Finland Showbiz Latest News and Updates

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.

The UK spends a lower percentage of its GDP on financial support for disabled people and sick workers than any other country in north-west Europe, the SNP has claimed.

Ellise Shafer Warner Bros. Discovery Europe has announced that it will air every match from this year’s U.S. Open on Eurosport and Discovery+ across 45 markets.

EXCLUSIVE: Madeline Zima (Californication) and Leonardo Nam (Westworld) are currently in production in Canada on Love Is the Monster, a new thriller they’re leading for filmmaker Alex Noyer (Sound of Violence) that has landed a SAG-AFTRA Interim Agreement. Others set to star include Moe Jeudy-Lamour (Ted Lasso), Kimberly-Sue Murray (Trader), Kristina Tonteri-Young (Warrior Nun), Milla Puolakanaho (Omerta), Tatu Sinisalo (Sisu) and Sheila Mccarthy (Women Talking).

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Noted Japanese director Ando Momoko (“Kakera: Pieces of Our Life,” “0.5mm”) has been named as the ambassador for this year’s Tokyo International Film Festival. She also features, alongside her father Okuda Eiji in the festival’s newly-released poster, which recreates a scene from Ozu Yasujiro’s “Tokyo Story” and in which Okuda and Ando represent the classic film’s Ryu Chishu and Hara Setsuko characters. The poster image, shot at the rooftop garden of Kitte Marunouchi Building, with Tokyo Station in the background, was designed by Koshino Junko, who has created the festival’s key visuals for the past three years.

Arctic Circle maker Yellow Film & TV, which calls itself the biggest independent production studio in the Nordics, has signed a Chief Content Officer and added to its drama department.

An "amazing" and "great value for money" spa in Perthshire is currently available to stay in for a bargain price.

‘Codename: Annika’: SkyShowtime Unveils Cast & Trailer

Naman Ramachandran World Productions (“Vigil,” “Line of Duty”) is producing a new season of hit series “Showtrial” for BBC One and iPlayer. Writer and creator Ben Richards (“The Diplomat”) returns for the series. In the show, when high-profile climate activist Marcus Calderwood is left for dead in a violent hit and run, he uses his dying moments to identify his killer – a serving policeman.

Lewis Hamilton has voiced his displeasure with the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA). In a new interview, he spoke about the organization and its problems with gender inclusion. Shakira and Lewis Hamilton starting ‘fun and flirty’ relationship: ReportLewis Hamilton, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Messi rank as the most loved athlete-owned clothing brandsEiza Gonzalez, Lewis Hamilton, and friends hang out in luxury yachtOne of the main problems with the FIA is that it defines “drivers” as male, leaving out the female gender.

Lorde performed her 2017 single ‘Green Light’ with Caroline Polachek at Sziget Festival 2023 last night (August 14) – check out the footage below.The Kiwi pop artist took her current ‘Night Vision’ show to the Budapest event’s main stage. She played 16 songs including a recently debuted new track, supposedly titled ‘Silver Moon’.To end the set, Lorde brought out Polachek after the singer played at the festival earlier yesterday evening.

EXCLUSIVE: Helsinki-based sales company The Yellow Affair has acquired world sales rights to the TIFF Centrepiece title JE’VIDA, a Sámi language historical drama by Finnish filmmaker Katja Gauriloff.

Marta Balaga FilmSharks has picked up world sales rights to Finnish children’s film “Snot & Splash: The Mystery of Disappearing Holes.” “It was a bidding war. They got offers from everybody,” said FilmSharks CEO Guido Rud. “Snot & Splash” (“Räkä ja Roiskis”) is produced by It’s Alive Films – founded by director Teemu Nikki and Jani Pösö – and set for distribution in its native Finland (Scanbox), Scandinavian sub distribution by Sweden (Folkets Bio) and Norway (Norsk Filmdistribusjon), and Italy in the spring (I Wonder Pictures).

Sequin- and self-actualization sprinkled congratulations are in order for Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie and all the dolls and guys as the phenomenon that is Barbie has now crossed $1B global in just its third weekend. We said yesterday it was on the cusp, and now here’s the pudding.

Virtual influencer Milla Sofia is garnering the attention of men on social media, posing in tiny bikinis, gorgeous gowns and even golf attire.There's only one catch: She's not real. The Finland-based influencer openly discloses on her platforms that she is an artificial intelligent bot, and on her website, Sofia is described as a "24 year old virtual influencer and fashion model." However, that has not curbed interest, with some social media users indicating they wish to meet her in-person. "A lot of people just don't read the description, and they just see a beautiful woman, and they just comment away.

Christopher Vourlias Estonia’s Taska Film, the production company behind local box-office hits such as medieval crime thriller “Melchior the Apothecary,” hits Locarno’s Match Me! industry sessions with a slate that includes Jaak Kilmi’s “Dirt in Your Face,” a coming-of-age rock drama set in the twilight of the Soviet Union backed in part by Apollo, the largest cinema chain in the Baltic region. The film follows 17-year-old Mihkel and his band as they go on a journey full of alcohol, protest and music to impress a Western producer visiting a rock festival in 1980s Soviet Estonia.

After a blowout debut weekend, Barbenheimer showed strong continued momentum at the international box office on Monday. Warner Bros’ Barbie for its part had the best Monday ever for the studio overseas at $32M from 69 markets (it also scored the studio’s best Monday domestically). The running offshore total through yesterday is $226.3M, bringing the global Kenergy to $414.4M.

A TV documentary titled Barbie Uncovered and an adaptation of Homer’s classic The Odyssey starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche are among the titles to receive cash during the latest round of U.K. Global Screen Fund awards.

Coldplay have added more shows to their upcoming European tour, set to kick off in summer 2024.The British indie-rock veterans announced details of their new tour last week (July 20) — set to kick off in June, and feature their first-ever live dates in Greece, Romania and Finland.Featuring stops across Europe – including dates in Italy, France, Germany, Austria and more – Chris Martin and co. have now added seven additional dates to the 2024 ‘Music Of The Spheres’ tour.Extra dates in Bucharest, Lyon, Rome and Helsinki have been added as of today (July 25), as well as an additional show in Dublin’s Croke Park Stadium at the beginning of September, making for three back-to-back shows in the Ireland capital.The 2024 tour – which shares its name with the group’s latest album, 2021’s ‘Music Of The Spheres’ – arrives on the heels of their ongoing 2023 stadium shows, which kicked off in May.

SAG-AFTRA has granted more waivers in recent days that give permission to indie projects to shoot during the current strike, including the independent film The Summer Book starring Glenn Close. Other recent projects that will be allowed to shoot include the TV series Underdeveloped and Sight Unseen.

Coldplay have announced a series of European stadium tour dates, set to take place in summer 2024. Find ticket information and a list of dates below.The new run of tour dates arrive on the heels of the band’s current 2023 stadium shows, which kicked off in May.

Still only 22, Lili Also has nonetheless been releasing music under various monikers for the last decade. Currently working under the name Knife Girl, she returns this week with her first new track since last year’s ‘Uniform’ album, a track called ‘Estrogen’.An aggressively positive piece of left-field dance-pop, she says of the track: “‘Estrogen’ is an expression of gender euphoria, and a celebration of my life and friends”.“When I wrote the lyrics, ‘I love my tits, I love my dick’, I had to stop for a moment to think if it was too provocative to say”, she adds.

Irish popstar Ronan Keating is officially playing Finland's Vauhtiajojen Race and Rock Festival this coming weekend, despite the devastating loss of his brother Ciarán on Saturday. Car salesman Ciarán was in a horrific car collision while on his way to watch son Ruairí play football for Cork City against Sligo Rovers, which led to Ronan, 46, to 'drop everything' while with his wife Storm and return home to Ireland.

EasyJet has announced new twice weekly Christmas flights to Lapland from Manchester Airport. The winter route will see flights to Kittila in Finnish Lapland - a new destination for the airline.

Kaytranada, Finnish superstar ALMA and Swedish-Finnish singer-songwriter Markus Krunegård have joined the main festival’s roster, along with other additions to its Backyard stage.Check out Flow Festival’s full line-up – complete with the latest additions – below.New additions to Flow Festival’s Backyard stage are Arp Frique and Coco María, who join previously announced acts Nooriyah, John Gómez, Kampire, Renata Do Valle, Awesome Tapes, HabibiFunk, Zakia, Gop Tun, Lil’ Tony, Ocean People, Marc Fred, Maria Wesander, and Dj Mojo.Previously announced performers for Flow Festival 2023 include Blur, Wizkid, Lorde and Christine & The Queens, FKA twigs, Caroline Polachek, Suede, Devo, Shygirl, Jockstrap, Moderat, Tove Lo, Amyl & The Sniffers, Kelela, Eris Drew b2b Octo Octa, Folamour, Jyoty, Kerri Chandler, Chaos In The CBD and more.The iconic Balloon 360° stage – which already had its line-up revealed in May – includes Horace Andy, Balming Tiger, DOMi & JD Beck, Meshell Ndegeocello, Alogte Oho and His Sounds of Joy, Nala Sinephro, Esa’s Afro-Synth Band, Kamazu, Jake Xerxes Fussell, Olli Ahvenlahti, Tumomo & Markus, Verneri Pohjola, Ne Galakktiset, Kaisa’s Machine, Elsi Sloan, Sonia, and Valtteri Laurell Nonet.Tickets for Flow Festival 2023 are on sale now – you can purchase yours here.

Formula One race car driver Valtteri Bottas is kicking back during a vacation with partner Tiffany Cromwell!

President Joe Biden was unable to attend King Charles III’s coronation — but he recently flew across the pond to sit down with the monarch for the first time.

easyJet has launched some new flights from two Scottish airports this festive season, including a new route from Edinburgh to Lapland. The budget airline has also put some brand new holiday packages on sale for six of the eight routes, reports Wales Online.

Boy meets girl is a tale as old as time and one that Finnish filmmaker Aki Kaurismäki has visited several times in a career that has spanned forty years, including in his latest romantic tragicomedy “Fallen Leaves.” His 20th feature film is a continuation of what’s been dubbed his Proletariat Trilogy, following “Shadows in Paradise,” “Ariel, “and “The Match Factory Girl.” While each film follows similar plotting, Kaurismäki places a direct emphasis on his unique working-class characters and a humanistic worldview, despite the external harshness of the world around them.  Continue reading ‘Fallen Leaves’ Review: Aki Kaurismäki’s Romantic Tragicomedy Finds Love In A Hopeless Place [Karlovy Vary] at The Playlist.

King Charles is set to have a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden next week.

Refresh for latest…: Disney/Lucasfilm’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is off to a disappointing start with a $130M global opening. Of that, $70M is from 52 international box office markets as the the fifth installment in the beloved 42-year-old franchise came in below projections.

unable to answer “easy” clues, making the show difficult to watch.One of the clues read, “Going straight to HEL? Then you’re on a direct flight to this northern European country.”The returning champion, Bryan, buzzed in to offer the answer “Helsinki,” which was incorrect – it was the name of the airport, but the clue asked for the country, which is Finland.The other two contestants failed to answer even after Bryan gave them the hint, which was irritating for one viewer.“I’m sorry, how did both of the other two contestants miss ringing in with ‘Finland?’” the person asked on Twitter. “Bryan practically handed the answer to them when he mistakenly said ‘Helsinki’ instead of naming the country.”Another contestant, Alicia, had some issues with figuring out the timing with her buzzer, causing her to not successfully buzz in until after the contestants’ intros were made, which made someone on Reddit wonder if this was a record for “the furthest a game has gone without one contestant successfully buzzing in.”Perhaps the biggest issue of the night happened in “Final Jeopardy.”The clue was “Centenarian ceramic artist Beatrice Wood helped inspire one of the main characters & narrator of this film from the 1990s.”The players answered “Ed Wood,” “Toy Story” and “Ghost” respectively, but none of those movies were the right answer – host Mayim Bialik revealed that “Titanic” was the movie referenced.One fan exclaimed, “Seriously @Jeopardy, some incredibly easy Final Jeopardy questions of late, and all 3 contestants tonight missed the movie, The Titanic.

"Jeopardy!" fans seem to have just as much fun taking issue with the game show as they do watching it. The latest example of this took place after Thursday night's episode, one in which viewers accused the contestants of being unable to answer "easy" clues, making the show difficult to watch.

The Match Factory has acquired international sales rights to Cinema Laika, a documentary feature about Finnish filmmaker Aki Kaurismäki and his process of building a personal movie theater in Karkkila, Finland.