Finnish films win big in Norway

Teemu Nikki’s bleak, dark comedy Euthanizer (Armomurhaaja) continues to make a name for itself around the world, being presented with the International Federation of Film Critics’ FIPRESCI Award for Best Nordic Film.

The jury justified their selection of Euthanizer as follows: “It’s a formidable challenge for any writer or director to produce original takes on well-mined genre forms. But that’s just what director and writer Teemu Nikki has achieved on the splendidly dark Euthanizer.”

Euthanizer is also Finland’s official nominee for the Nordic Council Film Prize, the winner of which is selected from submissions from each of the Nordic countries.

Another Finnish film finding success during the festival in Norway was The 99 Steps Left from The Square, directed by Aalto University’s Sevgi Eker, which won the Next Nordic Generation Award for best film from Nordic film schools.

“This film contains a level of artistry that goes beyond what is expected from a student production,” the jury stated. “It tells a story of impending war and memories, successfully echoing masters like Tarkovsky.”

The third Finnish award recipient was the film project One-Off Incident (x10), or Yksittäistapaus in Finnish, a series of short films from multiple directors and screenwriters, which won the Best Project Award of the Nordic Co-Production Market.