AJ Annila’s period drama won six statuettes at Finland’s annual Film awards held on Friday, including Best Film and Best Director. 

The film produced by Ilkka Matila of MRP Matila Röhr Productions also picked up Best Supporting Actress (Sidse Babett Knudsen), Best Supporting Actor (Hannu-Pekka Björkman), Best Cinematography (Rauno Ronkainen) and Best Production Design (Kalju Kivi).

The second most awarded film - the B.O. hit The Unknown Soldier by Aku Louhimies (watched so far by more than 1 million Finns) received the Audience Award and four Jussi awards: Best Actor (Eero Aho), Editing (Ben Mercer), Make-Up Design (Salla Yli-Luopa) and Sound Design (Kirka Sainio).

The Jussi gala was affected by an investigative news story earlier in the week by YLE, in which eight female actors including Pamela Tola, Matleena Kuusniemi, Pihla Viitala, Jessica Grabowsky went public with their experienced work harassment in Louhimies´previous films. All award recipients reflected on this and the #Metoo movement in their speeches.

When receiving the Audience award, Louhimies apologised for his behaviour: “I have pushed things to the limit and beyond at times and acted unwisely in how I wielded my power. I am seeking help and have received it,” he stressed.

Krista Kosonen, voted Best Actress for her role in Zaida Bergroth’s film Miami, said she believed in ‘the industry’s ability to solve issues with dialogue’.

Other Jussis went to the Toronto sleeper Euthanizer by Teemu Nikki, awarded Best Script for his film, while Timo Kaukolampi & Tuomo Puranen won Best Music. Finland’s Oscar entry Tom of Finland won Best Costume Design, Selma Vilhunen’s Hobbyhorse Revolution Best Documentary and the Short Film award went to the 2017 Cannes Palme d’or entry The Ceiling by Teppo Airaksinen.