Father Jacob wins top Jussi awards

by Annika Pham

01/02/2010 - Klaus Härö’s Letters to Father Jacob scooped top honours – for Best Film, Director, Actor and Music – at the annual Finnish Jussi Film Awards ceremony held in Helsinki last Sunday.

The Jussi awards crown the beautiful journey of this poetic drama that won several other main awards at international festivals in 2009, including Best Film at Cairo and Mar del Plata and the Jury Prize at Tallin’s Black Night Film Festival. The Kinotar Oy production is sold internationally by Film Sharks.

The 2009 Finnish box office hit Hellsinki by Aleksi Mäkelä also won four Jussi prizes, for Best Supporting Actor, Editing and Production Design, as well as the Audience Award.

The directorial debuts of Zaida Bergroth (Last Cowboy Standing) and Jukka-Pekka Valkeapää (The Visitor) picked up two Jussis each and Minna Haapkylä was awarded Best Actress for her performance in Jörn Donner’s The Interrogation. The award for Best Supporting Actress went to Amanda Pilke for her role in Dome Karukoski’s Forbidden Fruit.

Full list of Jussi award winners:

Best Film
Letters to Father Jacob [trailer], produced by Lasse Saarinen & Rimbo Salomaa

Best Director
Klaus Härö, Letters to Father Jacob

Best Actor in a Lead Role
Heikki Nousiainen, Letters to Father Jacob

Best Actress in a Lead Role
Minna Haapkylä, The Interrogation

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Peter Franzén, Hellsinki [trailer]

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Amanda Pilke, Forbidden Fruit [trailer]

Best Screenplay
Antti Raivio, Jan Forsström, Zaida Bergroth, Last Cowboy Standing [trailer]

Best Cinematography
Tuomo Hutri, The Visitor [trailer]

Best Music
Dani Strömbäck, Letters to Father Jacob

Best Sound Design
Janne Laine, Last Cowboy Standing

Best Editing
Mervi Junkkonen, The Visitor

Best Production Design
Pirjo Rossi, Hellsinki

Best Costume Design
Tiina Kaukanen, Hellsinki

Best Documentary
The Living Room of the Nation by Jukka Kärkkäinen

Jussi for Lifetime Achievement
Actor Lasse Pöysti

Audience Award
Hellsinki by Aleksi Mäkelä