‘Halima,’ First Finnish Pic Ever by Black Female Filmmaker, Bags Fiction Project Prize

“Halima,” a warm-hearted comedy about a 10-year-old Somali girl trying to fit into Finland in 1998, has become the first Finnish feature film directed by a black woman — and it has won top prize at Helsinki’s Finnish Film Affair.

The award was handed out on Thursday evening by a jury including U.S. producer Jodi Hildebrand, the British Film Institute’s Phoebe Hall and Fernando Vasquez of FEST-New Directors. They praised director Naima Mohamud’s energy and authenticity, calling the film a “90s tinged snapshot of a Finland we haven’t seen on screen before.”

Mohamud is a former BBC journalist who studied filmmaking at London Metropolitan University and USC in Los Angeles. She now lives between Dublin and Helsinki. The film is based on her own experience of growing up in Finland, where she said no one had seen black people before.

“This story was inspired by my family, and my experience of growing up in Finland, where no one had seen black people!” she said.

The Jury’s Words on Halima

The jury’s statement noted that Mohamud’s energetic and authentic voice shone through in the pitch and translated into what promises to be a compelling lead performance. They described the film as a snapshot of a Finland audiences have not seen on screen before.

“Halima” previously won Best Pitch at the Haugesund New Nordic Films in 2024. It is now in post-production with delivery set for fall 2027.

Sauna Diplomacy Takes the Genre Prize

Teenu Niukkanen’s “Sauna Diplomacy” won the new €2,500 Best Genre Project, sponsored by Post Control Helsinki & Angel Films. Set in the summer of 1970, the comedy follows a diligent civil servant hosting a high-ranking Soviet diplomat at his lakeside cottage.

The jury cited the concept as “very original, fun and commercially viable.” It was the only comedy among eight projects competing in the inaugural Nordic Genre Lab.

“I recommend reading Teemu’s script! It’s fuckingly funny – topical, rowdy, thrillingly violent, yet a much-needed guide on how to stand up against tyrants,” said Oskari Huttu, who produces with John Lundsten for Tack Films.

The project has been pre-bought by Nordisk Film for the Nordics, with production set to kickstart in 2028.

Darkness Counts Wins the Documentary Prize

Anna Antsalo’s “Darkness Counts,” produced by Venla Hellstedt, took the €3,000 AVEK Best Documentary Award. The jury said the film turned the greatest enemy of filmmaking — darkness — into a visually captivating element.

Other Industry Awards

Four additional awards were given out on Thursday, reflecting the festival’s expanding collaborations with European markets:

1. The Midpoint Series Consulting Award went to Elin Grönblom’s six-part comedy thriller “Body in the Closet.” Produced by Mia Oikanen for Warner Bros Int’l Television Production Finland, it follows a shy theater prop master who becomes a killer while pleasing everyone around her.
2. The Midpoint Institute granted its Feature Consulting Award to Hedda Mjøn’s courtroom drama “Big Deal,” a Norwegian, Finnish, Estonian co-production boarded by SF Studios.
3. The inaugural Producers Network Award went to Emilie Beck’s Norwegian suspense drama “11 Hours,” best-known for Netflix’s “Royalteen” and TV2 Norway’s hit “Escaping Bolivia.”
4. The €3,000 Best Nordic Film Award from the Amos Anderson Fund also went to “11 Hours.”

The Road Ahead

“Halima” remains in post-production with a fall 2027 release planned. “Sauna Diplomacy” is set to start production in 2028, with Nordisk Film already aboard.

The jury’s enthusiasm for “Halima” and “Sauna Diplomacy” shows that Finnish cinema can be both authentic and globally appealing.

This is a moment to celebrate, not just for Mohamud but for all filmmakers whose stories deserve to be told.

Key Facts Box

• “Halima” is the first Finnish feature film directed by a black woman
• “Sauna Diplomacy” is the only comedy among eight projects in the Nordic Genre Lab
• “Darkness Counts” wins the €3,000 AVEK Best Documentary Award
• “11 Hours” wins both the €3,000 Best Nordic Film Award and the inaugural Producers Network Award

The jury’s response to “Halima” was immediate and enthusiastic. “This is the same here, and we simply had to make this movie,” said Jani Pösö, the producer who brought the project together with No-Office Films and Ireland’s Vico Films.

The film’s success is a signal of filmmakers finding new ways to tell their stories.

The road ahead looks promising for Finnish filmmakers.

Source material: “‘Halima,’ First Finnish Pic Ever by Black Female Filmmaker, Bags Fiction Project Prize, ‘Sauna Diplomacy’ Named Best Genre Project at Finnish Film Affair,” Variety.

Finnish Film Affair · Halima · Naima Mohamud · Sauna Diplomacy · Teemu Niukkanen