Finland's Iron Sky Falls On Cannes

Present in Cannes with only Juho Kuosmanen's student film Roadmarkers, selected at the Cinéfondation, Finland will nevertheless introduce six films at the Marché du Film (May 14-23), including Internet phenomenon (Star Wrek) Timo Vuorensola's Iron Sky.

"Cannes 2008 will be a market-oriented year for us" said Satu Elo, press officer for the Finnish Film Foundation (FFF). Four of the six films screening in Cannes will be presented by the FFF: Perttu Leppä's 8 Days to Premiere, Claes Olsson's Colorado Avenue, John Webster's documentary Recipes for Disaster and Aku Louhimies's much anticipated Tears of April (previously known as She-Wolf), which will have a private screening. The two other Finish films screening at the market: Petri Kotwica's Black Ice and Lauri Törhönen's The Border will be offered by their respective sales agents Bavaria Film International and SF International.

Finland's 2007 top grossing title Christmas Story by Juha Wuolijoki, will premiere at the market in its English version, introduced by Montreal-based Delphis Film Sales.

Among the new feature projects looking for co-financiers, the sci-fi spoof film Iron Sky by Timo Vuorensola, creator of Star Wreck (8 million internet downloads in Finland), will try to catch buyers' interest with a two and a half minute teaser. The $5m English language project is scripted by Finland's best sci-fi writer Hoganna Sinisalo (‘Not Before Sundown'). Iron Sky will be a cross between Dr Strangelove and Independence Day, mocking totalitarianism. The film produced by Tero Kaukomaa and Petri Jokiranta will be promoted on the http://www.wreckamovie.com/ platform.

17 other Finnish film production companies will also make the journey to Cannes with their upcoming projects such as Animation Studio Anima Vitae with its first 3D feature Niko & the Way to the Stars, Helsinki filmi with Dome Karukoski's new Forbidden Fruit, Making Movies with Aku Louhimies' first children's film Tigerheart, MRP Matila Röhr Production and its new thriller project Underground, and Solar Films with Mannerheim, The Tenant and Hellsinki.