This newsletter shares the good news of the Finnish films and TV series once a month. The content is intended to be an interesting news roundup both for separate newsletter subscribers and for media representatives interested in films and TV series.
Finnish films and television continued to build international momentum in October, with new distribution deals, festival selections and awards. NBC is developing a U.S. adaptation of 66th North Precinct, while Hildur secured sales to five new markets. Charades acquired international rights to Juho Kuosmanen’s Dream Come True, and ORF-Enterprise picked up comedy-drama Crème de la Crème. Other highlights included Nightborn’s expanding international distribution, a European Children’s Film Award for Vinski and the Viking Treasure, and the first overseas format deal for Yle’s Puppy Live.
1. Short news about Finnish films and TV series in October 2026
August Joensalo’s autobiographical feature documentary project This Body Is My Final Address, produced by Aamu Film Company, has been selected for IDFA Forum in Amsterdam. The financing and co-production platform received 859 submissions this year.
Finland will have a strong presence at Nordic Film Days Lübeck, including Klaus Härö’s Blue Baby (Hetki ennen valoa) and Markus Lehmusruusu’s The Squirrel (Orava) in the Feature Film Competition. The program also includes Finnish documentaries, short films, drama series and immersive works.
August Joensalo’s short film Caeneus (Kaineus) premiered in the International Competition at Uppsala Short Film Festival and continues to festivals in Leeds and Lübeck. Three other Finnish films were also selected for Uppsala’s international competition.
Klaus Härö’s Blue Baby (Hetki ennen valoa), starring Laura Birn and Oona Airola, had its international premiere at the Warsaw Film Festival. The film was presented in the Animus – Cinema of Values section that explores universal values.
Hanna Bergholm’s psychological horror film Nightborn (Yön lapsi) continued its international festival run at the BFI London Film Festival. It is represented internationally by Goodfellas and has secured Shudder distribution in North America and the UK. It has been sold to Mexico, Japan and Turkey. Theatrical releases in several other countries are also planned during the year.
Juha Wuolijoki’s Vinski and the Viking Treasure (Vinski 2), produced by Snapper Films, won the European Children’s Film Award at the SCHLiNGEL International Film Festival in Germany. It is one of the world’s best-known film festivals for children and young audiences.
Finnish broadcasting company Yle’s Puppy Live (Pentulive) has secured its first international format deal, with Dutch children’s program Het Klokhuis acquiring adaptation rights. The Finnish version is also being streamed by Swedish public broadcaster SVT.
Banijay Finland unveiled Disqualified, a thriller inspired by journalist Johanna Aatsalo’s investigation into systematic doping in Finnish skiing. Internationally known actor Laura Birn is attached to star.
Finnish-British feature project The Lost Sons of Nada, produced by Poolboy and Falcon Nest Film, won the MIA Award for Outstanding Live Action Film Project in Rome.
Animated feature film Pikkuli and Starlight Reindeer (Pikkuli ja Tähtipeura) continued its international expansion after its October domestic premiere. French company Dandelooo handles international sales, with theatrical distribution already confirmed in several European markets.
Documentary Good Girls, co-produced by Tekele Productions, won the Best Cinematography Award at the 30th Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival in the Czech Republic. Directed and shot by Ania Winiarska, the film follows Polish teenage girls living in a Catholic reformatory.
2. NBC developing U.S. adaptation of Finnish crime drama 66th North Precinct
NBC is developing an American version of Finnish crime procedural 66th North Precinct (Pohjoisen tähti), originally produced by Yellow Film & TV. Arika Lisanne Mittman is attached as writer and showrunner, with Universal Television and Elevate Entertainment involved in the development. The original series is set in Finnish Lapland and follows former boxing champion turned police detective Maria Pudas. The planned US adaptation relocates the concept to southern Colorado.
3. Crime hit Hildur expands to five new markets
Crime drama Hildur has secured a major new round of international sales. Cineflix Rights has sold the six-part series to Canal+ in France, SBS in Australia, NPO in the Netherlands, RTV in Slovenia and LTV in Latvia. The series is produced by Take Two Studios and Sagafilm with IPR.VC also involved. It is based on the bestselling novels by Finnish author Satu Rämö, whose books have sold more than two million copies across 30 territories.
4. Charades boards Juho Kuosmanen’s Dream Come True
French sales company Charades has acquired international rights to Dream Come True, the new feature from director Juho Kuosmanen. Production has wrapped after filming in Denmark, Finland and France, with Magnus Millang, Paprika Steen and actor Ellen Kihri in the cast. The film is produced by Denmark’s Snowglobe together with Finland’s Aamu Film Company and European co-production partners. Kuosmanen has established a strong international reputation through The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki and Cannes Grand Prix winner Compartment No. 6.
5. Austrian pubcaster ORF takes international rights to Finnish Crème de la Crème
Austria’s ORF-Enterprise has acquired international distribution rights to comedy-drama Crème de la Crème (Ylä-Savon Kerma) by Whatever Pictures. The eight-part series was presented to international buyers at MIPCOM in Cannes after production was completed in Finland. The story follows a young farmer trying to save his struggling family dairy farm by launching an unconventional new business with his friends. Whatever Pictures also announced Silent Herd co-production during the same MIPCOM market. The series is a murder mystery set among the indigenous Sami people.