Teemu Nikki: Last News

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Italy’s I Wonder Pictures has boarded Finnish comedy “The Player” as a co-producer ahead of its bow at Haugesund’s industry sidebar New Nordic Films.  The company will also handle local distribution. The project is directed by Teemu Nikki and produced by It’s Alive Films’ Jani Pösö.  “I consider Teemu Nikki as one of the best European directors. He is brilliant, prolific and always surprising,” Andrea Romeo, I Wonder Pictures’ general manager and head of acquisitions, told Variety.  “I think that his cinema will be increasingly appreciated in the world, as well as in Italy. His movies always talk about important issues, keeping a perfect balance between black comedy and auteur cinema. It’s also a great pleasure for us to work with a producer like Jani and a company as prestigious as It’s Alive Films.”

Marta Balaga “Euthanizer” director Teemu Nikki will walk down “Memory Lane” next, making his English-language debut. In the film, a thirtysomething actress is hired by a company called Memory Lane. But she has to keep things secret, even though business is booming.

Christopher Vourlias In 2022, the world’s first-ever higher-education program for social media was launched in Tampere, Finland, and Finnish director Jussi Sandhu was given unprecedented access for his feature debut “But I’m No Influencer,” which is part of a showcase of upcoming Nordic projects being presented this week at Helsinki’s Finnish Film Affair. Sandhu, a veteran editor who’s worked alongside filmmakers including Teemu Nikki (“The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic”) and Håvard Bustness (“Phantoms of Sierra Madre”), was there on day one when the so-called “influencers academy” opened its doors at the Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK), the director’s alma mater.

Anita Lee, the move comes in response to the emergence of younger audiences driving the post-pandemic box office rebound, reshaping audience tastes in both U.S. independent cinemagoing and at film festivals.

Anna Marie de la Fuente In the lead up to its January theatrical release in Scandinavia and in Italy next Spring, Finnish adventure comedy “Snot & Splash: The Mystery of Disappearing Holes” (“Räkä ja Roiskis”) is sharing its trailer exclusively in Variety. FilmSharks CEO Guido Rud, who picked up world sales rights to the children’s film at the Locarno Film Festival in August, said: “Finnish cinema is known for having a high level of creativity, but a fantasy/adventure film like this one with a super refreshing plot is bound to be well received in cinemas, platforms and festivals, some of which have already booked the film from summer to the fall.” The family film from director Teemu Nikki is produced by It’s Alive Films, founded by Nikki and Jani Pösö, and displays the dark, witty humor of his previous films, including “The Player,” “The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic,” “Nimby,” sci-fi comedy “LoveMilla” and “Euthanizer,” Finland’s Oscar submission in 2019. Poland’s Orka and Post Control Helsinki are co-producers.

Marta Balaga “Death Is a Problem for the Living,” now also in Italy. The Finnish black comedy, directed by Teemu Nikki of “Euthanizer” fame, will premiere at the Rome Film Festival in October. “I am so proud of everything we have made together, especially ‘Euthanizer’ and [Venice Horizons Extra winner] ‘The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic,’ but this one is certainly the most consistent.

Marta Balaga FilmSharks has picked up world sales rights to Finnish children’s film “Snot & Splash: The Mystery of Disappearing Holes.” “It was a bidding war. They got offers from everybody,” said FilmSharks CEO Guido Rud. “Snot & Splash” (“Räkä ja Roiskis”) is produced by It’s Alive Films – founded by director Teemu Nikki and Jani Pösö – and set for distribution in its native Finland (Scanbox), Scandinavian sub distribution by Sweden (Folkets Bio) and Norway (Norsk Filmdistribusjon), and Italy in the spring (I Wonder Pictures).

Valdimar Jóhannsson’s Lamb has won the 2022 Nordic Council Film Prize.

The 2022 Nordic Council Film Prize Nominees Announced The five nominees for the prestigious Nordic Council Film Prize have been announced. The list of nominees includes Joachim Trier’s Oscar-nominated The Worst Person in the World, Hlynur Pálmason’s Godland, Teemu Nikki’s The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic, Lamb by Valdimar Jóhannson, and Clara Sola, directed by Nathalie Álvarez Mesén. The Nordic Council Film Prize, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, is awarded to “an artistically significant, Nordic-produced full-length feature film with cinema distribution”. The award comes with a €41,000 cash prize shared equally between the winning film’s director, screenwriter and producer. The winner will be announced on November 1 at a ceremony in Helsinki, Finland. Last year’s winner was Flee directed by Jonas Poher Rasmussen.

Marta Balaga Five Nordic features are nominated for the Nordic Council Film Prize. The prestigious recognition, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, was first awarded to Aki Kaurismäki’s “The Man Without a Past.”Hlynur Pálmason’s “Godland,” Teemu Nikki’s “The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic,” “Lamb” by Valdimar Jóhannson, Joachim Trier’s Oscar-nominated “The Worst Person in the World” and “Clara Sola,” directed by Nathalie Álvarez Mesén, will all vie for the award.It is billed as a prize that celebrates “a unique filmmaking vision, deeply rooted in Nordic culture” and comes with a sum of DKK 300,000 ($40,000), shared equally between the director, screenwriter and producer.