The 7th Finnish Film Week was launched on 11th April, at the Belgrade Cultural Centre Hall with the film “Family Lunch” directed by Tiia Kuovo. Eight films selected by curator Stefan Arsenijević will be showcased to the Belgrade audience from 11 to 15 April.

After a two-year hiatus, the 7th Finnish Film Week opened last night at the Belgrade Cultural Centre Hall. This year’s event is organised by the Finnish Film Institute, the Finnish Embassy, and the Belgrade Cultural Centre, and will take place from 11 to 15 April. The festival’s curator, Stefan Arsenijević, has selected eight new Finnish cinematic works.

The opening speeches were delivered by Niklas Lindkvist, the Finnish Ambassador to Belgrade; Zorana Đaković Minniti, Assistant Director for Programming at the Belgrade Cultural Centre; Stefan Arsenijević, curator of the Finnish Film Week; Jana Puskala, Head of the International Department at the Finnish Film Institute; and Ivan Aranđelović, Film Programme Editor at the Belgrade Cultural Centre.

Following the screening of “Family Lunch”, which recently swept three major categories at the Jussi Awards—the Finnish national film awards—including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay, the audience had the opportunity to engage in a live Q&A with director Tiia Kuovo.

In his address to the audience, Stefan Arsenijević reiterated the festival’s theme of a new perspective on contemporary family issues. Jana Puskala reflected on the origins of the Finnish Film Week and its collaboration with Nebojša Popović, with whom she launched the event fourteen years ago. Finnish Ambassador Niklas Lindkvist took the opportunity to thank the guests from Finland and the organisers.

This year’s films include “Family Lunch” by Tiia Kuovo, “Karaoke Paradise” by Einari Paakkanen, “Four Grown-Up Children” by Selma Vilhunen, “Je’vida” by Katja Gauriloff, “Lumberjack’s Tale” by Mika Mililahti, “Bubble” by Aleksi Salmenperä, “The Worst Idea Ever” by Pamela Tola, and “Hit Big” by J.-P. Valkeapää.