15/01/2014 - Finnish directors Pirjo Honkasalo and Aku Louhimies each received ten nominations for the Finnish national film prize, which Filmaura will announce on February 2

Finnish directors Pirjo Honkasalo’s Concrete Night [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and Aku Louhimies’ 8-Ball [+see also:
trailer
interview: Aku Louhimies
film profile] will both be considered in 10 categories, when Finland’s Filmauri – the association of film professionals – presents the Jussi awards at a February 2 gala in Helsinki.

38 local films premiered in 2013 qualified for the national prize; after Honkasalo and Louhimies, both nominated for Best Film and Best Director, Dome Karukoski’s Heart of a Lion [+see also:
trailer
film profile] andSimo Halinen’s Open Up to Me [+see also:
trailer
film profile] are competing for four statuettes.

Based on Finnish author Pirkko Saisio's 1981 novel, Concrete Night follows the last 24 hours of Ilkka’s freedom before going to jail, which he spends with his 14-year-old brother Simo, who admires him immensely.

In Louhimies’ crime drama, 8-Ball,Pike has just left prison - she wants to start a quiet life with her child. But her ex-lover shows up, bringing back the passion between them and the past she wants to forget.

FULL LIST OF 2014 JUSSI NOMINATIONS

Best Feature:

8-Ball. Prods: Marko Antila, Tero Kaukomaa.

Concrete Night. Prods: Misha Jaari, Mark Lwoff.

Open Up to Me. Prod: Liisa Penttilä-Asikainen.

Heart of a Lion. Prod: Aleksi Bardy.

Above Dark Waters [+see also:
trailer
film profile]. Prods: Jukka Helle, Markus SElin

Best Director:

Pirjo Honkasalo, for Concete Night.

Dome Karukoski, for Heart of a Lion.

Aku Louhimies, for 8-Ball

Best Actress:

Jessica Grabowsky, for 8-Ball.

Leea Klemola, for Open Up to Me.

Armi Toivanen, for 21 Ways to Ruin a Marriage [+see also:
trailer
film profile].

Best Actor:

Eero Aho, for 8-Ball.

Peter Franzén, for Open Up to Me.

Martti Suosalo, for A Patriotic Man.

Best Supporting Actress:

Anneli Karvinen, for Concrete Night.

Matleena Kuusniemi, for Above Dark Waters.

Amanda Ooms, for The Disciple [+see also:
trailer
film profile].

Best supporting Actor:

Pirkka-Pekka Petelius, for 8-Ball.

Jasper Pääkkönen, for Heart of a Lion.

Jari Virman, for Concrete Night

Best Original Screenplay:

Simo Halinen, for Open Up to Me.

Pirkko Saisio, Pirjo Honkasalo, for Concrete Night.

Heikki Vuento, Auli Mantila, Matti Ijäs, J-P Passi, for Things We Do for Love [+see also:
trailer
film profile].

Best Cinematography:

Peter Flinckenberg, for Concrete Night.

Robert Nordstöm, for The Disciple.

Konsta Sohlberg, for Village People.

Best Musical Score:

Lau Nau, for Princess of Egypt [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jan Forsström
film profile].

Månskensorkestern, Olli Tuomainen, for Finnish Blood, Swedish Heart [+see also:
trailer
interview: Mika Ronkainen
film profile].

Allu Tuppurainen, Pessi Levanto, for Rölli ja kultainen avain [+see also:
trailer
film profile].

Best Sound Design:

Jan Alvermark, for Concrete Night.

Micke Nyström, for Princess of Egypt.

Kirka Sainio, for 8-Ball

Best Editing:

Samu Heikkilä, for 8-Ball.

Niels Pagh Andersen, for Concrete Night.

Harri Ylönen, for Heart of a Lion

Best Set Design:

Petri Neuvonen, for 8-Ball.

Pirjo Rossi, for The Hijack That Went South.

Pentti Valkeasuo, for Concrete Night

Best Costume Design:

Riitta Peteri, for The Disciple.

Saija Siekkinen, for Concrete Night.

Anne-Maria Ylitapio, for 8-Ball

Best Make-Up:

Mari Vaalasranta, for 8-Ball.

Riikka Virtanen, for The Hijack That Went South.

Riikka Virtanen, for A Patriotic Man

Best Documentary:

Alaska Highway. Dir: Aleksi Salmenperä.

Finnish Blood Swedish Heart. Dir: Mika Ronkainen.

Soundbreaker. Dir: Kimmo Koskela