Finland’s largest film festival, Helsinki International Film Festival – Love & Anarchy, is scheduled to run for the 26th time from September 19th to 29th, 2013. This year the festival showcases a record number of films – 339 in total. For the first time in its history, HIFF also shows films in Espoo, where the nominees for the Nordic Council Film Prize will be screened in Kino Tapiola.
Throughout its history, HIFF has strived to present new trends in the international film arena. The festival focuses on films that have stirred discussion and invites interesting filmmakers, such as Joshua Oppenheimer , who has directed one of the most talked-about documentaries of the year. Mr. Oppenheimer will be present at the screening of his film THE ACT OF KILLING on Friday, September 6th at Maxim. Another highly anticipated guest is Tom Berninger , who has charmed festival audiences around the world with his first documentary MISTAKEN FOR STRANGERS. The film, which opened Tribeca Film Festival, shows Berninger following his older brother’s band The National on tour, trying to make a documentary about them. In the end, the film tells more about finding one’s own place in the shadow of a successful family member. The National will give a concert in Helsinki October 31st.
Yuri Bykov from Russia comes to the festival with no less than two movies; THE MAJOR (Maior) and TO LIVE (Zhit ). The festival is also visited by director Srdan Golubović and screenwriter Srdjan Koljević , whose film CIRCLES is part of the BALKANIZE! series. Circles , which studies the results of the war in former Yugoslavia, has won awards at the international film festivals in Sundance and Berlin.
Another guest at this year’s festival is Dag Johan Haugerud , whose feature debut I BELONG (Som du ser meg ) is Norway’s nominee for the Nordic Council Film Prize. I Belong was awarded Norway’s most important film price for best director, best film and best female lead. HIFF also welcomes director Erik Skjoldbjærg and producer Christian Fredrik Martin , whose oil-drilling thriller PIONEER will premiere at Toronto International Film Festival.
Surprises at the table and on the programme Warwick Ross , whose wine documentary RED OBSESSION will be released in Finnish theatres in November, comes to Helsinki to take part in a special culinary screening of his film. The special screening culminates in a film dinner with a wine theme at Restaurant Sunn. The themes of the other special screenings of the culinary series Haute Cuisine are mussels (MUSSELS IN LOVE) and Spanish fine dining (TASTING MENU).
A new addition to the programme is Chan-wook Park’s STOKER, which stars Nicole Kidman and Mia Wasikowska. Another new addition is Danny Boyle’s TRANCE, a psychological thriller that plays out in the art world. Even though the festival catalogue and the screening schedule are published on September 6th, there will be surprise-fields in the schedule where films are published later.
Virtual guests discuss their short films at HIFF’s new online festival The festival showcases a large selection of short films, a total of 163 works, which is more than ever before in HIFF’s history. The short film series offers a possibility to get to know new Finnish and Nordic filmmakers in particular. For the first time, a selection of the short films will also be shown at HIFF’s new online festival. Through the online festival Love & Anarchy can provide film experiences to a global audience.
via press release
