When young inexperienced filmmakers / entusiasts / amateurs in Finland want to make film and show it to some audience, do they have any platform for it, even officially blessed or it´s more like underground thing?

The development of lighter equipment obviously lowers the threshold to begin making no budget / low budget productions. There’s only one film school providing master’s degree in film making, the Aalto University. Then again, there are several colleges that provide lower level education. In the 90’s even too many of these were found, which unfortunately causes some unemployment in the field. I think that more and more underground projects get made, a few of them even end up as feature films for the movie theatre.

What were your beginnings as a film maker? Did you just pick up camera, bunch of friends and saved money and did it or you had professional guidance and grants from ministry?

I’m from a working class background, and as a teenager I did not really allow myself to dream of working in film. Later, when I studied philosophy and literature in Helsinki University, I decided to apply to film school. I got lucky. I think that without entering film school I wouldn’t have had the courage to start making films independently or otherwise.

You cooperate with filmakers in Estonia and Georgia.Is it because they have money and you have know how or because they give conditions you would not get at home and such mutual conditions help you to be independent?

My last film was made as Finnish–Estonian co-production. Most Finnish films are domestically financed by Finnish Film Foundation and one of the national tv-channels. This amounts to one million euro budget at the most, and at the current cost of filming, a very limited amount of shooting time. An international co-production will help budget wise, but also, for example in case of Estonia – with lower cost in shooting. That’s why we shot Rat King in Estonia. My previous film Black Ice was Finnish–German co-production, and in that case we did picture and sound post production in Berlin, although the film was shot in Finland. My next film, Absolution will have a co-producer from Ireland, which means that the film editor and composer will come from Ireland, as well as the whole post production of that film

What do you think it´s insentive for amateur/independent filmmaker:
a/ make a film he wants to make with his ideas even if he doesn´t make it big hit
b/ get a recognision and maybe offer from big studio which would enable him to make film and money which would enable him to do more films on his own
c/ pin point at certain issue which someone can pick up and make it big budget movie which would reach millions all over the World

I’m quite sure that making a film requires quite a lot of will power and enthusiasm. The starting point may either be an idea that you simply have to follow, or a more general love towards the process. I feel that a really well made short film might be most suitable calling card on the way to making a financed feature film.

"I feel that the most interesting films need to have some contact point with the film maker’s own life. This might have to do with something that the film maker has met in her life or just a unique outlook of life"

Do you think working in mega cooperation with many states can be the way how to make „down to Earth“ topic film, be outspoken and ovoid dictate from big studios?

I don’t have experience in working with big studios, but I’m quite sure that in Europe a film maker has greater control over the content of the film.

What is the most important thing for enthusiastic filmmaker to start his career with? Education, good script, sheer determination and effort, technique or knowing right door where to knock?

As I mentioned earlier, for me the film school was essential. However, a very good script combined with some sort of sample of a director’s ability to bring her/his vision to screen may also be a route to making features. At any case lot of enthusiasm and perseverance will be required from a director.

What do you try to say with your movies? Point at some sore, interesting social issue, say your inner feelings or just make good, funny story that you dreamt about or saw in real life?

I feel that the most interesting films need to have some contact point with the film maker’s own life. This might have to do with something that the film maker has met in her life or just a unique outlook of life. At all cases there has to be an individual angle. For me, also a certain moral is essential for the film. With this I don’t mean a morality, rather a hidden intention to cause at least some amount of good. This might, for example, be an opportunity for the audience to see an object of their prejudice in a new light. My personal mission is to give a face to someone, who usually is considered an enemy. I did this in Black Ice, and I will continue this in the content of my next film Absolution.

Do you have any workshops organized in Finland where young film makers from all over the world come and exchange their views or it´s more everyone for himself?

I have very little knowledge of this, but I would guess that there are more and more clubs and societies making their own moving pictures due to the fact that the equipment is nowadays so easily achieved.

Do you use festivals you attend to find colaborators or just sniff how they do it elsewhere and maybe use their knowledge and tricks?

I love to travel to festivals with my films. This is a great way to see films that you would never see otherwise. Of course it is also a way to make new contacts. However, the international co-production forums (which often are part of bigger film festivals), are the actual way to introduce film projects and seek for co-operations.