Finnish Film Foundation (SES)

Overview

The Finnish Film Foundation (Suomen elokuvasaatio, SES) is the Finnish government agency responsible for funding the development, production, promotion, and distribution of Finnish cinema. Founded in 1969 and headquartered in Helsinki, the SES operates under the Finnish Film Act (1174/2018) with a 2026 budget of 25,261,000 euros, of which 3,020,000 euros covers the Foundation's own operating costs. The remaining funds are distributed as project grants to Finnish-registered production companies.

For filmmakers producing in Finland, the SES is the primary public funding source. Maximum production support is 1,200,000 euros per film, covering up to 90% of approved costs. The Foundation also administers development support, distribution support, cinema support, and festival support. In 2025, Finnish films achieved a domestic market share of approximately 32% with over 2 million cinema admissions, ranking among the top five in Europe for domestic market share.

Production Support

The SES offers two main production support tracks:

Standard Production Support

• Maximum grant: 1,200,000 euros per film
• Maximum coverage: 90% of costs approved by the SES (as of January 1, 2025, full-cost coverage is no longer permitted in any support category)
• Eligibility: Finnish-registered production companies (limited liability company, general partnership, limited partnership, or co-operative) with professional and financial prerequisites to produce films and manage commercial rights in Finland
• Application deadlines: Multiple rounds per year. The next deadline is October 20, 2026 at 16:00, with decisions announced by December 18, 2026
• Decision process: The SES Board decides on production support based on the presentation of a Film Commissioner. The Foundation aims to make decisions within 8-10 weeks after the application deadline
• Payment: Support is paid in five installments: 20% at signing, 50% when shooting begins, 10% at completion, 10% at delivery, and 10% or 20,000 euros after the final report

50/50 Production Support

• Purpose: Supports fiction feature films with significant audience potential that have already secured at least 50% of their financing through binding funding decisions or letters of commitment
• Grant range: Minimum 400,000 euros, maximum 600,000 euros
• Maximum SES share: 50% of production costs
• Application deadline: January 8, 2026 at 16:00, with decisions by March 13, 2026
• Film commissioners: Kirsi Hatara (2026), Ilkka Mertsola (2027)
• Scoring: Applications are evaluated using a 50/50 scoring system. Support goes to projects with the highest scores, considering available budget

Both tracks require a signed support agreement within six months of the favorable decision, or the decision expires. An environmental plan has been mandatory for all production support applications since spring 2025.

Development Support

The SES provides development support for scriptwriting, project development, and slate development. Scriptwriters can apply for individual development grants. Production companies can apply for development support for feature films, drama series (episodes 22 minutes and longer), and slate development. The application process runs through the SES online application system.

Finnish Film Industry Context

Finland's film industry is small by European standards but has achieved international visibility disproportionate to its scale. Aki Kaurismaki (The Man Without a Past, Le Havre, Fallen Leaves) remains Finland's most internationally recognized director, with his deadpan minimalism creating a body of work that stands among the most distinctive in contemporary European cinema. In 2025, seven of the top ten most-watched films in Finnish cinemas were domestic productions.

The Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) co-finances Finnish films alongside SES grants, providing broadcaster financing that supplements the Foundation's production support. This broadcaster-fund combination is typical of Nordic film financing models and provides Finnish productions with a multi-source financing structure.

Finnish films were screened abroad in approximately 5,300 cinemas with over 173,000 screenings in 2025, reaching audiences in the millions. The SES's international distribution support has proven effective in maintaining this reach.

Nordic Co-Production

Finland participates in the Nordisk Film and TV Fond alongside Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Iceland, providing access to pan-Nordic co-production financing for productions with genuine multi-country Nordic participation. The Five Nordics cooperation has expanded in recent years to include joint festival appearances, communications, ecological sustainability, and production manager meetings.

In September 2025, the Five Nordics launched the Nordic Ecological Standard (NES), developed by the Five Nordics sustainability working group. Nearly 30 film industry organizations from five Nordic countries participated in the launch. Compliance with the NES criteria is initially voluntary for SES-supported projects, but the SES is preparing to make it a mandatory support criterion starting from the first application round of 2027. The SES hired a part-time environmental coordinator for its production department in 2026 to manage this transition.

Finland also participates in EURIMAGES and the EU MEDIA Programme (to be replaced by AgoraEU), and maintains bilateral co-production relationships with several European countries. In 2025, the SES developed closer ties with France's CNC (Centre national du cinema et de l'image animee) to increase Franco-Finnish co-productions, and is building a similar relationship with Germany for 2026.

The 2025-2026 Funding Crisis

In September 2025, the Finnish government's budget proposal included a 7.8 million euro cut to the SES's funding - approximately 35% of the Foundation's total support budget. The SES issued a public statement warning that the cut would shrink domestic production to 8-10 features per year, eliminate 200-300 jobs, and close dozens of small-town cinemas where Finnish films make up the majority of ticket sales. The Foundation noted that every euro granted returns to the state treasury, at best doubled.

The proposed cut triggered unprecedented public opposition from the entire Finnish audiovisual industry and six weeks of media coverage. Parliament ultimately reversed the cut, preserving the 2026 budget at 25,261,000 euros. However, the SES notes that combined with earlier cuts in the 2020s (approximately 3 million euros) and the lack of index adjustments, the Foundation is effectively 10 million euros behind its 2015 real-terms funding level. To match 2015 purchasing power, the budget would need to be 32 million euros.

The EU's AVMS Directive implementation, which will introduce a streaming levy for platforms operating in Finland, is expected to generate additional funding no earlier than 2028. The SES describes this as a positive signal but notes it will not compensate for years of cuts in the short term.

What Filmmakers Should Know

For international co-productions with Finland, SES co-financing requires a Finnish-registered production company as the applicant. The company must manage the film's commercial rights in Finland. International producers seeking Finnish co-production should partner with a Finnish production company that has an established relationship with the SES and a track record of supported projects.

The maximum SES production grant of 1,200,000 euros can cover up to 90% of approved costs, but in practice most films secure a mix of SES support, YLE broadcaster financing, Nordic co-production funds, and private investment. The 50/50 track (400,000-600,000 euros) is faster for projects that already have 50% of financing secured.

Finland's distinctive cultural character and landscape - from Helsinki's Art Nouveau architecture through the lake district and Arctic Lapland - offer visual settings not available elsewhere in Europe. The mandatory environmental plan (since 2025) and the upcoming Nordic Ecological Standard (mandatory from 2027) should be factored into budget planning.

See Also

For the Swedish Film Institute that operates alongside SES in the Nordic context, see Swedish Film Institute (SFI) in this directory. For European co-production funding, see EURIMAGES in this directory. Use the Indie Film Budget Calculator to model your Nordic co-production financing structure.