A welcome return to OQM for Fiacha Harington as he brings us a brief overview of this years 33rd Helsinki International Film Festival.

Helsinki International Film Festival

The Helsinki International Film Festival (aka HIFF) better known in Finland as Rakkauta ja Anarkkia (Love and Anarchy) is soon upon us. This year the festival has reached a major goal – to reach gender parity as regards the programme on offer at the festival. Out of the festival films this year, 51 % have been directed by women or non-binary people. Of course, this is the way it should be but in an industry that has long been male dominated, it is no small feat that HIFF has reached this milestone.

The film industry, like so many others has been hit hard by the coronavirus. The Festival wants to accommodate as many Cinephiles as possible this year, so there will be no less than 560 screenings included in the programme. The festival will feature 140 full length length movies and 170 short films. A system has been set up to keep moviegoers as safe as possible, in practice this means that every second seat will be kept empty. For additional information regarding COVID-19 visit the festival’s website.

The 33rd Helsinki International Film Festival – Love & Anarchy will take place on September 17–27. The opening film of HIFF this year is the long-awaited ‘Never Rarely Sometimes Always’ (2020), directed by Eliza Hittman. Showered with awards at the Berlinale and the Sundance Film Festival, the film tells the story of the teenager Autumn (Sidney Flanigan), accompanied by her cousin Skylar (Talia Ryder), as she makes her way to New York to get an abortion. With perception and exceptional sensitivity, the film reveals the injustices abundant in the US healthcare system.