Finland Showbiz Latest News and Updates

Marta Balaga Finnish director Tiina Lymi decided to “go big” for “Stormskerry Maja,” set in the 19th century. Based on a series of books by Anni Blomqvist, it has been selected for International Film Festival Rotterdam and Goteborg. “It had to be done this way.

The Armed have announced a 2024 UK and European tour which is set to begin this summer.The band will kick off their tour with a performance at Barcelona’s Primavera Sound Festival on May 30. From there, Tony Wolski and co.

Marta Balaga Finnish-British director Mikko Mäkelä isn’t shying away from sexual content in “Sebastian,” which has its world premiere on Sunday at Sundance Film Festival. “As was already the case with ‘A Moment in the Reeds,’ I wanted to provide a very frank and honest portrayal of queer sexuality,” he tells Variety, referencing his 2017 debut. “For so long, queer sexuality has been shied away from and censored.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba will be coming to the big screen, along with a sneak peek at the new season.Described as an extra-sized blockbuster experience, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba -To the Hashira Training- will allow fans to revisit the finale of the Swordsmith Village Arc while also getting a glimpse at the highly anticipated Hashira Training Arc (season four).The upcoming event marks the first time the finale of the Swordsmith Village Arc has ever been shown in cinemas, and also the first-ever showing of the Hashira Training Arc‘s beginning.Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba -To the Hashira Training- will screen in UK cinemas from February 23.

Alex Ritman The nominees for the 2024 EE BAFTA Film Awards are set to be revealed on Thursday, with Naomi Ackie and Kingsley Ben-Adir — both former BAFTA Rising Star nominees — making the announcement at 12 p.m. U.K. time (4 a.m.

Love Island star Molly Marsh embarked on an incredible getaway to Lapland with her boyfriend Zachariah Noble, and the couple looked more loved-up than ever as they basked in the beautiful winter wonderland of Finland. Social media influencer Molly, 23, shared a series of new snaps on her Instagram grid and stories, as she gushed over her accommodations for the stay. Along with a stunning image of powder-topped teepees in the icy sun, the reality star told her followers: "This place is dreamy." She then tagged Aurora Collection Resort, a lavish accommodation which was a PR stay gifted to her and Zach, 26.The sportsman then shared another collection of images, as he teased that he would be tucking into reindeer meat for his dinner.

The British Film Institute has revealed the list of TV, film, and animation companies that have won funding from its latest £3.3M ($4.2M) Global Screen Fund payout.

EXCLUSIVE: Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki has achieved his best global box office in a decade with Cannes Jury Prize winner Fallen Leaves which has racked up a total gross of $12.4M, according to figures released by its producers.

Pat Saperstein Deputy Editor Joyce Randolph, who played Trixie Norton on the classic sitcom “The Honeymooners,” and was the last surviving member of the cast, died Saturday in New York City. She was 99. Randolph was in hospice care at the time of her death and died of natural causes, her son, Randy, told TMZ.

Manchester Airport says it's celebrating its busiest December ever, with record numbers of passengers passing through over the festive period. December also marked the third consecutive month in a row that passenger numbers outstripped pre Covid-pandemic levels, added the airport.

Eurovision Song Contest.Organisers of the contest faced backlash and boycott calls in December after allowing Israel to participate in 2024 competition – which is due to take place in Malmö, Sweden from May 7-11 – despite the ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza.Since Hamas forces launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people, at least 22,835 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, amounting to one per cent of the territory’s total pre-war population of 2.27million (per CNN).The petition urges a ban over alleged “war crimes” in Gaza, adding that if Israel is not excluded, they want public broadcaster Yle to withdraw Finland’s entry.Yle said it is monitoring the position of the organiser of the contest, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).One of the petition’s authors, Lukas Korpelainen, told newspaper Hufvudstadsbladet (via BBC) that it was not acceptable for Israel to “take part in the Eurovision Song Contest to polish its image”.Others who have signed the petition include Finnish artists Olavi Uusivirta, Paleface and 2011 contestant Axel Ehnström.Signatories have accused Yle of double standards, noting that the broadcaster was among the first to demand a ban on Russia from the 2022 contest after its invasion of Ukraine, saying “we expect the same active defending of values from Yle now as well”.Russia was banned from competing in the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest, which was won by Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra.Yle representative Ville Vilén said the situation in Israel and Gaza was “not quite the same”.“As gruesome as it is, it is not a war of inter-state aggression like between Russia and Ukraine,” he told Finnish tabloid Ilta-Sanomat.Yle’s head of communications, Jere Nurminen, told

Israel‘s place at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest is under the microscope following a petition signed by more than 1,400 Finnish music industry professionals urging a ban due to alleged “war crimes.”

Marta Balaga Picture Tree International has boarded international sales and debuted the trailer for Miia Tervo’s upcoming comedy “The Missile,” set to world premiere at Göteborg’s just-announced Nordic Competition. Produced by Finland’s Kaisla Viitala at Elokuvayhtio Komeetta and Estonia’s Daniel Kuitunen at Stellar Film, the movie will be distributed in Scandinavia by Aurora Studios. Tervo’s second feature after the award-winning “Aurora” – which opened the Swedish fest back in 2019 – teases a “uniquely crafted mix of political satire, heartfelt comedy and kitchen-sink drama, rooted in Northern brevity and melancholy,” according to its description.

Annika Pham Actors Ewan McGregor, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Renate Reinsve, Anders Danielsen Lie, directors Ruben Östlund, Ernst de Geer, Ramata-Toulaye Sy and Cannes Film Festival honcho Thierry Frémaux are some of the stellar guests set to walk the red carpet at the 47th edition of Sweden’s Göteborg Film Festival. This year’s Göteborg Fest unspools from Jan. 26 to Feb.

Marta Balaga As the battle for international feature film Oscar heats up, female directors behind this year’s submissions urge Academy members to stay open-minded. “Many outstanding films won’t be noticed simply because people don’t watch them. Established directors, big production companies or rich distributors are in a better starting position, but I encourage Academy voters to go for bold and diverse choices,” says Estonia’s Anna Hints, who’s behind crowd-pleasing doc “Smoke Sauna Sisterhood.” “The safest choice is not always the best,” echoes Tizza Covi, who co-directed Austrian selection “Vera” with Rainer Frimmel.

Former Love Island star Maura Higgins has been enjoying a loved-up getaway as she jetted off on a romantic trip with her stuntman boyfriend.The 33 year old has been giving fans glimpses of her snowy trip away with her boyfriend Bobby Holland Hanton, who works as Chris Hemsworth’s stuntman. As they enjoyed their trip to Finland, Maura shared a carousel of images of herself in the snow.

Variety Staff Follow Us on Twitter Want to know which international features vying for Oscar gold are worth watching? Variety‘s team of critics has been on the ground at Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Toronto and other major film festivals, on the hunt for the best of the best. In December, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences unveiled its shortlist of 15 films eligible for the second round of voting in the Best International Feature Film category.

Xumo & Euro Nets Cling To ‘Silverback’

Alex Ritman David Tennant is set to host the BAFTA Film Awards for the first time. The actor — best known for playing Doctor Who — will oversee proceedings during the U.K.’s biggest night for film on Feb. 18 at the Royal Festival Hall in London.

Naman Ramachandran Banijay Productions France is reviving hit reality format “Temptation Island” for French network W9, marking its return to the country after five years. “Temptation Island” sees couples at a crossroads in their relationship embark on a journey to test their commitment. Separated in two different beach resorts, the couples interact with a group of singles to determine if their love is strong enough to withstand the challenges they will encounter on the island.

“Each year, First Feature Competition is something truly special. We can’t wait to introduce these emerging talents to the world.”, she adds.

Vended have announced a massive UK and European tour set to kick off in the spring of next year.The band, which includes Slipknot vocalist Corey Taylor‘s son Griffin and Slipknot percussionist Shawn ‘Clown’ Crahan’s son Simon among its bandmembers, will play the first show of their tour on April 25, 2024 at Turock in Essen, Germany.From there, they will make stops in cities including Hamburg, Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm, Helsinki, Warsaw, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Zurich, Milan, Barcelona, Madrid, Paris, Antwerp, Birmingham, Liverpool, Dublin, Belfast, Glasgow, Nottingham, Brighton and Swansea. The tour will wrap up on June 2, 2024 at Sub 89 in Reading.Bands Profiler and The Gloom In The Corner are set to serve as opening support for the shows.

The Royal Family spend the festive period on the Sandringham Estate and enjoy several key traditions. One of these sees the royals follow the customs of their German heritage and open their gifts on Christmas Eve. However, it is clear that Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis will also be visited by Father Christmas on the main day itself.

Police have launched an investigation into the alleged child abduction of Alex Batty.

The shortlist of 15 films set to vie for a Best International Feature FiOscar nomination has now been revealed, with only a few surprises in the mix. 

This is the moment a pilot had to abort a landing this morning as a plane was battered by strong winds brought by Storm Pia.

The mum of British boy Alex Batty has reportedly abandoned her caravan as mystery continues to surround her whereabouts.

Coronation Street actress Claire Sweeney took her eight year old son Jaxon on a special trip away to Lapland ahead of Christmas, and the pair enjoyed a magical time in the snowy depths of Finland. The 52 year old star, who is currently training ahead of the launch of the new series of Dancing On Ice in January, shared an array of snaps of her mum-and-son adventure. The pair embarked on some incredible trips, with husky-sledding among them, and even managed to see the Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights, to top it all off.

International Film Festival Rotterdam has revealed its lineup for the Tiger, Big Screen and Tiger Short competitions. The festival runs from January 25-February 4. Scroll down for the full lists.