As Aki Kaurismäki's Le Havre enjoys success in UK cinemas, Finland's film industry has received a substantial boost, with the Finnish government announcing a new $3M fund. Compared to the cost of making films in the northern country, this is a sigificant amount of money, and filmmakers have been told that if they can raise half the cost of a project by themselves then the state may be willing to pay the rest.
Film commissioner Kaisu Isto argues that the new fund should make it easier for filmmakers to find investment from fresh sources, as they won't need to worry that they are gambling on a project that has little chance of being completed. Despite neighbouring economies struggling with recession, Finland has recently been doing well, and its film induastry, in particular, is booming. By investing in independent cinema at a time when its competitors are finding finnce hard to come by, Finland can hope to increase the audience for its films and secure itself a bigger place in world cinema culture.
