Special Screenings and Events
Pre-festival Screening: Outsider Art Festival x Espoo Ciné
Tuesday, 19 August, 16.30–20.00 | Kino Tapiola
Get into the festival spirit before the official opening day! This year, Espoo Ciné and the Outsider Art Festival (OAF), dedicated to outsider art, are joining forces to present an exciting selection of fresh short films. In addition to the nine films, Tuesday, 19 August will also feature performances by Kalevi Helvetti as well as Satu Tani and Maima Tani.
The OAF short film screening will also be shown again during Espoo Ciné, on Sunday, 24 August at Louhisali. Tickets for the screenings will be available on the Espoo Ciné website starting 5 August. Read more about the films and screenings here!
Sinun Ciné Idea Competition
Friday, 22 Aug, 12:30–17:15 | Kino Tapiola
The Espoo Ciné Idea Competition Sinun Ciné culminates on August 22! Now in its fourth edition, the competition is aimed at aspiring filmmakers from underrepresented minority groups within the Finnish media landscape. On the opening day of Espoo Ciné, Kino Tapiola will host not only the finalist pitches of Sinun Ciné, but also talks and panel discussion by professionals from the film and TV industry. Read more here!
12:30–14:30 Panel Discussion
14:45–16:00 Pitches
17:00 Announcement of the Sinun Ciné Winner
The event is open to the public and free of charge, and the language of the event is English. Accessibility info.
Sinun Ciné idea competition is supported by AVEK, the City of Espoo and Finnish Film Affair.
Opening Screening: Leave One Day
Friday, 22 Aug, 18:30 | Louhisali
The opening of Espoo Ciné will be celebrated on Friday, 22 August, in Louhisali at the Espoo Cultural Centre. At the start of the screening, the 2025 Espoo Ciné Award and the Sinun Ciné idea competition prize will be presented.
Amélie Bonnin’s bittersweet musical Leave One Day is the first debut film ever to have the honor of opening the Cannes Film Festival – and now it will also open Espoo Ciné! In the film, France’s pop queen Juliette Armanet dazzles on the big screen as a top chef who is forced to return to her hometown. Read more and buy tickets for the screening here.
After Party of the Opening Screening
Friday, 22 Aug, 20:30–00:30 | Kino Tapiola
After the opening screening, the evening can continue at Kino Tapiola in a relaxed social setting, accompanied by delicious refreshments! The Kino Tapiola terrace will be open until 10:00 pm, but last call at the Kino Bar won’t be until midnight. You are warmly welcome!
Family Day
Saturday, 23 Aug, 10:30–16:00 | Kino Tapiola and Espoo Cultural Centre
Espoo Ciné’s Family Day takes over Tapiola on Saturday, 23 Aug starting at 10:30 – Welcome to enjoy the festival atmosphere with the whole family! There will be film screenings, dog friends, and movie-themed activities at Kino Tapiola and Tapiola Library, both indoors and outdoors.
The Family Day culminates with a free screening of the feature film Itty Bitty Princess at the Cultural Centre’s Louhisali Hall at 16:00. The screening is organized in collaboration with Yle and admission is free. Please note that tickets for Itty Bitty Princess must be reserved on our website or at our ticket sales point.
Screening Schedule:
10.30 Children's Animations | Kino Tapiola
12.00 Children's Animations | Kino Tapiola
16.00 Itty Bitty Princess | Louhisali
Crip Ciné Gala Screening
Tuesday, 26 Aug, 17:30 | Louhisali
In this year's Crip Ciné gala film Élisabeth, a hard-of-hearing woman, struggles with her underpaid job during the Olympic Games in Paris. Elijah, a carefree Californian, disrupts her balance.
First held in 2021, Crip Ciné is a dedicated strand within Espoo Ciné’s year-round programme, focusing on documentary and fiction films that shed light on the living conditions of disabled people. In spring 2025, Espoo Ciné organised the first-ever standalone Crip Ciné mini-festival, separate from the August edition of Espoo Ciné. At the August festival, six Crip Ciné films can be found under the Crip Ciné theme on the screenings page.
Film Pub Quiz
Tuesday, 26 Aug, 19:30 | Kino Tapiola terrace
On Tuesday evening at Kino’s terrace, there will be plenty to chew on – literally for the mind – as Espoo Ciné’s tantalising movie quiz tickles the festival crowd’s brain cells. Form a team of 1–5 people – prizes await!
Finnish Gala Screening
Wednesday, 27 Aug, 18:30 | Louhisali
At Espoo Ciné’s traditional Finnish Gala Film Screening, Ulla Heikkilä’s Summer Is Crazy will be shown. A dreamy midsummer night in archipelago reveals its dark nuances, when inevitable disappointments mingle with possibilities for new beginnings, even love. Special guests include director Ulla Heikkilä and actors Aamu Milonoff, Bruno Baer, and Jussi Vatanen. Read more and buy tickets for the screening here.
After party of the Finnish Gala Screening
Wednesday, 27 Aug, 21:00 | Kino Tapiola
After the opening screening, the evening can continue at Kino Tapiola in a relaxed social setting, accompanied by delicious refreshments! The Kino Tapiola terrace will be open until 10:00 pm, but last call at the Kino Bar won’t be until midnight. You are warmly welcome!
Finnish Indie Night
Friday, 29 Aug, from 17:00 | Kino Konepaja
More info coming soon!
WeeGee x Espoo Ciné Outdoor Screening: The Young Girls of Rochefort
Saturday, 30 Aug, 21:30 | Exhibition Centre WeeGee
The event is free and open to all ages!
Espoo Ciné and WeeGee present on Espoo Day an outdoor screening of Jacques Demy’s beloved musical classic The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967). The film is a follow-up to the collaboration between Demy, composer Michel Legrand, and the iconic Catherine Deneuve, who captivated the world with The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964). This classic musical is perfect for a summer evening — the colors are beautiful and the emotions grand. The film is in French with Finnish subtitles.
WeeGee’s courtyard will be softened with a grass mat, but do bring your picnic blanket for comfort! The area is accessible (see here for more details). Restrooms are located inside the exhibition centre.
WeeGee is about a 15-minute walk from Tapiola metro station. It’s also accessible by buses 111, 113, 548, and 549. There is a city bike station right next to WeeGee, and bike racks for your own bike. Parking space is limited and paid.
