27/03/2023 - Female filmmakers – and karaoke – clearly triumphed at the ceremony held to dish out the “Finnish Oscars”

The recipients of the Feat of the Year Award on stage during the ceremony (© One Take Productions)

Finland’s annual Jussi Awards, dubbed the “Finnish Oscars”, were given out on 24 March, with Girl Picture [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alli Haapasalo
film profile] taking home the Best Film trophy. The movie was also awarded for Best Direction, Best Script and Best Editing. Actor Pekka Strang hosted the gala.

Alli Haapasalo’s drama about three girls navigating relationships, family issues and their own ambitions was particularly appreciated at Sundance as well, having snagged one of the Audience Awards, while Cineuropa wrote: “While the final result is uneven, it’s a film that has clearly listened to many voices speaking up these days and delivered what they’ve been asking for: someone’s sexual orientation is not a big deal, the sex is consensual and it doesn’t need to mean anything, and if someone happens to watch too much porn, make no mistake – he shall be informed.”

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

Another Sundance breakout, the ambitious psychological horror Hatching [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Hanna Bergholm
film profile], about a girl who finds a rather unusual bird-like friend, took home two awards, for Best Make-up and Best Set Design, as well as the coveted Nordisk Film Award, worth €20,000, given to cinematographer Jarkko T Laine, producer Mika Ritalahti, screenwriter Ilja Rautsi and director Hanna Bergholm.

“Screenwriter Ilja Rautsi had this idea from the start. He had this one sentence in mind: ‘A girl hatches an evil doppelganger out of an egg.’ It’s a child, a pet, a friend, then maybe just her mirror image,” Bergholm told Cineuropa. “When Tinja takes care of this hideous, disabled creature and loves it as it is, the creature starts to evolve. When she rejects it and tells it to go away, it changes again. Love makes you whole, and rejection breaks you.”

Other award-winning titles included Anna Paavilainen’s music biopic Kikka! [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Bubble by Aleksi Salmenperä, Heartbeast [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (with Air’s very own JB Dunckel crowned as the winner for Best Music) and the Cannes-premiered The Woodcutter Story [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mykko Myllylahti
film profile] by Mikko Myllylahti, with Einari Paakkanen’s Karaoke Paradise [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Einari Paakkanen
film profile] named Best Documentary. “Paakkanen really makes you want to sing along throughout his sweet, touching film,” read Cineuropa’s verdict.

The Lifetime Achievement Award – aka the Concrete Jussi – went to actor Esko Salminen. The audience also chose their favourites: MC Helper beKINGs, directed by Kaitsu Walfrid Rinkinen, followed by JVG-elokuva: Vuoodet ollu tuulisii by Taito Kawata and Miika Särmäkari, and Lauri Nurkse’s Koskinen.

The Feat of the Year Award was given to choreographer Pia Rickman and actress Saara Kotkaniemi. Rickman was the first person in Finland to train as an intimacy choreographer, while Kotkaniemi has published a report on intimate scenes in Finland.

The Jussis are awarded by the Filmiaura association, with the candidates also chosen by a jury consisting of industry professionals Satu Tuuli Karhu, Ville Jankeri, Hanna Kauppi, Kalle Kinnunen, Pinja Mustajoki, Laura Naukkarinen, Max Ovaska, Kaisa Pohjola, Jari Olavi Rantala, Mikko Sippola, Konsta Sohlberg and Juha-Matti Toppinen.

Here is the full list of award winners:

Best Film
Girl Picture [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alli Haapasalo
film profile] – Alli Haapasalo

Best Director
Alli Haapasalo – Girl Picture

Best Leading Role
Sara Melleri – Kikka! [+see also:
trailer
film profile]

Best Supporting Role
Ilkka Heiskanen – Hit Big [+see also:
trailer
interview: J-P Valkeapää
film profile] (Finland/Estonia)

Newcomer in Acting
Stella Leppikorpi – Bubble

Bright Spot of the Screen
Linnea Leino – Girl Picture, Witness the Fitness, Lapland Odyssey 4

Best Script
Ilona Ahti, Daniela Hakulinen – Girl Picture

Best Cinematography
Kerttu Hakkarainen – Heartbeast [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (France/Finland/Germany)

Best Music
JB Dunckel – Heartbeast

Best Sound Design
Jorma Kaulanen, Peter Albrechtsen – The Woodcutter Story [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mykko Myllylahti
film profile] (Finland/Denmark/Netherlands/Germany)

Best Editing
Samu Heikkilä – Girl Picture

Best Set Design
Päivi Kettunen – Hatching [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Hanna Bergholm
film profile] (Finland/Sweden)

Best Costume Design
Tiina Kaukanen – Kikka!

Best Make-up Design
Marina Ritvall, Conor O’Sullivan – Hatching

Best Documentary
Karaoke Paradise [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Einari Paakkanen
film profile] – Einari Paakkanen

Best Short
All My Mom’s Phone Calls – Iiti Yli-Harja

Nordisk Film Award
Jarkko T Laine, Mika Ritalahti, Ilja Rautsi, Hanna Bergholm – Hatching

Audience Awards
MC Helper beKINGs - Kaitsu Walfrid Rinkinen
JVG-elokuva: Vuoodet ollu tuulisii - Taito Kawata, Miika Särmäkari
Koskinen - Lauri Nurkse

Feat of the Year
Pia Rickman, Saara Kotkaniemi

Concrete Jussi
Esko Salminen