The Karhupuisto Film Festival is growing many times over

The event organized in Helsinki’s Kallio was awarded an honorable mention of the Helsinki city’s culture award and the Matti Pellonpää film culture award.

The size has multiplied in the second festival, which takes place from 7th to 13th. September

Last year only seven feature films were shown, now there are more than twenty that have been confirmed. Short film screenings will be on. The festival also expands beyond the borders of Kallio.

The number of screenings will quadruple, but the Karhupuisto Film Festival will still remain in the small category. Last year, 7,000 people attended the event. This year’s goal is more than ten thousand.

The capital region’s big festivals – Espoo Ciné starting in August and Rakkautat & anarkiaa in September – show over a hundred films. Last year, approximately 19,000 people visited Ciné and 53,000 people visited R&A.

In addition, a small Lapinlahti film festival is organized in August, which attracts viewers with free screenings.

The quantity instead, Karhupuisto challenges established events with quality.

The organizers have toured the Cannes, Berlin and Rotterdam film festivals in search of films, some of which were arranged for Nordic premieres.

They got a British-Nigerian as their opening film Olive Nwosun directed by Ladynwhich is about female taxi drivers and sex workers.

Awarded by the critics at Cannes, by the French Marine Atlani class trip description The Gravida is emerging as the film event of the fall.

Noah Seganin an American crime drama directed by The Only Living Pickpocket in New York will have its Nordic premiere at Kallio Church.

Common the denominator is urbanism. In the nearby blocks of Karhupuisto, you won’t see rural romance or deserted islands.

The city’s number one festival Rakkautat & Anarkiaa has been promoting its special urbanity since 1988. Newcomers still don’t feel like they’re stepping onto the grounds of an established operator.

“I feel that these festivals are different”, the producer Mete Sasioglu says.

He works for the Sons of Lumière production company that organizes the event. Pop Up Kino, which organizes outdoor screenings, also participates in producing the festival.

“Our idea here is to not show movies in cinemas, but to use various other spaces and urban environments as part of the movie experience.”

He believes that there are enough good films even for traditional film festivals.

Last year’s performance venues, Sirkus Suosalo’s tent, Kallio’s summer street and Kallio’s church, will be joined by new ones. The most significant addition is the Alō event space on Pengerkatu, which is known as the old space of the Group Theater and the cinema of the last century.

A skate movie will also be watched at the Suvilahti DIY skatepark, which will be rolling soon.

A film festival the organizers call their event a city culture festival. There is a talk show, gigs, a movie screening and clubs. Many international guests arrive to speak. Let’s organize Pusikalia movie Theme walk celebrating the 15th anniversary.

See you at the open outdoor show Jim Jarmuschin Night on Earthin connection with which is organized Matti Pellonpää – appearance contest. The doppelgänger of the relaxed actor is chosen by the one appearing in the film Sakari Kuosmanen.

From the threshold discounted with free shows and ten-euro tickets aimed at the needy. A normal ticket costs 15 euros and a supporter ticket costs 25 euros.

“This is by no means a commercial activity,” says Sasioglu.

Funding has been received from the Kordelin Foundation and the City of Helsinki, which has made it possible to take a small risk in the distribution of films.

The goal of the organizers is not to grow the event, but to keep it a surprise.

They have also inspired European film people to consider whether a film festival could be organized in the surprising premises of Stockholm or Istanbul.

Karhupuisto Film Festival software.