Finland Showbiz Latest News and Updates

Christopher Vourlias LevelK has boarded the dark comedic drama “The Kidnapping of a President” by Finnish director Samuli Valkama (“No Thank You”), the company announced this week in Helsinki. The film, which is produced by John Lundsten (“Renki”) and Melli Maikkula (“KilJuset”) for Tack Film, is based on the incredible, pulled-from-the-headlines story of the abduction of the first president of Finland.

Seeing the Northern Lights is something on the top of most people’s bucket lists and Iceland is one of the best places to spot them during the winter months. For a limited time Icelandair is offering a holiday package deal with flights, accommodation and tours all included for less than £500 per person.

As Race Across The World returns to our screens this week, fans of the BBC show will no doubt be impressed to hear that the upcoming series has received a very special Celebrity revamp. Every one of this year’s competitors will be a household name from across music, drama and sport, with a number of famous faces including McFly’s Harry Judd, All Saint’s singer Melanie Platt and even Good Morning Britain’s weatherman Alex Beresford taking on the gruelling challenge from Wednesday, 20 September.

Marta Balaga Be scared, be very scared: Skoop Media has dropped the trailer for new series “Raspberry Hill.” “It challenges children in a way that’s refreshing,” says Skoop Media’s head of acquisitions and marketing Fulko Kuindersma. “Nowadays, kids are more resilient than we give them credit for. ‘Raspberry Hill’ [‘Hallonbacken’] embraces this by delving into suspenseful themes, which also makes it appealing to parents.

Marta Balaga International Sámi Film Institute’s managing director Anne-Lajla Utsi will now add “trailblazer” to her résumé as the recipient of the first-ever Women in Film and Television International Peace Prize. The award ceremony will take place on Sept. 23 during the WIFTI Helsinki Summit.

Christopher Vourlias Finnish director Marika Harjusaari makes her feature debut with the female-centered, 19th-century-set horror “The Mire,” which follows a woman who must use her mysterious powers to save a Finnish village from a malevolent spirit. The film will be presented this week as part of a showcase of upcoming Finnish titles at the Finnish Film Affair.

Jehnny Beth has released a new ‘Live’ EP that features two new unreleased songs titled ‘More Adrenaline’ and ‘Amazing Life’.The two tracks feature Beth’s signature beats with ‘More Adrenaline’ being eclectic and eccentric. Lyrics such as “I’m in my bed/I had an orgasm and I lost my cigarette in my sheets” are followed by the anthemic chorus “More adrenaline / more adrenaline” ready to make any dance floor come to life.‘Amazing Life’ is a slower-paced tune that still has a heavy beat.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender.

Amy Nicholson “The Royal Hotel,” the setting of Kitty Green’s ulcer-inducing thriller, is a sun-baked bar in a rural Australian mining town surrounded by terrain so monotone that Canadian backpackers Hanna (Julia Garner) and Liv (Jessica Henwick) can’t keep their eyes open on the way in. The two young women arrive at their barmaid jobs with a sense palpable disorientation. They’ve quite literally woken up in Oz, and they don’t know the people, the customs, the nicknames for the local ales, or the way out.

Eurovision 2023 star Käärijä has teamed up with Tommy Cash for a new song and video – watch ‘It’s Crazy, It’s Party’ below.The singer became known for his huge Eurovision entry ‘Cha Cha Cha’, and has now returned with an even more intense second effort.“A big dream came true as I got to make a song with Tommy Cash,” he said in a statement about the new song.“I was on vacation after the Eurovision, sitting in a beach chair when I received a DM from Tommy. The song came together very quickly, and ‘It’s crazy, It’s party’ reflects both of our vibes.“Tommy is a top-notch artist, and I’ve learned a lot from him along the way.

Marta Balaga Finland is ready to compete with the famed Bergman Estate on Fårö, as a new residence program for Nordic filmmakers takes shape. Set in Söderlångvik, patron of the arts Amos Anderson’s former summer residence on Kimito Island in southwest Finland, it will target mainly actors and directors. The initiative, a result of a collaboration between Föreningen Konstsamfundet association – founded by Anderson in 1940 – and Helsinki Int.

Christopher Vourlias As part of its industry program running parallel to the Helsinki Film Festival — Love & Anarchy, which takes place Sept. 14 – 24, the Finnish Film Affair is presenting five local TV series currently in the works that will be pitched to potential co-producers, financiers, broadcasters, streaming platforms, sales agents and other international industry reps. The five projects will be presented on Sept.

Most of Manchester United’s international players have enjoyed plenty of game time over the past 10 days.

K.J. Yossman Finland-based animation studio Gigglebug Entertainment is launching a new adult-focused label and has already begun developing its first project, Variety can confirm.

Christopher Vourlias At its latest edition, which takes place parallel to the Helsinki Intl. Film Festival — Love & Anarchy, the Finnish Film Affair will again host its well-received Nordic Flair training program, an initiative designed to offer career development for film professionals from across the Nordic region. After a 2022 edition that focused on sales agents, distributors, buyers and broadcast commissioners, this year’s event will host actors working in one or more of the Nordic countries.

Ellise Shafer SkyShowtime, the European streaming home to releases from Paramount and Universal, has revealed its upcoming film and TV slate through the rest of the year, including “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” and “Poker Face.” Just one year since the streaming service’s launch in the Nordics and six months since its rollout in 20 more European markets, SkyShowtime is on track to have 50% of this year’s box office on the platform. “Less than a year since our launch, SkyShowtime boasts an impressive line-up of amazing content,” SkyShowtime CEO Monty Sarhan said in a statement.

Marta Balaga Caution! Kaisa El Ramly’s upcoming feature “Gateways & Dreams” has debuted a trailer, so watch out for moving vehicles. The tragicomic road movie, produced by Helsinki-based Inland Film Company and co-produced by Sweden’s Läsk, focuses on multiple characters stuck in their cars on one summer’s day, as well as one hitchhiker and a very special dog. Following its screenings at Helsinki Int.

Rasmus Hojlund says he was never worried about his transfer to Manchester United collapsing upon the discovery of his back injury, although he admitted it was a “rollercoaster” period of time.

Marta Balaga Director Katja Gauriloff has made history with “Je’vida,” the first feature shot in the Skolt Sámi language. “It’s my native tongue, but because of forced assimilation in Finland [of the Sámi people] I didn’t actually learn it. I am studying it only now,” she tells Variety ahead of the Toronto premiere.

Here are your Manchester United morning headlines for Saturday, September 9.

Denmark head coach Kasper Hjulmand could start Rasmus Hojlund against Finland on Sunday but will not play the Manchester United striker for the full 90 minutes.

EXCLUSIVE: Radu Jude’s Do Not Expect Too Much From The End Of The World, which has just been submitted as Romania’s official entry into the International Oscar race, has been picked up by Mubi for multiple key territories. 

EXCLUSIVE: Creatives behind Estonia – one of Scandinavia’s most expensive drama series of all time – have opened up about the ethical issues surrounding a show spotlighting a tragedy that claimed the lives of 850 people.

Remedy Entertainment has revealed new footage of the anticipated Alan Wake 2, and it featured a fan-favourite character from its 2019 title Control.The latest deep dive into the supernatural survival showed off combat, puzzles, and profiling of suspicious characters with one of its playable protagonists, Saga Anderson. Check it out below:What has fans in a spin is the reappearance of Ahti who is singing ‘The Finnish Tango’ at the start of the footage.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Abacus Media Rights has pre-sold the feature documentary “The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee,” to Sky Arts, SBS Television Australia; to NonStop Entertainment for Scandinavia, Iceland and the Baltics and to Movistar for Spain. Lee is known as the Dracula character and for transitioning from 1960s Hammer horror films to a distinguished acting career that encompassed James Bond films, the “Star Wars” and “Lord of the Rings” franchises. Less well-known are his aristocratic Italian roots, a close family connection to James Bond novelist Ian Fleming, Lee’s wartime experiences in the British and Finnish military, post-war Nazi-hunting adventures and a side career as a heavy metal rock singer. As an actor, Lee achieved a Guinness world record for the highest number of screen appearances. Produced in association with the British Film Institute and Trigger Films by Canal Cat Films, “Life and Deaths” is an innovative documentary which uses fresh interviews, archive material and multiple forms of traditional and cutting-edge animation, including marionation, to bring one of the world’s leading actors back to life on screen.

EXCLUSIVE: In a world where the space for specialist and non English-language cinema is shrinking in cinemas, it’s encouraging to see that Tokyo-based Gaga Corporation is committed to bringing a diverse range of theatrical releases to Japanese audiences. 

Rasmus Hojlund has confirmed a number of clubs were interested in signing him this summer but says his eyes were only set on Manchester United.

EXCLUSIVE: Nadia Forde has joined the cast of Conflict, the Finnish political thriller series from Rebellion director Aku Louhimies and XYZ Films.

Naman Ramachandran The European Film Academy has revealed the nominations for Lux – The European Audience Film Award. The nominated films are: “20,000 Species of Bees” by Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren (Spain); “The Teacher’s Lounge” by İlker Çatak (Germany); “Fallen Leaves” by Aki Kaurismäki (Finland, Germany); “On the Adamant” by Nicolas Philibert (France, Japan); and “Smoke Sauna Sisterhood” by Anna Hints (Estonia, France, Iceland).

Marta Balaga Mika Gustafson’s “Paradise Is Burning” – sold by Italy’s Intramovies and previously known as “Sisters” – has debuted a trailer and exclusive first clip ahead of its premiere in Venice Film Festival’s Horizons section. Set in Sweden, it sees young sisters Laura, Mira and Steffi trying to get by on their own after their mother leaves. When social services call, Laura comes up with a plan: in order to avoid foster care, she needs to find someone to impersonate their mom.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Beta Film has dropped the trailer for “Estonia,” a Scandinavian limited series about Europe’s deadliest civil maritime disaster. The eight-part cinematic show, which is represented in international markets by Jan Mojto’s Beta Film (“Babylon Berlin”), charts the sinking of the Ms Estonia on Sept.

Arguably the most famous or well-known filmmaker out of Finland, director Aki Kaurismäki, has made a career out of the deadpan; absurdist comedies with minimalism, sometimes defined by Shakespearean tragedy, very still minimal camera and witty drollery. The films of his that have a larger comedic bent have said to have a lot of kinship with the films of Jim Jarmusch.

Denmark manager Kasper Hjulmand has suggested Rasmus Hojlund will be fit to face Arsenal this weekend after naming the striker in his squad for the upcoming international matches.

Naman Ramachandran The 67th BFI London Film Festival has unveiled the titles that will compete in its official, first feature, documentary and short film competitions. Festival director Kristy Matheson said: “The films represented in each of these competitive strands offer audiences an exciting array of U.K. and global filmmaking voices and cinematic forms.

Loch Ness Monster hunters braving horrific weekend weather heard “four distinctive noises”. Around 200 volunteers took part in the biggest search for the mythical creature in 50 years.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Aki Kaurismäki’s Cannes Jury Prize winner “Fallen Leaves” has snagged the 2023 Intl. Federation of Film Critics (Fipresci) Grand Prix for best film of the past year.