Helsinki is to host a new awards ceremony, to be known as The Freyas, which will celebrate Nordic film and TV talent, bringing together the region’s leading filmmakers as well as international industry guests.
The first-ever edition of The Freyas – also known as the Nordic Film & TV Awards – will launch on Sept. 22 at the iconic Finlandia Hall in Helsinki. The ceremony will be held while Helsinki Intl. Film Festival’s industry event, the Finnish Film Affair, is in progress (the FFA runs Sept. 23-25).
The awards will honor outstanding achievements by directors, actors, producers, cinematographers, screenwriters and composers, among others, across the five Nordic countries – Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland.
“The Nordic countries have an extraordinary tradition of storytelling, and right now the world is paying attention,” Kirpi Uimonen, one of the founders of The Freyas, said. “The Freyas is about celebrating that talent at home while also creating a stronger international platform for Nordic creators, stories and ideas. We want the world to know not only the films and series coming from the Nordics, but also the Nordic professionals who continue to enrich the global ecosystem with their talent and creativity.”
The Freyas is conceived as a travelling event, rotating between the Nordic countries. Following the Helsinki edition, the awards will travel to Copenhagen (2027), Stockholm (2028), Oslo (2029) and Reykjavík (2030).
The initiative was conceived by Kirpi Uimonen, Joonas Nurmi, Tina Jøhnk Christensen and Anke Hofmann, among other film, TV and awards professionals in the Nordic region and the U.S.
Among the international guests at the inaugural event will be members of the press, film and television executives, actors, directors, producers, distributors, agents, financiers and festival representatives, alongside the Nordic talent being celebrated.
Partners of the Helsinki event include The Icebreaking Company, Strawberry, Kämp Hotel, Finlandia Hall and the Finnish Film Affair.
Roosa Toivonen, The Freyas’ head of industry and talent, told Variety that presenters and jury members in attendance will include actors Alexander Karim (Sweden), Nanna Blondell (Sweden), Ville Virtanen (Finland), Pekka Strang (Finland), Sara Soulié (Finland), Emmi Parviainen (Finland) and Oona Airola (Finland); directors Zaida Bergroth (Finland), Selma Vilhunen (Finland), Dome Karukoski (Finland), Juha Wuolijoki (Finland) and AJ Annila (Finland); and producers Madeleine Ekman (Sweden), Gudny Hummelvoll (Norway), Sofie Wanting Hassing (Denmark), Andri Ómarsson (Iceland) and Jani Pösö (Finland).
Further jury members and presenters will be announced shortly.