Endless lakes, green forests, northern lights and log cabins perfect for any movie genre. Historic towns with castles for period dramas or Eastern bloc-type urban cityscapes for dystopian blockbusters. Finland has them all. Besides all these marvelous possibilities, Finland offers an array of different visual treats waiting to be captured on film. Regardless, it isn’t frequently chosen as a filming location.

There are five regional film commissions in Finland, which can assist film, TV and commercial productions scout the best locations, crews and services in their area. There are also companies, such as Kajawood Studios, helping out international production crews in regards of location scouting and equipment rental. We can find a local crew from camera operators to directors and arrange things like transport and accommodation aswell.

Sustainability is a respected value in Finland and companies are encouraged to execute productions in a sustainable way, taking care of environment, economy and people equally. Generally speaking, as long as you’re not disrupting traffic, there’s no need for a filming permit either. Finland is one of the most unique locations in the world, but if you need some more convincing, keep reading about past and new productions shot partially or entirely in Finland.

International movies shot in Finland

Before the collapse of the Soviet Union, other Nordic cities like Helsinki had to substitute for Moscow. For example, Gorky Park (1983) was one of these, with the Kaisaniemi Park substituting for the Gorky Amusement Park. Similarly, the epic Reds (1981) encountered a similar situation. The filmmakers even had to wait for snowfall in Helsinki before they could begin shooting. Filming locations of Reds were i.e Senate Square, Helenankatu, Unioninkatu, and Suomenlinna.

Surprisingly, even a Bollywood film has been filmed in Finland. Shamitabh (2015) made history as the first Bollywood film to shoot in Lapland and Helsinki, including Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. However, the production crew encountered Finland’s notorious winter weather when a snowstorm disrupted filming of a dance sequence. The crew faced adversity, having to transport their heavy equipment 10km (6.2 miles) through the snow for safety. Despite these challenges, director R. Balki expressed immense enjoyment in filming in Finland and expressed a desire to return to the country for a family holiday.

Modern films and tv series shot in Finland

One of the most recent productions filmed in Finland was What Remains (2022). This Chinese film is based on a true story about unsolved case of a murdered boy in 1990’s Sweden, mostly shot near Turku and Espoo. Also, an American sci-fi thriller Dual (2022) was shot in Tampere, a city in western central Finland, portraying the setting of Seattle. In the autumn of 2023, a Hollywood horror movie Svalta was filmed entirely in Tampere and its surroundings. The premiere is yet to be announced. On top of these, Apple TV’s Constellation series was shot in Inari, Lapland in 2023 bringing international stars to a small Finnish town. The show will be debuting in February 2024.

Movies or TV series don’t necessarily require to be filmed in Finland to employ the cost-effective and punctual Finnish professionals, and to apply for the local production incentive. Post-production tasks such as editing, VFX, sound engineering, and more can be efficiently handled by Finnish professionals, too. Read more about local production incentives here.

Sources:

https://theculturetrip.com/europe/finland/articles/the-beauty-of-finland-captured-on-film
https://finland.fi/business-innovation/filming-photogenic-finland/
https://thecinescapader.wordpress.com/2012/10/16/visiting-filming-locations-of-reds-1981-in-helsinki-finland/
https://businesstampere.com/film-tampere-trends-more-and-bigger-international-productions-interesting-novelties-from-finland/
https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/life-and-public/2023/03/finnish-lapland-increasingly-attractive-international-film-productions