Max Smeds

Orenda means an invisible force, a life spirit that inhabits everything living and lifeless: people, wind, birds, rabbits, stone. The one who serves Orenda and sings to it may receive its power. Exploring the themes of guilt and grace, the destinies of two women intertwine into a tense emotional thriller set on a remote island.

Parikka, the actor once called the Funniest Man in Finland, and his troupe are about to be executed for the atrocities committed during the Civil War in Finland. Jaeger Lieutenant Nyborg, an admirer of Parikka, suspects a definite miscarriage of justice. He wants to save the actors. The forthcoming visit of the German General von der Goltz to the prison island provides him with a suitable opportunity. Nyborg suggests that the actors prepare a comical performance for the visitor and not be shot. Instead, they will be given a new trial. Preparing a comedy in the horrible circumstances, in the midst of hunger and death, seems quite an overwhelming task. Only a handful of real actors are still alive, the rest of the troupe consists of stagehands. Parikka has to use all his inventive skills to be able to produce something funny.

Director Otso Tiainen’s fascinating study of an esoteric community hidden within the French Pyrenees begins by exploring the seekers drawn to this place, supposedly the home of the Holy Grail. However, it is the appearance of charismatic film director Richard Stanley that truly ignites the story. Before long, accusations about his conduct surface, and the residents find themselves caught in a battle for their very souls. The dangers of blind faith and the magnetic pull of certain personalities are put under the microscope in this breathtaking examination of a small microcosm of society forced to confront who they are when everything they believe is challenged. A vital film that urges us to scrutinize our heroes, SHADOWLAND is a must-see—not only to contextualize the inner battles we all face but also to finally see the truth laid bare.

Pasi, a lonely but kind-hearted designer of artificial animals, lives in a world where nature is just a memory and human well-being is organized with perhaps too much care. One day, Pasi accidentally finds the world's last living squirrel and meets Emilia, an official who enforces the rules of well-being. Pasi decides to defy society's rules and help the squirrel, but something unexpected happens—the squirrel becomes depressed and Pasi falls in love.

Miina’s morning routine is interrupted when she finds a small plastic bag taped to the window. Inside, she finds a bloody human ear. The ear sends Miina back in time to relive her first teenage love affair with Lukas.

In a hospice, every day is somebody's last day alive. The sheets are changed, and someone elsebrought in to die. Before the end, hands are held, and there is time for coffee. And for some of us, all this dying is just the usual everyday life.

Craving for love and excitement, Sierra seeks out her childhood crush, through whom she starts to deal with the loss of her brother. But bringing the past into the present isn’t as easy as she would’ve thought.

'Please hold' is a short film about a teenage girl, who is desperately waiting for her mother to come home. But just how much longer can she wait?