Dance music, young designers and Finnish films making a splash in the US

Je’vida will have its world premiere in New York City. The film, the first in the Skolt Sámi language, is one of eight films selected to be screened in the International Narrative Competition at the Tribeca Festival in June. Directed by Katja Gauriloff, the film “sheds light on the meaning of culture, language and memories, and above all, on the community of the Skolt Sámi in the era of forced assimilation,” writes the Finnish Film Foundation.

Tarja Turunen’s Outlanders has released a new track, A Peaceful Place (Return To The Oasis). Outlanders is Turunen’s collaborative project with EDM artist Torsten Stenzel. BraveWords says the duo has succeeded in “creating something exciting and new: the music combines relaxed but exciting electronic beats with Tarja’s emotional, classically trained voice and unique guitar performances”.

A new film festival, Finntastic! New Films from Finland will take place in Washington, D.C, in June. It will showcase feature and short films, including Hatching and Tove, directed by Finnish female directors. Behind the event are the Finnish Film Foundation, the American Film Institute, the National Art Gallery and the Embassy of Finland.

Karhu is back in the camping theme with a new The Forest Rules collection. The collection features two new shoes and highlights wildlife protection and safety. According to Hypebeast, it “communicates natural conservation rules to keep our forests secure for years to come”. (Photo: Karhu)

Action film Sisu is gathering positive reviews in the US. Forbes’ Scott Phillips, who saw the film at the Panic Fest film festival, describes it as “the best 90 minutes of genre film-making I’ve seen this year. […] It stakes its claim to action perfection by being 90 minutes of pure momentum”. The film, set in 1945, tells the story of an ex-soldier battling Nazis as he discovers gold in the deep wilderness of Finland.

Paavo Siljamäki has released his debut solo album following the success of the dance music trio Above & Beyond. Billboard talked with Siljamäki, known as POS, about experiencing burnout, getting back to electronic music and the new album. “Hopefully, there’s somebody [in the same position] I was three years ago reading this, and they can see that sometimes struggle can lead to new rediscoveries and alignments for one’s life,” he commented.

Soon you can visit the Espoo Museum of Modern Art, EMMA, anytime and anywhere. This is made possible by a new online version, EMMA Zone, the museum is opening. According to Yle, it will feature “regularly updated videos, interviews, podcasts and articles about art, design and a new online museum experience”. 

Interior Design magazine has picked its favourites from SaloneSatellite, an event dedicated to young designers at Milan’s Salone de Mobile exhibition. Among them is Antrei Hartikainen, a Finnish “master cabinetmaker” and designer. Hartikainen showcased his Melt furnish collection, carved out of untreated Finnish pine.

Andy McCoy has re-released his latest album, 21st Century Rock. The former Hanoi Rocks guitarist first released the album in 2019, but it was hit by the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The re-release news is well received by BraveWords, which writes: “This is an album that deserves the fair shot it never got, a soon-to-be classic from a veteran rocker who manages to revive the glory days of his youth while still looking toward the bright future ahead.”

Tove Jansson biopic Tove is one of the feature films shown at Finntastic! film festival in Washington.