The 2022 Finnish Film Affair Best Documentary Project Award was handed September 22 to Mohamed El Aboudi The Last Chapter, produced by Icebreaker Productions. The documentary follows three immigrants in Finland: Paul (87), Justin (68) and Sisto (69), who face the question of where and how they want to play out their closing years. The film is produced by Kirsi Mattila.
“The project tackles complex and universal questions that will become more and more relevant, and haven’t been touched before. The jury felt the creative intention of the director very strongly and believes this award can help the project realise its potential,” said the jury, which consisted of Pierre-Alexis Chevit, Head of Cannes Docs, Poppy McAlister, Sales Manager at TVF International, and Shane Smith, Artistic Director at Hot Docs.
Sponsored by AVEK, the award is worth 3,000€ and will go towards making an international trailer for the project. A recording of the pitching showcase will be available for delegates after the event.
The 11th edition of the event has attracted its biggest attendee number to date with almost 500 delegates attending on-site. “Compared to our last non-hybrid edition in 2019, we’ve had a 25% increase in attendance. It really shows the strength and appeal of both the local industry and our event,” comments Head of Finnish Film Affair & Nordic Flair Maria Pirkkalainen.
Events on September 23 include the Co-Producing with Germany Industry session (Bio Rex, 11.30-12.30) during which moderator Marta Balaga will discuss with international producers how recent fruitful co-productions have been initiated and nurtured… and what’s next. Doc producers in attendance include Heino Deckert from Ma.ja.de Filmproduktion (Invisible Demons) and Marianne Mäkelä from Napa Films (Game of Minds). The discussion is organised in collaboration with German Films and Creative Europe Media Desk Finland.
The XYZ masterclass – developing growth strategies for success at home and abroad (Bio Rex, 14:00-15:30) will comprise an in-depth conversation with experts in film, television, documentary and animation about the opportunities and challenges in the domestic and international marketplace. “The goal of the masterclass is to break down the key components of growth in constantly changing and unstable circumstances,” say organisers. The masterclass is moderated by Aram Tertzakian, co-founder of Los Angeles-based XYZ Films, and hosted by Fanny Heinonen, film specialist at Film Tampere.
