Movies | Film production subsidies are distributed on the wrong basis, says Markus Selin

Film company Solar Films is Finland’s most successful when looking at the long term. The films of Solar, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary next spring, are going to cross the 10 million movie theater audience mark by autumn at the latest.

The latest hit is Tiina Lymin guided by Myrskyluoto Maija. Despite the fact that it is spoken in Swedish, nearly 460,000 Finns have seen it on the big screen. The amount is the highest for the domestic market since 2017 The unknown soldier.

Solar will have no less than four premieres in the fall and winter, but the producer Markus Selin according to which there is an injustice in public funding.

“Production companies are treated in completely different ways at the Film Foundation,” says Selin.

“I hope for a public debate when it comes to taxpayers’ money.”

In the Finnish Film Foundation’s latest support round, Solar films did not receive positive support decisions. When they receive production subsidies, it is usually a 50/50 subsidy of smaller amounts. It is more of a mechanical rather than a discretionary support for so-called public films that have secured significant funding from elsewhere and whose creators’ previous films were successes.

“We receive weak subsidies compared to the subsidies of others,” says Selin.

According to him, the profits from the films usually go to the development of future projects.

“Does the Film Foundation imagine that when their movie has done well, they don’t need more money?”

If discretionaryproduction subsidies of up to a million euros are not available, the projects that require them will not be carried out at Solaris.

Relying on a 50/50 grant of up to half a million euros, on the other hand, guides the creation of sequels that meet the criteria of the form of support, reminds Solari’s CEO Jukka Helle.

“It doesn’t lead in the direction of reform,” says Helle.

The next Solar movies are the fourth Mind blowingthe tenth Crowthe tenth Risto the rapper and Häjyt 2. That is, four sequels, for which the company expects a total of more than 800,000 viewers.

Mass production Myrskyluoto Maija was, according to Jukka Helte, an exceptional case in that the Film Foundation granted Solar a discretionary support.

“When we have had successes, I would like it to be reflected in the foundation more often as an observation that we have done something right,” says Helle.

In Markus Selin’s opinion, too many large production subsidies are granted to films with a limited audience potential.

“The important function of cinematography is to entertain. If no one goes to see the film, it’s not an experience,” says Selin.

The audience gap between undisputed successes and domestic films with a smaller audience has indeed grown. For example, the Jussi winner Grandma got a good 30,000 viewers.

Criticism coincides with a moment when the Film Foundation’s funding is being cut. There is already less to share, and it will get tighter in the next few years.

“Solar is the company that received the most subsidies,” reminds the foundation’s CEO Lasse Saarinen.

“The art and film people, on the other hand, ask why we support sequels.”

To Selini’s question about whether a successful company is oppressed, Saarinen answers with a sigh.

“That’s a strange way of thinking. We look at each project separately. One company can’t get everything it wants, but of course we want the companies to be strong and solvent.”

Saarinen calculates that the Film Foundation can currently afford to support 18 feature-length productions a year. Audience potential is a criterion among others.

“Companies that have focused on public films do not want to understand that our support should also cover art house, first-time directors, diversity and films with international festival potential,” says Saarinen.

He reminds that applying for 50/50 subsidies is Solar’s own choice.

“In one year, our funds are not enough for all the films that deserve support, but the best ones will mostly be supported the following year.”