The Finnish film industry has been lamenting proposed government cuts of 7 million euros ($8.26 million), set to come into effect on Jan. 1, 2026.
“If this cut really is 7 million and if it is aimed at our production support, the amount of films we can support will be halved. This means only a few documentaries and shorts, and less than 10 feature films,” Finnish Film Foundation CEO Lasse Saarinen told Variety.
Saarinen has been voicing similar concerns for years – but the latest development still took him aback.
“We’ve been fearing more cuts on top of the 3 million we’ve lost during the 2020s, but this came as a total surprise. This shows how twisted our system is. Our Ministry of Finance is to blame, as well as its continuing urge to minimize the cultural budget of Finland,” he said, arguing the idea was brought up at a late stage during the government’s budget negotiations.
“They also hid their aim to destroy the Finnish film industry by calling this cut a ‘business subsidy’ of the Ministry of Education and Culture. Politicians didn’t understand what they were deciding on.”
The famously laconic nation flooded social media with numerous statements, led by some of the country’s best-known directors.
According to Zaida Bergroth – behind the award-winning “Tove” and upcoming Marianne Faithfull biopic “Faithfull” starring Freya Allan – “Everybody is on alert.”
“We’re trying our best to make the government see this is not the way to go. It makes no sense, not even economically. I very much hope this is not an ideological cut.”
Since 2023, following the defeat of former Prime Minister Sanna Marin and her center-left government, Finland has been witnessing a shift to the right.
“I’m of course worried for my own sake and my colleagues’ sake, but I’m most concerned about the young filmmakers. If fewer films are produced, the pressure to create box-office hits increases, and fewer risks will be taken. This hits the upcoming filmmakers the worst,” said Bergroth.
“I would predict we’ll turn our gaze to our past and try to produce only the so-called ‘safe bets’ and the more surprising and inventive films will be left out of the equation.”
While “mass unemployment in the industry” would be a given, Finns will find it harder to compete with other Nordic countries.
“We already work with a significantly smaller budget than our Nordic peers, and Finnish filmmakers have still managed to create big hits for the Finnish audience and achieve international successes. I’m amazed that the government would even consider such a drastic cut. Our own culture is our lifeline; it should be valued and protected.”
As pointed out by Jussi Award-winning screenwriter Pekko Pesonen, behind the hit franchise “Lapland Odyssey,” blockbuster films would take a beating as well – not just low-budget arthouse.
“I have written several films aimed at a large Finnish audience. None of them would have been made without the support of the FFF. In recent years, filmmaking has become very difficult due to rising costs and constant cuts: no one knows which film will be a hit. But it is certain that hit films are not created without a professional film industry.”
Teemu Nikki, director of box-office smash and this year’s Oscar submission “100 Litres of Gold” – his “Euthanizer” was vying for an Oscar back in 2018 – summed it up succinctly: “At the moment, the funding situation in Finland is shit.”
Jani Pösö, producing for It’s Alive Films, went one step further: “It really is double-shit. When it comes to financing, we’re known for making films in a pretty untraditional way. But still, without the FFF, at least 80% of our films wouldn’t exist.”
Dome Karukoski, known for “Tolkien” and set to spotlight upcoming “Hippo Love” during industry event Finnish Film Affair, stated: “This is an idiotic move by the cabinet. Only a moron would cut the funding of an industry that actually brings revenue into the government’s pocket. Our ruling parties show, again, that they do not understand the value of culture for a nation.”
“This cut might strike our film community down when it’s already bleeding on the ground, [reeling from] the force of previous cuts that hit our national broadcasting company YLE. We will protest and try to overturn these cuts, but unfortunately, I’m not too hopeful about it.”
The FFF – and the industry, actively campaigning since the announcement in September – remains adamant it’s not the end of the story.
“We’ll fight until our parliament decides about next year’s budget in December. I’m rather hopeful this cut could be at least greatly reduced, and that once politicians understand it would mean that the whole culture sector loses one third of its state basic funding, they’ll change this decision,” stated Saarinen. But he remains cautious, as the worst-case scenario would inevitably lead to the closing of cinemas, unemployment and bankruptcy of several production companies.
Variety has reached out to the Ministry of Education and Culture for comment.
SF Studios and Nordisk Film stressed they have reached out to Finnish lawmakers “to share their vision: strong support for film is not only a cultural choice, but also an economic and social investment in Finland’s future.”
SF Studios CEO Iréne Lindblad said: “Cutting film funding would be a severe blow to Finland’s culture and film industry. Film creates jobs, strengthens the economy, and brings people together across the country. At a time when our Nordic neighbors are reinforcing their commitment to local film, Finland risks moving in the opposite direction.”
“We urge the government to reconsider this decision and safeguard the investments that enable Finnish stories to reach audiences both at home and abroad.”
In the FFF’s official take regarding the situation, shared with Variety, it was argued that the decision “cannot be justified as supporting economic growth” as “every euro granted through the foundation returns to the state treasury, at best, doubled.”
While the number of domestic premieres could collapse to “about half of the current level,” domestic content – “among the most popular forms of culture in Finland” – would suffer. “The domestic audience share of Finnish films has long been among the highest in Europe. Why is all this being dismantled?”
In a statement published by local publication Helsingin Sanomat, featuring several recognizable voices, veteran director Aki Kaurismäki posed another question: “What do we do with an independent Finnish state if it has no intellectual activity, social security, or culture?”
Karukoski added: “I really weep for the younger generation of filmmakers who are trying to build their voice in this hostile environment. I urge them to seek asylum in film-loving Denmark and Ireland. The ones that stay here in Finland will most likely have to focus on rally driving and ski jumping.”