Klaus Härö’s latest feature, Blue Baby, will have its Finnish preview premiere at the Espoo Ciné Award screening on Saturday, 22 August.
Film director Klaus Härö has been named the recipient of the 2026 Espoo Ciné Award. Presented annually, the award honours an individual or organisation that has made a significant contribution to Finnish film culture while promoting its place within a diverse European cinema landscape. This year marks the sixth presentation of the award. Previous recipients include Paula Vesala, Anna Eriksson, Aamu Film Company, Laura Birn, and Teemu Nikki.
One of Finland’s most acclaimed and internationally successful directors, Klaus Härö has captivated audiences with his deeply humane films ever since his feature debut, Elina: As If I Wasn’t There (2002). Several of his works have premiered at major international film festivals. Mother of Mine (2005), One Last Deal (2018), and My Sailor, My Love (2022) all celebrated their world premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival.
The Espoo Ciné Award is sponsored by Valofirma The Light House and consists of a €3,000 equipment rental voucher.
According to the Espoo Ciné Award jury, made up of members of the festival’s board, a Klaus Härö film is always on the side of humanity. Härö is especially known for his films set in Finland’s recent history, in which ordinary people are confronted with moral dilemmas that require them to defend both their own rights and those of others, or make decisions that shape the course of another person’s life. His latest film, Blue Baby, asks difficult questions about professional duty, personal conscience, and the value of human life in the midst of today’s healthcare crisis.
Klaus Härö commented on receiving the award:
“I am deeply grateful to Espoo Ciné for recognising both my films and, in particular, my new feature, Blue Baby. It is a special pleasure that the film will have its Finnish premiere at Espoo Ciné, a festival that shares the film’s ambition to be both rooted in its own time and timeless in its artistic quality.”
New and Classic Härö at Espoo Ciné: Blue Baby and Letters to Father Jacob
Blue Baby will be screened as the Espoo Ciné Award film on Saturday, 22 August 2026, at 6:00 pm at Bio Rex Lasipalatsi and Kino Tapiola. Before the screening at Bio Rex Lasipalatsi, Härö will discuss his films and filmmaking in an on-stage interview in the venue’s foyer. He will also attend the screening at Kino Tapiola for a post-screening discussion with the audience.
Espoo Ciné will also celebrate Härö’s distinguished career with a special screening of his acclaimed 2009 film Letters to Father Jacob. The screening will take place at Kino Tapiola on the festival’s opening Friday, 21 August, at 5:00 pm, with Klaus Härö attending as a special guest.