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Distinctive Finnish documentaries at DocPoint - Helsinki Documentary Film Festival

The Finnish documentary films for the 2010 DocPoint - Helsinki Documentary Film Festival have been selected. The Jury selected 15 films for the New Finnish Documentary Films programme and 9 films for the Finnish Film Schools programme. In addition, one Finnish film will be included in the Special Screenings and one in the Arrivals programme.

The ninth annual DocPoint festival will take place in various cinemas around Helsinki between January 26th and 31st 2010.

The New Finnish Documentary Films 2010

The members of this year's Jury were MP Pekka Haavisto, film director Lenka Hellstedt, documentarian Jouni Hiltunen, editor Minna Joenniemi and the Artistic Director of DocPoint Erkko Lyytinen.

Altogether 66 films were sent for the programme. Films included in the New Finnish Documentary Films programme go beyond cultural boundaries. The selected documentaries are powerful, distinctive works, demonstrating that the documentarians have a deep understanding of their medium. While it is difficult to point out a single common denominator, the programme includes several documentaries exploring men. Another prominent theme is the Finnish history.

Auf Wiedersehen Finnland (dir. Virpi Suutari, For Real Productions Oy, première at DocPoint) Between Dreams (dir. Iris Ohlsson, Nisi Masa) In the Shadow of a Doubt (dir. Pekka Lehto, First Floor Productions Oy, première at DocPoint) Göring's Baton (dir. Pia Andell, Of Course My Films, première at DocPoint) Iceberg Shadow (dir. Antti Seppänen, Illume Oy) A Man from the Congo River (dir. Jouko Aaltonen, Illume Oy, première at
DocPoint)
The Magnetic Man (dir. Arto Halonen, Art Films Production AFP Oy) Tomorrow Was Yesterday (dir. Jukka Kärkkäinen, Mouka Filmi Oy) Portrait of a Man (dir. Visa Koiso-Kanttila, Guerilla Films, première at
DocPoint)
Steam of Life (dir. Joonas Berghäll & Mika Hotakainen, Oktober Oy, première at DocPoint) Traffic Jam (dir. Arthur Franck and Oskar Forstén, 4KRS Films, première at
DocPoint)
Strawberry Girl (dir. Arja Pettersson, Hurjaruuth) Magical Power (dir. Jean Bitar, Jean Bitar Films Oy) Fight of Fate (dir. Mohamed El Aboudi, Road Movies Oy, première at DocPoint) 44500 MAX (dir. Jari Kokko, Karlik Films)

Special Screenings:

Earth Evocation (dir. Markku Lehmuskallio and Anastasia Lapsui, Giron Filmi Oy)

In the Arrivals programme:

Fingerprints (dir. Kati Juurus, Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE, première at Docpoint)

Documentary Films from Finnish Film Schools 2010

Films were selected by documentarian Jouni Hiltunen and the Artistic Director of DocPoint Erkko Lyytinen. The most surprising and refreshing among the nine selected films were the ones that allowed the documentarians to go out into international surroundings.

A Kosovo Fairytale (dir. Anna-Sofia Nylund and Mark Middlewick, Samantha Nell, Arcada) Inversion (dir. Johanna Erholtz, TUAS Arts Academy) The Little Snow Animal (dir. Miia Tervo, University of Art and Design
Helsinki)
Mangoldi – Helsinki – Zucchini (dir. Johanna Lehto and Jaakko Koskinen, Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences) My Joburg State of Mind (dir. Anna-Sofia Nylund, Mark Middlewick, Arcada) R is for Realdoll (dir. Katja Niemi, TUAS Arts Academy) Soulful (dir. Sini Jääskeläinen, Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied
Sciences)
Outer Space Girl (dir. Anumirjami Tukia, Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences) Enemy as a Friend (dir. Nina Rahkola and Hanna Koivisto, Diaconia University of Applied Sciences)

On Tuesday 26th January, the documentary Steam of Life (Miesten vuoro), by Joonas Berghäll and Mika Hotakainen, will open the DocPoint festival at cinema Bio Rex. In the film, one of the Finnish national institutions, sauna, and the Finnish landscape provide the opportunity for an intimate encounter between men.

As part of the Special Screenings, Earth Evocation (Maan muisti) by Markku Lehmuskallio and Anastasia Lapsui will be screened at DocPoint. The film encourages us to question our identities.

The history and background of Finnish identity and the Finnish documentary is explored in a retrospective which portrays the change in Finnishness through short films produced by famous photographers Aho & Soldán. In association with the National Audiovisual Archive, the selection of Aho & Soldán films from the 20s and the 30s will be screened at the Orion cinema. The programme is exceptional, as some of the films have not been screened for 20 years. The company produced over 400 films. Through these films, the international image of Finnish people became more varied as the films provided a peek into a developing and an industrious Finland.

Finnish film projects for DocPoint Encounters

Film projects for new international distribution and marketing project DocPoint Encounters have been selected. The productions are:

From Next Door (dir. Tuija Halttunen, Elokas Cooperative) Love is Enough (dir. Mia Halme, Avanton Productions) Once I Dreamt of Life (dir. Jukka Kärkkäinen, Mouka Filmi Oy) Reindeer Spotting (dir. Joonas Neuvonen, Bronson Club) Red Forest Hotel (dir. Mika Koskinen)

DocPoint launched a distribution, funding and networking project Encounters to offer Finnish filmmakers opportunities to present their forthcoming productions to the acknowledged professionals in the industry.
The professionals participating are Claire Aguilar (Independet Television Service, ITVS) from USA, Peter Jäger (Autlook Filmsales) from Austria, Esther van Messel (First Hand Films) from Switzerland, Anne-Laure Negrin
(ARTE) from France and Greg Sanderson (BBC) from UK.

DocPoint Encounters takes place in Helsinki on January 28th and 29th.

DocPoint Videotheque

Professionals accredited for DocPoint Videotheque will be able to view the entire festival programme of DocPoint 2010, as well as a comprehensive repertory of all New Finnish Documentary Films from previous DocPoint festivals, starting from 2002. Production information and additional material is also available.

The Videotheque is located at the festival hotel Scandic Marski and serves during the festival from Wednesday 27th to Sunday 31st of January 2010 (open Wed-Sat 10am-8pm, Sun 12am-5pm).


Additional information and press material:

Sanna Paakkanen
Press Coordinator

DocPoint - Helsinki Documentary Film Festival Fredrikinkatu 23, 00120 Helsinki, Finland Tel. +358 46 616 1232 press@docpoint.info www.docpoint.info