The Finnish Film Affair, held in Helsinki as part of the Helsinki Film Festival’s industry conference, announced its main award winners. Naima Mohamud’s debut feature “Halima,” a comedy centered on a 10-year-old Somali girl navigating life in Finland during 1998, secured the top prize for Best Fiction. The film represents a notable milestone as the first Finnish feature film directed by a Black female filmmaker. Mohamud, a former BBC journalist based in Dublin and Helsinki who studied at London Metropolitan University and USC, drew inspiration from her own family experiences and childhood in Finland. The project, produced by It’s Alive Films in collaboration with No-Office Films and Ireland’s Vico Films, is currently in post-production with a planned delivery for fall 2027.
The jury panel, which included U.S. producer Jodi Hildebrand, British Film Institute representative Phoebe Hall, and festival director Fernando Vasquez, praised the director’s distinctive voice and the film’s fresh perspective on a rarely-depicted era of Finnish society. The recognition also marks a significant moment for It’s Alive Films, known for productions including “Euthanizer” and “The Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic,” as their first feature not directed by company co-owner Teemo Nikki.
In the Nordic category, the €3,000 Best Nordic Film Award from the Amos Anderson Fund went to Norwegian filmmaker Emilie Beck’s suspense drama “11 Hours.” The film, inspired by actual events, follows a daycare hostage situation and features an ensemble cast including Ingrid Bolsø Berdal and Jan Gunnar Røise. Production is scheduled for domestic release in September 2027 through Scanbox.
Teenu Niukkanen’s “Sauna Diplomacy” received the inaugural €2,500 Best Genre Project award, sponsored by Post Control Helsinki and Angel Films. The comedy, set during the summer of 1970, explores Cold War-era tensions through a weekend encounter between a Finnish civil servant and a Soviet diplomat at a lakeside cottage. Nordisk Film has pre-acquired distribution rights for the Nordic region, with production anticipated to commence in 2028.
The €3,000 AVEK Best Documentary Award was presented to Anna Antsalo for “Darkness Counts,” produced by Venla Hellstedt. Industry observers noted the high caliber of projects showcased at the event, with attendees from major European production companies and festivals commending the selection quality.
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