Finland Ramps Up Production, Takes on New Genres
Marta Balaga Finland has responded to a spike in demand for its content with a slew of new series. As revealed by Laura Kuulasmaa, executive director at Audiovisual Producers Finland (APFI), over 30 will be released this year alone, a 20% uptick on 2018.“Compared to eight, ten years ago, when there were maybe only five scripted series per year, the increase has been huge,” she tells Variety ahead of French TV festival Series Mania’s “Focus on Finland” showcase. The Film in Finland cash rebate has facilitated international investments and growth of the budgets, she notes. Matti Paunio, head of production at the Finnish Film Foundation, adds:“I think the biggest trend overall is the diversification of subjects and points of view.