The history of the Tampere Film Festival began in 1969, when the city of Tampere hosted Short Film Days. The event turned out a success so it was decided to transform it into a full-fledged international film festival. The idea was supported by the Ministry of Education of Finland, the Finnish Film Foundation and the City of Tampere.
The inaugural edition of the Tampere Film Festival was held in 1970, which makes it the oldest short film festival in Europe. It’s also the oldest and the largest festival of its kind in the Nordic countries. The Tampere Film Festival is among the most important short film festivals together with the festivals in Bilbao, Krakow, Oberhausen, and Clermont-Ferrand.
The festival lasts for five days and showcases approximately 500 short films from around the world, attracting about 30,000 cinema lovers. Its program includes competitive and non-competitive screenings, seminars, discussions, festival clubs, exhibitions, and other events. They take place at a variety of venues throughout the town. Over the years, the Tampere Film Festival has become an important meeting place for cinema enthusiasts and industry professionals, as well as one of the most anticipated events of the year in Tampere.
The festival’s international competition is open to films of all genres, maximum length is 30 minutes. The International Jury awards the Kiss statuette and prize money in several categories: Grand Prix (the best film in competition), Best Fiction Film, Best Animated Film, and Best Documentary Film. There’s also an audience award.
The festival also hosts the national competition for both under 30 minutes and over 30 minutes films. It features fiction, animated, documentary and experimental films made by Finnish filmmakers. Winners are determined by the National Jury.
Photo: Viena Kytöjoki / Lehtikuva
