Three European co-productions get FFF support
by Annika Pham
In its last two rounds of production support, the Finnish Film Foundation awarded a total of €4.450.000 to ten new feature films, including three co-productions with Europe.
Magic Crystal by Antti Haikala is a €4.4m 3D animated film produced by Finland’s Epidem ZOT in co-production with Italy’s Cartoon One. Co-financiers include Channel 4 Finland and Sandrew Metronome. It tells the story of a magic crystal that makes it possible for Santa to multiply his efforts to distribute presents to children around the world. But Santa's crooked assistant Basil has a diabolic plan.
JP Siili, who directed last year’s third most successful local hit, the musical film Ganes [+see also:
trailer
film profile], has just started shooting the €1.4m film Blackout, co-produced by Axman Production ( Czech Republic). The psychological thriller centres on a successful cardiac surgeon who partially recovers his memory after one year in a coma and sets out to find the person who shot him in the head.
Kid & Killer, the story of a friendship between a16-year-old boy and a Chechen man, will be directed by Hannu Salonen (Downhill City). The €1.2m film currently shooting is produced by Finland’s Juonifilmi, in co-production with Germany’s Philipp Honberg Filmproduktion, and Estonia’s Allfilm.
Other projects include Forbidden Fruit by Dome Karukoski (Beauty and the Bastard [+see also:
trailer
film profile]), a €1.4m drama set in an apostolic Lutheran community. The film produced by Helsinki Filmi will start filming on May 14.
Mika Kaurismäki (brother of Aki and director of Brasileirinho) will start directing The House of Branching Love in July. The film centres on a 30-something husband and wife who decide to make each other pay for the ill treatment and injustice they feel they endured during their marriage. The €1.3m film is produced by the director’s company Marianna Films.
Fallen Angels, the directorial debut of actor Heikki Kujanpää, will be a family drama starring Tommi Korpela (A Man’s Job [+see also:
trailer
film profile]). The €1.3m project is produced by Blind Spot Pictures.
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