Mr. Erkko Lyytinen (b. 1973) is the new Artistic Director of DocPoint – Helsinki Documentary Film Festival. Mrs. Virpi Suutari leaves her post to continue her career as a filmmaker. Mr. Jari Matala continues as Executive Director of the festival. The 8th edition of DocPoint festival will be held in January 2009.

Suutari, appointed as Artistic Director in 2007, was awarded a three-year state grant for documentary filmmaking in 2006. After a year of festival work she returns to full-time filmmaking. The previous edition of DocPoint festival held in January 2008 gathered close to 23 000 visitors. “I have been priviledged to be able to contribute to a high quality festival such as DocPoint. The year was a success: we had a record number of admissions and the event was in many ways more international than ever before. It has been moving to see that despite the current trend of media tabloidization, people still come to the cinemas, in the heart of winter, to see documentaries, the realities of which aren’t always entertaining or uncomplicated. In these films the reality is being searched from behind the truth. I wish my follower and director colleague Erkko Lyytinen an exiting journey!” says Virpi Suutari.

“The task of DocPoint’s Artistic Director is a great challenge for a filmmaker: you have to put yourself in the role of a spectator and learn to present questions as a spectator and not as a filmmaker”, Erkko Lyytinen points out. “The main theme of the forthcoming festival will be the concept of truth. While watching a film the spectator constantly estimates whether it is true or not. At the same time the concept of truth is complex. Truth and the exposure of truth will be the overall theme of the film selection. This way it is most natural that the programme will have a social dimension”, Lyytinen outlines his future programming policy.

The unique tradition of having an active documentary filmmaker as an Artistic Director continues at DocPoint. Films directed by Erkko Lyytinen include The North Star (2004), awarded in the festival Visions du Réel, DOK Leipzig and with a Finnish Telvis award for best documentary of the year. His filmography also includes Borderland Bachelors (2003), featured in DocPoint programme in 2004, and his latest work The Purge (2007), which depicts the story of a Finnish romany family. Lyytinen has also directed many television documentaries and television series.

Erkko Lyytinen has a Master of Arts degree from University of Arts and Design Helsinki, School of Motion Picture, Television and Production Design. He also has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lahti University of Applied Sciences, Institute of Design. Lyytinen has been a member of board in The Association of Finnish Film Directors and in The Finnish Documentary Guild.