ELO Film School Finland

In this short, shown in the student category at IDFA, the compelling, dramatised story of a pedophile is told. He hasn’t opened up about his orientation to even those closest to him, nor would he ever hurt a child.

It's almost Christmas but these three people are still on the road. The products don't sell, the car is a wreck and the weather is freezing. Moreover there is a problem: how to cope with an emerging friendship?

Somebody Should Do Something tells a story of insecurity and longing for freedom, of fear that drives people to poor choices. The main character, Elvis, falls for the new girl in class, Onerva. Seeking acceptance from his friends, Elvis lies and tells them he’s had sex with Onerva. Due to the lies and misunderstandings, the whole town is soon at a point where somebody should do something.

Nesting is a story about Veikka (20), who is about to leave his work place - a construction site owned by Kari (50) - to start a new life in the big city. Veikka thinks the goodbyes will go smoothly, but gets interrupted by a rare situation: there’s a baby in the crane. The surprising problem is an annoyance at first, but in the end it opens up communication between the employees in a way that has been difficult in the past.

Janika takes advantage of her pregnancy by smuggling amphetamine from Tallinn to Helsinki with her brother.

Markku built a house for his family with his own bare hands like a strong man is supposed to do. He worked hard from dawn to dusk, so that his seven children would have a roof above their heads. Unfortunately, the task ended up being too hard and Markku burnt out. One day, he left his family and disappeared abroad. The filmmaker travels to his childhood home to face his father, who he never got to know properly. Together they build a steel gate in front of the unfinished house, and try to create a relationship between each other.

Waste Land is a tragicomic ensemble film about a bunch of kids squatting an abandoned seaside hotel. The shabby hotel offers a life outside the society, at least momentarily. The house is more than a house – it is a utopian space for love, partying and freedom. But can the days of ease last when the squat is confronted both by outside forces and by internal conflicts?

Two lovers living in separate countries spend their last day together, having sex and eating. A musical melodrama accompanied by Orthodox Christian choir music.

The Night Thief is a warmhearted drama set in the suburbs of Helsinki, Finland. It tells the story of a Somali man, Farah, whose car starts to disappear mysteriously at night. Although the car always shows up in the morning, Farah starts to run late from work, and fears that he could lose his job. Farah’s wife is moving to Finland from Somalia and if Farah were to get fired, his wife’s residency permit would be in danger. Due to the circumstances, Farah decides to do whatever it takes to catch the thief. In the end, things take an unexpected turn when Farah finally faces the person who has been stealing his car.

It’s the past that defines you, Kari tells his therapy group. And indeed, after serving a lengthy prison sentence, he wants to become a better person. However, his former life as a ruthless debt collector catches up with him in a nightmarish way.

Out into the big wide world as fast as possible. That’s Elli’s plan. But where should she get the money from, if not steal it? When Heze falls for her, she steals from him and both have to learn: “Adulthood is a big pain in the arse”.

The summer ahead is long and hot but the burden of shame from the past is haunting Joonas, 24, and driving him to solitude. A sudden phone call changes the direction of his summer and brings Joonas to an old manor for a summer job, forcing him to open up to his new workmates and to face his shame. Joonas works hard under the burning sun, driven by his past mistakes, whilst the others lounge under the calming shade of trees. On the last day the group loses track of time and misses the last bus home. They are left at the old manor and a magical midsummer night begins.

After her father's funeral, Maarit plans to return to Thailand. On the day of the departure, she finds her mother Sylvi and her father’s taxidermy badger in a bar and Sylvi makes a revelation that may change Maarit’s departure plans.

They are everywhere without us observing them. These ‘invisibles’ can only be seen on camera and only heard thanks to a microphone. Footage shot in public spaces shows people who seem non-existent to everyone else in the frame.

A world-weary reality TV host (Alma Pöysti) is given one last chance by her producer. Accompanied by a cynical filming crew, she goes to find out what happened to a celebrity who wet himself in a dance show on live television.

After the disappearance of his wife Juha has lost control of his life as well as the connection to his son. One morning a visitor comes to his door and the one-day love story following this encounter leads Juha to crossroads. We Have Heaven is a short film about old junk, nocturnal organ ballads and cosmic distances.

Helena is spending an evening with her family when someone knocks on the door. Unknown man confronts Helena with accusations towards her perfect family. Helena drives the man and the accusations away. But the seed of doubt has been planted.

Road racing driver Juha Kallio sits on a leather couch with a beer in his hand, watching a DVD of one of the fiercest motorcycle races in the world. ‘Could you do that?’ asks his friend sitting beside him. ‘Yeah, I could,’ answers Juha calmly, even though the Isle of Man TT Race circuit is challenging for any driver. The dangerous route has over 200 turns that need to be memorized beforehand. Participation doesn’t hang on ability alone. It takes not only skills but also luck to get a spot on a team, not to mention cash to cover the expenses. The few tenners worth of gas vouchers won on Finnish circuits barely cover the ride back home to Imatra. Maybe the local chicken farmer would sponsor a familiar face? The road to the legendary race is bumpy. The Fast of the Forest is a film about the daredevil world of road racing. It is also a story about perseverance. Quitting is not an option, even if the dream starts crumbling only moments before it is to become a reality.

Sami directs a reality series but ends up as the main character.