Espoo Ciné will once again take place at its traditional time at the end of August. The 2025 edition of the festival will be held from August 22nd to 31st, and the first programme highlights are now being revealed.
New Finnish films are a core part of Espoo Ciné. This year’s featured Finnish gala film is Elämä on juhla, written and directed by Ulla Heikkilä. Filmed in Nauvo, the movie tells the story of the Eerola family’s midsummer celebration in the archipelago—after which nothing will ever be the same. The cast includes Pirjo Lonka, Jani Volanen, Aamu Milonoff, and Jussi Vatanen.
Also part of this year’s lineup is Jossain on valo joka ei sammu, the debut feature by Lauri-Matti Parppei, which captivated audiences in the ACID section at the Cannes Film Festival. Filmed in Rauma, the film is a delicate tribute to friendship and collaborative creativity.
From the festival’s core European film selection comes The 47 – El 47 by Spanish director Marcel Barrena. Based on a true story, the film tells of a bus driver who hijacked Barcelona’s line 47 bus and helped shape the city’s modern identity during the boom of the 1970s. The 47 is the most successful Catalan film to date and won five Goya Awards, the Spanish equivalent of the Oscars.
Espoo Ciné also features documentaries, such as Riefenstahl by Andreas Veiel. The film explores Leni Riefenstahl’s journey from being the Nazis’ trusted filmmaker to becoming a photographer, questioning whether she herself was a Nazi.
On Espoo Day, August 30, 2025, an outdoor screening will be held in collaboration with the Exhibition Centre WeeGee. The film will be Jacques Demy’s musical classic The Young Girls of Rochefort, starring Catherine Deneuve, her sister Françoise Dorléac,Gene Kelly, and Michel Piccoli.
This year, Espoo Ciné is collaborating with the Outsider Art Festival (OAF). The film program includes, among other things, a curated short film screening selected through an open call for works.
More programme announcements will be revealed throughout the summer, and the full Espoo Ciné lineup will be published on Thursday July 31st.