Iffa Jayyana
Helsinki is currently transforming into a crucible for the next generation of cinematic terror. As the Nordic region continues to assert its dominance in the international genre market—evidenced by the recent acquisition of Hanna Bergholm’s Nightborn and Ilja Rautsi’s Red Snow by streaming powerhouse Shudder—the inaugural Nordic Genre Lab has arrived to formalize this creative momentum. Running from September 23–25, this industry incubator, hosted during the Helsinki International Film Festival’s Finnish Film Affair, serves as a high-stakes launchpad for eight high-end projects that are poised to redefine the landscape of international genre filmmaking.
A New Institutional Pillar for Nordic Genre
For years, the Nordic region has excelled at exporting "elevated" genre content, blending critical prestige with commercial accessibility. Yet, industry veterans have long noted a structural vacuum: while the arthouse sector enjoys robust institutional support, networking, and mentorship, the genre community has largely been left to navigate the global market in silos.
The Nordic Genre Lab aims to bridge this gap. Conceived by head of program Laura Laaksonen and industry veteran Claire Willats, the initiative seeks to foster a sustainable ecosystem where creators can refine their craft, secure international financing, and build the professional networks necessary for global distribution.
"There still isn’t much in the way of institutional knowledge of genre within funding bodies, nor is there a dedicated way for these creators to connect, support, and learn from one another in the way they can within the arthouse world," notes mentor Todd Brown, formerly the head of acquisitions at XYZ Films. "We are here to help fill that gap."
Chronology of the Lab: From Selection to Screen
The path to the Helsinki stage began months ago, with a rigorous selection process. From a pool of 29 submissions, a trio of industry heavyweights—Claire Willats, Todd Brown, and Norwegian producer Einar Loftesnes—curated a slate of eight finalists. The selection criteria were strict, prioritizing project originality, the strength of the creative team, script quality, and the strategic readiness of the development phase.
The Lab program itself is an intensive two-day immersion. Between Thursday and Friday, delegates will witness live pitches of the eight finalists to an audience of over 500 industry professionals. Beyond the pitches, the teams are engaging in specialized workshops and receiving one-on-one mentorship from Willats and Brown.
The mentorship pedigree here is significant. Both Willats and Brown were instrumental in the development and acquisition of high-profile international hits, including the Norwegian thriller The Trip (starring Noomi Rapace) and the global phenomenon The Platform. Their involvement provides these eight projects with a direct line to the strategies that turn niche genre ideas into global streaming sensations.
The Eight Finalists: A Tapestry of Terror
The selected projects reflect the vast creative spectrum of the North, ranging from folk horror set in the remote Faroese wilderness to dark political satire and dystopian survival epics.
1. Alma (Finland)
Directed by Pete Riski and penned by Ilja Rautsi, Alma is an ambitious €4 million project. Spanning two timelines during World War II and the present day, it follows a woman whose telekinetic powers become both a savior and a curse. It is a multi-generational meditation on trauma and the high cost of wielding power.
2. Echo Chamber (Finland)
This anime-inspired psychological horror by Juha Fiilin explores grief through the lens of body horror. By using hand-drawn animation, the film offers a visceral, mature look at two estranged sisters forced together by a supernatural curse, marking a sophisticated entry in the growing market for "prestige animation."
3. Linden Lane 6 (Finland)
Produced by the prolific It’s Alive Films, this film is a provocative subversion of power dynamics. It flips traditional gender roles to explore the mechanics of sexual harassment and manipulation, framing abuse as a tool of control rather than a product of desire.
4. Long Way Home (Norway)
Kjersti Helen Rasmussen’s dystopian road movie is a chilling, character-driven story set after an electromagnetic pulse cripples Norway. As the protagonists navigate a frozen, lawless landscape, the film functions as a coming-of-age allegory, testing the boundaries of trust and solidarity in the face of societal collapse.
5. Sauna Diplomacy (Finland)
A dark comedy set in the 1970s, this debut feature from Teemu Niukkanen tackles the history of "Finlandization." It captures a weekend at a summer cottage between a Finnish diplomat and a Soviet official, spiraling into a claustrophobic psychological power game.
6. The Evil Eye (Denmark)
This found-footage project is perhaps the most contemporary of the lot. Told entirely through digital interfaces—iPhones, POV glasses, and surveillance cameras—it follows an obsessed man infiltrating the life of his former childhood bully. It is a biting commentary on digital-age surveillance and the borderless nature of online abuse.
7. Trespassers (Sweden)
Produced by Patrik Andersson (of Midsommar fame), this backwoods horror follows four activists stranded in the Northern Swedish wilderness. They soon realize they are trespassing on land controlled by an isolated group with terrifying, ancient beliefs.
8. Whistler (Faroe Islands)
Marking a historic milestone as the first-ever Faroese horror feature, Whistler is a survival folk horror film. It centers on marine biologists hunted by a reclusive farmer who commands a pack of grotesque, half-human creatures via a bone whistle.
Official Perspectives and Industry Implications
The importance of this Lab extends beyond the individual films. As Claire Willats noted, "There is a huge appetite for Nordic genre in the global market. If you look at streamers like Netflix, Troll is still the number one film not in the English language." By formalizing the development process, the Lab aims to ensure that this success is not an anomaly, but a reproducible trend.
The project has already garnered significant backing from the Nordisk Kulturfond, the Finnish Film Foundation, and the Nordisk Film & TV Fond. This institutional support is crucial for the long-term health of the region’s film industry.
For the filmmakers involved, the stakes are high. Jón Hammer, producer of Whistler, expressed the collective sentiment of the participants: "We set out to make the first Faroese horror feature, and the opportunity to develop Whistler further with the guidance and expertise of such strong mentors is incredibly exciting."
The Future of Nordic Genre
The inaugural Nordic Genre Lab is more than just a training program; it is a declaration of intent. By fostering these eight projects, the Lab is signaling to the global industry that the Nordics are ready to professionalize their genre output.
As Todd Brown aptly observed, the Nordics possess a unique ability to balance "class and critical quality with audience accessibility." With the support of mentors like Brown and Willats, and the backing of key funding bodies, these creators are moving beyond the fringes of the festival circuit. The goal for next year is even more ambitious: to expand the Lab’s reach to include Sápmi, Icelandic, and Greenlandic projects, further cementing the Nordic region as a global powerhouse of genre cinema.
As the industry gathers in Helsinki this week, the message is clear: the North is coming for your nightmares, and they are arriving with a level of craft that is, quite frankly, terrifyingly good.
Lina Hope
Azzam Bilal Chamdy
