In September The Freyas, a new Nordic award gala for the film and television industry, will be held in Helsinki for the first time.
The event to be held at Finlandia Hall on September 22nd is supposed to reward the industry’s creators, but according to the organizers, the awards are only part of a larger project.
The goal is to build an international meeting place that rotates every year, which would bring the Nordic and Baltic audiovisual industry together and help them get more attention in the world.
The developers of the original idea for the gala, which refers to the goddess Freyja in Scandinavian mythology, are a journalist who has worked for a long time in Los Angeles Kirpi Uimonen and a helicopter entrepreneur Joonas Nurmi.
Also included are those who worked within the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and Golden Globe networks Anke Hofmann and Tina Jøhnk Christensen.
In the background so there is a group of people who know the world of international awards from the inside.
Uimonen himself was a member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, or HFPA, and worked in connection with the Golden Globes for a long time. However, according to him, Freyas’ idea was not born from the award, but from the fact that the small Nordic countries are trying to get the attention of the world one by one.
“Why do we do this individually? We don’t get the same attention.”
For years, Uimonen has helped Finnish filmmakers in Los Angeles and seen how filmmakers from other Nordic countries do similar work in their own markets.
“This is the result of many years of experience and communication with people in the industry and thinking about what we can really do together.”
Freyasista we want an annual place where the industry is presented to international players.
The idea extends beyond film and television. Audiovisual production can bring with it, for example, tourism and the gaming industry. Freyas would then be more of an export vessel than just a prize.
However, the first year is still an experiment.
“Nothing is ready until it’s done.”
Setbacks too has already come. No television partner was found for the first year, even though the organizers hoped for it. According to Uimonen, the financing is based on private main partners.
“We are bringing a slightly different financing model, which is not so common here in the Nordic countries.”
In 2027, the gala is planned to be held in Copenhagen, after which other Nordic countries and the Baltics are planned. The organizers also hope for co-Nordic funding later on.
“One year at a time.”
Golden Globe Award founded HFPA in the years 2021–2023 came under severe criticism for, among other things, diversity, conflicts of interest and ethical practices. In 2023, the organization was abolished and the Golden Globes moved under a new ownership structure.
Uimonen admits that maintaining transparency is a challenge, because for financial reasons it is not possible to include everyone.
He hopes that the success of the first gala could make it easier to get funding for the coming years.
“We hope that when this year is over, people will also have more credit and courage to go along.”
In Finnish in the film industry, the idea of a new award gala will receive a positive reception, at least initially. Master producer Ilkka Matila considers the Nordic joint stage a good idea.
“I definitely agree.”
Matila has experience with the Nordic Council’s film award, which aims to strengthen the visibility and status of Nordic cinema.
Matila closely followed the development of the award during her distribution company days, when she was organizing an award ceremony in Finland. At that time, industry players were already thinking about how to increase the recognition of the award.
“We thought about how to give it more weight. It never achieved the same status as the Oscars.”
None of the other filmmakers interviewed by HS consider the new prize problematic because of the Nordic Council’s film prize.
Director Dome Karukoski considers it valuable that the new awards gala creates encounters with Finnish and foreign creators
Finnish Film Chamber managing director Tero Koistinen examines the project from a practical perspective.
He suspects that it won’t be easy.
A one-time gala and an annual event are different things. If Freyas is to grow into a major media content, television companies should also see business in it.
“Television companies also have to want to make money from that content. At the moment, galas are mostly regarded as points programs.”
Still, Koistinen has a positive attitude towards the new award.
“Any positive visibility for the film is just a plus.”
“The project has good background forces.”
A project has been prepared for about a year and a half. Still, little has been heard about it in the Finnish film industry.
CEO of the Finnish Film Foundation Stuba Nikula says that he heard something was being planned, but was surprised at how far the project had progressed. Many other industry players also say that they only heard about the project shortly before or after it was announced.
According to Nikula, the Finnish Film Foundation is not involved in the Freyas project, but according to him, the Nordic film and cultural institutions could consider joining in the future. However, the decision should be made together.
“If it were to go into it, it would probably be decided that all the Nordic countries would go along.”
Stuba Nikula has been leading the Finnish Film Foundation for this month. He had mostly heard rumors about the award project.
The first onethe group of creators of the Helsinki gala, which will be held in about a month, is already well-known. Among others, Swedish actors are involved Alexander Karim and Nanna Blondell and Finns Ville Virtanen, Pekka Strang, Sara Soulié, Emmi Parviainen and Poisonous Airola.
Among the directors involved are Dome Karukoski, Zaida Bergroth and AJ Annila. Karukoski acts as one of the prize givers at the gala.
“In my opinion, the project has good background forces. And in a way, it has the idea of bringing Nordic culture and cinema to the fore. I think it’s a gratifying thing. Of course, I agreed to participate.”
In his opinion, the value of the event can arise especially from new encounters.
“Yes, it is already an asset in itself that these Nordic creators, producers and financiers meet more often and possibly even with American producers.”
The managing director of the Love and Anarchy festival agrees Pauliina Ståhlberg.
“This is a positive thing for the entire industry and for Helsinki. How the new award will establish its place, of course, remains to be seen.”
Correction 21.8. at 8:56 p.m.: Love and anarchy has not promised to be a partner for the new award gala, as was erroneously stated earlier in the story.