Winner of the Berlinale Audience Award, this charmingly authentic drama portrays a deaf mother’s struggle to raise her child in a hearing world.

A feel-good coming-of-age story that premiered at Sundance, where music and a forbidden first love spark quiet rebellion in a teenage boy growing up in a small Macedonian village.

In this intense drama starring Jessica Chastain, a Mexican ballet dancer follows his extremely wealthy lover to the United States.

A high school girl falls head over heels for her teacher—but reality doesn’t quite match her rose-tinted dreams. The final part of Haugerud’s trilogy took home the top prize at Berlinale.

In the climax of Anna Eriksson’s film trilogy, Finland’s former Prime Minister causes a scandal at the Nobel Gala and vanishes into the desert of reality.

In this queer thriller, the bond between two siblings who love online role-playing games begins to fray when the brother falls in love and descends into the depths of the drug trade.

This vibrant and surreal animated documentary dives into the story of two half-brothers—one Indigenous, the other white—exploring identity, heritage, and connection.

Based on the final screenplay by veteran director Laurent Cantet, this coming-of-age story collides the intimacy of Call Me By Your Name with upheavals in global politics.

In this melancholic dramedy, siblings clear out the house of their deceased composer father.

Digging into the root cause of a mysterious illness leads to literal grave-digging in this award-winning, stylised South Korean folk horror.

Based on the hit video game of the same name, this Japanese thriller, about a man trying to find his way out of a subway tunnel, lands an immediate spot in the pantheon of unforgettable mindfuck movies. 

After the R&A screenings, we recommend continuing the evening at the official festival bar Juova (Kaisaniemenkatu 3)! With your festival ticket, you’ll get a 10% discount on drinks from the tap.

This documentary brimming with anarchist spirit brings history to life as it tells the story of a Croatian town’s struggle against a fascist poet-dictator.

A nurse is drawn into a reclusive woman’s haunted manor, where paranoia, superstition, and rituals take hold. This Irish folk horror nightmare grips tightly — right up to the cellar door waiting at the end of the hallway.

A visually and sonically stunning arthouse gem about Argentina’s gauchos, this long-awaited new film comes from the directors who charmed audiences with The Truffle Hunters (R&A 2020).

A college-bound girl goes on a hiking trip with her father and his old friend, but a vague sense of unease creeps in amid the forest in this indie drama reminiscent of Kelly Reichardt’s style.

In this psychological drama, a father must choose between telling the truth and protecting his teenage son after the boy causes a serious accident.

In this magical realist drama set on a volcanic island in Cape Verde, a girl who has lost her mother is sent to the foot of a volcano to be treated for a mysterious fever.

A gently affecting dystopian coming-of-age story set in the near future, in which a group of high schoolers rise up against their school’s chilling surveillance system.

Over the course of a fateful week, xenophobia and capitalism plunge a peasant community into chaos in this hallucinatory and painterly period piece.

In this surreal western, Buffalo Bill’s (John C. Reilly) Wild West show arrives in Italy, and gunfire behind the scenes sends two outlaw lovers on the run.

In this folk horror film inspired by the works of Dario Argento, a possessed woman resorts to every possible means to purge herself of evil.

Hayflower, Quiltshoe and the Hen is a delightful family film about friendship — and chickens.

Sofie eagerly starts her new job as a home care worker for the elderly, but the harsh realities of the role wear her down — and leave the viewer emotionally overwhelmed.

Blending psychological thriller with horror elements, this whodunnit kicks off when a burned Quran is found on a film set—dragging the crew into a tangled web of conspiracy.

In this intense drama, a widow pretends to be expecting a baby boy in order to save her daughter and home from a relative exploiting Jordan’s patriarchal inheritance laws.

This multi-layered documentary compiles 40 years of Swedish public broadcasting coverage on Israel’s escalating apartheid in Palestine, offering a deep dive into one of the greatest crises of our time.

When a small village park is threatened by new apartment buildings, a group of kids and their gang of dog band together to fight for its survival. An R&A experience for the whole family, with Finnish subtitles!

An experimental queer film about silence, desire, and the gaze—Chantal Akerman’s debut feature breaks narrative boundaries with an intimate touch.

One of Finland’s most distinctive auteurs takes a philosophical look at jukeboxes — those musical fixtures of bar corners — in the Spanish countryside.

One day under the Icelandic summer sun changes a young art student’s life in this quietly powerful drama that premiered in the Un Certain Regard selection at Cannes.

This hopeful documentary sheds light on the people behind Extinction Rebellion. The activists’ sense of community, solidarity, and care resonates deeply with the viewer.

In this surreal and Kaurismäki-esque tragicomedy, a jockey flees through the streets of Buenos Aires after an accident that caused the death of a prized horse.

Families that love, hate, and hurt. This competition screening includes new Finnish short films ÁHKUIN, A Night That Took Everything, Drawn in Water, Pantyhose and The Lightning Rod.

Cartographers of change – people in spaces and situations. This competition screening includes new Finnish short films Confessions of Undecided Women, Ocean Blvd, Revel and Room for a Break.

Relationships, people, nature. This competition screening includes new Finnish short films Try Me <3, Dollhouse Elephant, The Dance Roadtrip, Farewell to Snow – Snowplay and Priest and the Ugly Christmas Tree.

Five stories about memories and remembering. This competition screening includes new Finnish short films Memories Move Like Distant Islands, Memorabilia, Akira, A Sudden Appearance and In My Hand.

A look at the entire spectrum of humanity. This competition screening includes new Finnish short films Underdog, Speeding, of Course, Miss Paradise Beach, Invasive Species and My Name Is Hope.

Journey through the uncanny valley. This competition screening includes new Finnish short films Astro TV, The Grapes of War, IURIMA – A Tale of Three Fishermen, Final Scenes of Disaster Movies and Tempest of My Eyes.

This screening that concludes the 2025 National Competition showcases all the winning short films awarded by the Jury and the audience.

A candy-coloured and daring queer musical, in which a lesbian princess sets out to rescue her ex from the clutches of white hetero maliens.

A mother and her teenage daughter’s volatile relationship plunges deeper when the daughter makes new friends. In this powerful Estonian thriller, motherly love is both tender and dark.

Lucia’s world is shaken at a choir camp in an Italian monastery when a fellow chorister awakens forbidden feelings. This tender coming-of-age story feels like something from Sofia Coppola or Céline Sciamma.

In this fast-paced family film, a Norwegian band travels across the country to compete in a rock music contest.

A nightmarishly absurd tale of filmmaking in 1910s Latvia, this feverish kindred spirit to Guy Maddin blends history, fantasy, mysticism, and cinephilic references with unrestrained imagination.

Step aside, Paris — Oslo is now the city of love. A summer night is full of possibilities as glances are exchanged between strangers on a ferry weaving through the Oslo archipelago.

This breathtakingly painterly period piece from a master of slow cinema dismantles the myth of a Portuguese explorer (Gael García Bernal) and exposes the perils of colonialism.

In this gonzo comedy starring Chloë Sevigny, an American media crew ends up stumbling through the wrong small town in Argentina while chasing their next viral sensation.

Tielle is only thirteen when her father invites her to sleep beside him on a shared cot for the night. This stunning debut fiction portrays a cycle of abuse on a paradise island in the Amazon — through the eyes of a child.

The Australian animation, nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars, is the long-awaited new release from director Adam Elliot, who captivated audiences with his film Mary and Max.

Old friends wander through a changing Seoul in this wistful urban portrait that follows in the footsteps of the Before trilogy and Hong Sang-soo.

Christian Petzold’s latest film is a minimalist, Hitchcockian chamber drama in which the presence of a recovering stranger forces a family to face the ghosts of their past.

In this slow-burning thriller produced by Ulrich Seidl, a battered MMA fighter moves to Jordan to coach the daughters of a wealthy family — young women fighting for autonomy, and for the right to defend themselves both mentally and physically.

Bathed in vivid colors, this equatorial noir follows a young man on the run after a job goes wrong. He hides out in a sex motel and begins a dangerous affair with the owner’s wife.

A commuting magician (Crispin Glover) gets stuck in a claustrophobic horror hotel straight out of a fever dream of Tim Burton and the Coen brothers.

Teenage girl Fanny and her parents spend a leisurely summer together, knowing that it will be the mother’s last.

Young boys set off on an unforgettable adventure with their father in early 1990s Lagos — but political unrest casts a shadow over their journey home.

Cillian Murphy wows as a father, whose heart is shattered by a dark secret from Ireland’s recent past, in this drama based on Claire Keegan’s novel.

Richard Linklater’s ode to the joy of cinema dives into the amusing twists behind the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s legendary film Breathless.

This Cannes-awarded drama by Palestinian brothers blends politics and crime cinema — with a Tarantino twist.

I Am Not Your Negro director Raoul Peck returns with a searing new documentary on the life and works of George Orwell — told in the author’s own words.

The cult California band Pavement has iconic 90s albums, a museum, devoted fans, and a reunion tour – and now a film that stylishly scrambles it all somewhere between documentary and fiction.

A stripped-down, Pedro Costa–esque stoner film where a traumatised generation of Egyptians drifts into the apathetic embrace of hashish to escape the shadows of reality.

Ira Sachs’ captivating hangout film takes us into the 1970s New York art scene, where a photographer (the magnetic Ben Whishaw) crosses paths with Susan Sontag and Allen Ginsberg.

This moving and deeply humane drama follows three women from Côte d’Ivoire living together in Tunisia, whose fragile bond is tested when a child orphaned at sea comes into their care.

School Kino Shorts film screening presents a charming selection of European animations for young film lovers. The screening features a colorful group of different characters in a variety of situations: performing a hilarious musical, soaring over the night sea, digging a tunnel to the other side of the Earth, and even adventuring in space!

A heartbreaking documentary about Fatma Hassona, a young Palestinian photographer killed in an Israeli airstrike, told through video calls between her and the filmmaker.

A refugee family seeking asylum in Sweden falls into crisis when their daughter slips into an unexplained coma after the family receives a negative asylum decision.

Need a break between screenings? Try our online game that combines creative problem solving and urban adventure!

Showcasing the most amazing new African short films, this screening features community, love stories, and Khadar Ayderus Ahmed’s (The Gravedigger’s Wife) brand new short.

These short films about various difficult choices and moral reflections force the viewer to think: What would I do in the same situation?

This screening brings together the short film filmography of award-winning director Hilke Rönnfeldt, whose work, characterised by an inquisitive and fearless look at all things human, has been screened at R&A throughout the years.

In this screening, which explores the relationship between humans and modern technology, we encounter generational differences, get into game aesthetics, establish contact with the deceased, and create various connections with an AI chatbot.

This screening, curated by AV-arkki, features four experimental films by filmmakers of Iranian descent focusing on questions about remembrance, places and movement.

Groups, squads, teams – communities can form around many different things. In this screening we encounter dogs practicing a play, a choir getting lost in a stairwell, and a strange ritual in a small Swedish village.

The biggest Nordic film festival dedicated, but not limited to, fantasy, horror, sci-fi, action, and cult films offers once again an exhilarating lineup of genre shorts for the R&A audience.

Warrior Princess Xena, period apps, incels and dress codes. These short essay films take a look at body politics, technology and internet culture through feminist screens.

This short film screening explores the realm of the uncanny valley and features a stone singing for its freedom, a girl who explodes into the air every day, and an astrological hotline.

Showcasing the best new Nordic short films, this screening includes the huge festival hit, heartbreaking Icelandic drama O.

Friendship, hanging out, difficult conversations (and techno) – this short screening focuses on the stories of boys and young men exploring modern masculinity.

Full of queer giggles and grins, this screening offers a selection of comedic LGBTQIA+ shorts.

Compiled in collaboration with the Refugee Film Festival, the short films in the screening take a look at topical issues relating to refugee and human rights.

A screening full of visual delights and aesthetic experiences – this is a full package of the year’s most stunning shorts!

Curated by the Indigenous people’s film festival Skábmagovat, the screening showcases a selection of fresh short films from Sápmi.

This selection showcases Turku Animated Film Festival’s award-winning shorts from the previous year, bringing a diverse collection of the best contemporary animation to the screen.

Moving through different times, this short film screening takes us from the witch hunts of the 16th century to the not-so-distant future, where, in a world ravaged by the climate crisis, fruit can only be found in archive films experienced through a VR head set.

The screening explores the inner worlds of women and children in the 60s and 70s through portrayals of work and play in early short films by three masters of cinema, Mai Zetterling, Márta Mészáros and Chantal Akerman.

Film Tonight! presents a DJ Party at Kino Konepaja.

You can enjoy this KUTIKUTI comic exhibition in Bio Rex Lasipalatsi throughout the festival.

This children’s workshop organised by R&A at Helsinki Comics Festival introduces participants to storyboarding. In this fun workshop that combines the worlds of film and comics, participants will explore visual storytelling and have a guided opportunity to create their own storyboards themselves.

Love & Anarchy presents a panel discussion at Helsinki Comics Festival, exploring the role of storyboards in both film and comics. Panelists include comics artists Anssi Rauhala, Kivi Larmola, and Maria Björklund and director Dome Karukoski.

Come join this Jäbät & Tunteet community discussion about gender roles and especially masculinity in films, held alongside the shorts screening Boy Friends. The shosrt

This free screening of the Extinction Rebellion documentary Rebellion for Future will be followed by a discussion on modern activism.

This festival celebration of queer parenthood features a performance of parts of the work Pantteri ja minä by Jani Toivola, examining parenthood and intergenerational love.

Uusi Juttu media house presents their first ever live Kerma talk at Love & Anarchy. The discussion by journalists Oskari Onninen, Sonja Saarikoski and Vaula Helin is loosely related to the film Fiume o Morte! that will be shown after the discussion. The discussion is in Finnish.

The cinematic fall gets a flashy start with the world premiere of a brand new PMMP documentary on Helsinki’s Citizen Square.

R&A’s opening night continues in Bar Loose! Get drink offers with festival tickets and passes.

Give yourself over to absolute pleasure! In R&A and Korjaamo’s interactive afterparty screenings held after the festival, we celebrate the 50-year old cult classic with a bang.

Come test your film knowledge at Juova! Two team-based movie quizzes put your expertise to the limit and reward teams with free drinks or movie tickets. A moderately challenging quiz will be held on September 21, while you can experience a more demanding challenge on September 27.

The lovechild of Amélie and Anora, this pulsating, dazzling queer fever dream unfolds during a night at Club Babel, where the dance floor crackles and destinies change in an instant.

This visually breathtaking, phantasmagoric tale depicts a humanity that has abandoned dreams—but one creature dares to dream on. A woman enters its dreams to uncover the truth.

In this bittersweet autofiction film, a young filmmaker travels to the Spanish coast to uncover the hidden past of her deceased parents.

In this film by Guy Maddin and collaborators, the G7 summit goes off the rails, when the ultra-rich — crooked to the core — are devoured by zombies. Produced by Ari Aster and starring Cate Blanchett!

This thriller based on true events follows aid workers trying to protect a Muslim man from a Christian militia — without endangering the safety of their colleagues.

In the second part of the Cairo Trilogy, a student finds himself caught in a political power struggle after a powerful grand imam dies.

The legendary Quay Brothers return with a surreal new ghost story, blending stop-motion animation with a dreamlike train journey through Eastern Europe.

Spanish indie rock pioneers Los Planetas take the main stage in a captivating music film – essential viewing for any self-respecting indie connoisseur!

F*ck the cistem!? A Sundance favourite, this film passionately explores gender identities, normativity, and subcultures through the lens of young love.

This heart-warming comedy unpacks the questions of masculinity through the conversations and monologues of two middle-aged chimney sweeps and their families.

Three brothers are trying to built a time machine in order to bring their late mother back to life in this Greek combination of cosmic horror and scifi.

This painfully honest dramedy tells the story of a student whose life is shaken up by a traumatic encounter with a teacher.

This feel-good screwball comedy starring Dakota Johnson is a blend of fast-paced situations, zany mishaps, and just the right touch of light romance.

In this magical coming-of-age story awarded at the Venice Film Festival, an undocumented, pregnant teenage girl lives on a sugar plantation in the Dominican Republic, where abortion is illegal and men get away with everything.

After a drunken scuffle with a vending machine, a man predicts bombings in Tokyo during a police interrogation—and moments later, one goes off. This taut Japanese thriller has its world premiere at R&A!

Set against the sun-drenched Mediterranean, Lina Wertmüller’s class comedy blends lightness and gravity in a subversive and original way.

In this gently offbeat sci-fi satire partially made with Finnish talent, Love Lies Bleeding meets David Cronenberg’s body horror visions.

Awarded at the Berlin Film Festival, this magical realist satire tells the story of Tereza, who defies a regime that oppresses the elderly and escapes into the Amazon jungle.

Kristen Stewart’s directorial debut is a fierce and ambitious portrayal of how trauma can ultimately be transformed into art.

In this visually stunning coming-of-age story, a high school girl who sees other people as colours searches for her place in the world—and ends up starting a band.

Dating is hard — but being a lonely bachelor in China might be even harder. The documentary follows three men searching for love with a dating coach in a society with tens of millions more men than women.

Tilda Swinton dazzles in Joshua Oppenheimer’s satirical anti-musical, which follows a family that has fled the post-apocalyptic world into a luxury bunker.

Three actors reinterpret ancient comedy in this landmark of feminist cinema from Mai Zetterling—still strikingly relevant today.

A chillingly timely drama about a woman crushed by the machinery of a heteronormative and patriarchal society.

Based on archival footage, this grippingly topical documentary breathes life into history with sharp humour, fresh insights, and clever connections.

Love for manta rays drives a former Marine to take a stand for a persecuted species. This deep-sea diving documentary is a powerful statement on the urgency of environmental activism.

The fish are gone, the friends have left, yet something keeps a Faroese youth anchored in a withering village. Why stay when there’s no future?

Winner of the Queer Palm, this tender coming-of-age story follows young Fatima as she balances her emerging queer identity with the traditions of Islam.

Arriving from Cannes to Helsinki, this breakup story tenderly explores the complex web of family, love, and shared memories.

R&A favourite Kelly Reichardt’s ironically titled crime comedy set in the 1970s stars Josh O’Connor as the world’s worst art thief.

This Cannes-awarded debut blends queer drama, subtle magical realism, and western stylings in 1980s Chile.

The Cairo Trilogy’s opening chapter follows a police officer (Fares Fares) investigating the murder of a nightclub singer, only to uncover a web of lies leading to the highest levels of power.

In this Korean action thriller, an aging hitwoman teams up with a young and reckless rookie.

In this Cannes-lauded fable, a 9-year-old girl is tasked with baking a birthday cake for Saddam Hussein at her school — despite the severe food shortages in dictator-led Iraq.

Unresolved family tensions erupt at a summer gathering in this metaphysical new drama from the filmmakers behind The Girl with the Spider, delving into the undercurrents of human relationships.

In this delightfully eccentric Orpheus adaptation set in Minsk’s underground scene, a musician searches for his magical sweater under the looming threat of nuclear war.

The ugly stepsister of The Substance smashes the Cinderella fairytale to bits with outrageous satire and splatter-soaked body horror.

A fascinating documentary about Antti Jalava, a Swedish-Finnish writer who was among the first to write about the immigrant experience in Sweden.

This moving documentary takes viewers into Ukrainian schools, where life goes on in the midst of war.

In a dry and darkly humorous depiction of idealism in the midst of Stalin’s Great Terror, a young prosecutor and an imprisoned Bolshevik meet.

Time and identity blur in this dreamily hazy visual narrative that delivers sharp commentary on the responsibility and power of those who write (queer) history.

This absurd dramedy from an alternate-reality Farsi-speaking Canada nods to the masters of Iranian cinema and great surrealists, while cooking up its own thick and flavorful stew.

In this Cameroonian crime drama, no-nonsense police chief Billong investigates the murder of a fellow officer, uncovering deep tensions between tradition and change.

This sympathetic documentary follows the lives of first-generation retired immigrants living in Finland.

A prisoner and a filmmaker form a bond in a women’s prison in Greenland. This intimate documentary explores trauma, hope, and the possibility of new beginnings.

In R&A favourite Hong Sang-soo’s latest, which premiered at Berlinale, a young poet meets his girlfriend’s family for the first time.

In this snappy German comedy, awkward family secrets come to light when a girl unexpectedly develops telepathic powers.

Masha, a modeling student, and Misha, a mysterious morgue worker, find each other in this singular love story that was awarded at the Locarno Film Festival.

This powerful documentary brings global attention to Gaza’s thriving parkour culture — a form of resistance that has survived despite Israeli oppression.