Proposed budget cuts to Finland’s national film and TV promotion and development agency AVEK have been strongly criticised by figures from throughout the industry.
If the cuts go ahead, AVEK will no longer be able to support the development and production of international co-productions and will be forced to significantly reduce its other activities including international promotion of Finnish films, said AVEK director Ulla Simonen.
“The biggest effect will be on new talent, new ways of making audiovisual works and on documentary filmmakers,” said Simonen. ”We have taken on a completely new look at talent development. This cut will have a major effect on how we are able to continue.”
AVEK (The Promotion Centre For Audiovisual Culture) is majority-funded by Finnish copyright organisation Kopiosto, through private copying levies financed from the Finnish state budget. Finland is the only EU country still running a state-funded copyright compensation programme, to which the government commits a set amount of money each year.
The Finnish government has proposed cutting copyright compensation from €11m to €5.5m across all creative industries. This will mean a 50% cut in AVEK’s funding, from €2.5m a year to €1.25m.
Although first floated in the summer and officially proposed by the National Coalition government last week, there is still the possibility of reversing or reducing the cuts, which must be ratified by the Finnish parliament before the end of the year.
AVEK currently supports the writing, development and production of audiovisual works, and the development and production of international co-productions. Under the proposed cuts, it would have no money for international co-productions, and national productions would face “significant changes”. It would “most likely” not be able to support forum, workshop or market participation, said Simonen, and would not be able to sponsor festival awards in Finland or abroad.
Additionally, AVEK’s support for international workshops such as Czechia’s Dok.Incubator and Norway’s Doc Forward, and Finnish events such as Finnish Film Affair would end under the proposed cuts.
Last week at Finnish Film Affair – the industry event running parallel to Helsinki International Film Festival - AVEK presented five film projects from emerging creators through talent development lab Kehittämö, including Pavel Andonov’s Flowers Of Farewell from Finnish production company Made. Launched in 2023, Kehittämö has secured private funding for its next two editions but would be under threat from 2027 if budget cuts go ahead.
“It feels like a theft”
The budget cuts have been broadly criticised by the Finnish industry, including by filmmakers who received AVEK support early in the careers and have since progressed to wider recognition.
“The way the cuts are targeted against AVEK is devastating,” said director Selma Vilhunen. “It’s disproportionate. I’m not worried about my own work but about future filmmaking in Finland, and the diversity of this culture. We are about to destroy something that has been our strength internationally.”
Vilhunen received AVEK support for her first seven films across shorts and documentaries, including 2012’s Do I Have To Take Care Of Everything?, which was nominated for the best live action short Oscar.
During that period of AVEK support she set up Tuffi Films, now a leading Finnish production company that has made features including Vilhunen’s 2018 Toronto title Stupid Young Heart and 2023 Rotterdam entry Four Little Adults.
“What really worries me is how this decision has been made,” continued Vilhunen. “It feels like a theft because it hasn’t been analysed or opened up, how they have ended at this solution.”
Vilhunen is encouraging the parliament to look again at funding for other industries relative to the film and TV sector. “This is a matter of values,” said the filmmaker. “Our culture budget should be [at least] 1% of the entire country’s budget. That’s a very small amount of money, when you look at what it creates.”
Animation director Kari Juusonen also received AVEK backing for his initial films, including 2001 short Pizza Passionata, which won the jury prize for best short film at Cannes. He now directs European co-production animation features including Niko – Beyond the Northern Lights, which has sold worldwide for Global Screen this year.
Juusonen believes the initial impact would be felt by “young filmmakers, and people who make experimental and more avant-garde films,” and that the knock-on effect for the Finnish industry would be very damaging.
“If you think about what kind of films we will see produced in Finland in a few years’ time, you will start to see the consequences will be massive,” said the director. “AVEK is about supporting and believing in the filmmakers. Their production consultants have been experienced filmmakers; they give input that makes a lot of sense. It’s the ideal way, to start a project with them.”
“They give you the first opportunity to do something that is fully financed. You can afford to pay salaries to people, get professional people to work with you as a young filmmaker. After that, many things can happen.”
Juusonen said he hopes the Finnish government will reconsider. “The money we are talking about here is very small, but it makes a big difference for the people who work in the film industry.
“We are on the brink of a great new era, with a lot of young filmmakers doing different films in the international market, and bringing in some money. It’s not a massive investment from government, but it will bring back the money. It makes sense to keep this thing going, when filmmaking in Finland is about to get big.”
Juho Kuosmanen, whose Cannes 2021 title Compartment Number 6 sold worldwide for Totem Films, has also voiced his support for AVEK, as have international partners including Doc Society, EAVE, Nordisk Panorama and the Scottish Documentary Institute.
“AVEK is an important cornerstone in the Finnish film industry and we are part of the same ecosystem,” said Nordisk Panorama executive director Heidi Elise Christensen. “This funding is essential for Finnish filmmakers to create high-quality content that can compete internationally.”
The Finnish Film Foundation, supervised by Finland’s Ministry of Education and Culture, is also facing a slightly less drastic cut of €500,000 to its €25.8m annual funding.
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