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Finnish heavy metal comedy to premiere at SXSW
Heavy Trip (Hevi Reissu), a comedy about a fictional heavy metal band from a small village in Northern Finland, will have its world premiere at South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas, in March.
The film will thus become the first domestic comedy production to premiere at a festival of such prestige, says Kai Nordberg, one of the two producers of Heavy Trip.
“South by Southwest has become the most important film and entertainment industry event in North America,” he tells. “Acceptance to the festival offers us an opportunity to succeed in the United States and, consequently, in the global markets.”
Starring Johannes Holopainen, Minka Kuustonen and Ville Tiihonen, Heavy Trip is the story of an unknown heavy metal band formed by four small-town friends who get the opportunity of a lifetime to play at the hottest metal festival in Norway. What ensues is a heavy metal-filled journey to overcome obstacles ranging from stage fright to the armed forces of Norway.
Nordberg views that the film does a good job at combining some of the best export products of Finland: heavy metal, northern nature and, especially, oddball sense of humour.
Heavy Trip was directed by Juuso Laatio and Jukka Vidgren and produced by Making Movies, a film production company based in Helsinki. With a budget of three million euros, it is the most expensive comedy ever produced in Finland.