Art is about dialogue.

Marikki Hakola, media artist and film director

In a book, you can write in a dragon without anyone telling you that you can’t afford it.

Antti Holma, actor, writer and scriptwriter

If you are a filmmaker by profession, you have to be able to earn a living from it.

Kaisa Penttilä, animator and director

Film has enormous unrealised potential for different narrative techniques outside the mainstream.

Mika Taanila, director and producer

Unleashing the power of imagination allows people to develop entirely new kinds of things.

Emmi Jouslehto, CEO, Arilyn

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AVEK grants

Applications and final report

Tailwinds for audiovisual culture

We promote diverse Finnish audiovisual culture with copyright remunerations. New documentary films, animations, short films and media art are created with our support. We operate in connection with the Finnish copyright organisation Kopiosto. The majority of our funds come from private copying levies financed from the General State Budget

Get to know us

22.12.2020

AVEK

AVEK to join forces with Docs Up Fund – support for documentary filmmakers in the global south

As the pandemic has most affected filmmakers with fewer possibilities, we felt the need to show solidarity. Thus, AVEK, the Promotion Center of Audiovisual Culture in Finland will direct 30 000€ to support documentary projects of the global south.

16.11.2020

AVEK

Lost Boys and Aalto documentaries unexpected successes in the time of the coronavirus

The top 10 list of the most watched Finnish documentaries has been revised this autumn. No less than two new films supported by AVEK have appeared on the list: Aalto, directed by Virpi Suutari, and Lost Boys, directed by Joonas Neuvonen and Sadri Cetinkaya. This is despite the fact that the coronavirus situation has reduced filmgoing.

14.10.2020

AVEK

The Mediarata grant is open for applications 1 October–7 December 2020

We distribute the Mediarata grant to projects that promote the production culture of media art. The Ministry of Education and Culture has allocated 200,000 euros of separate funding for the grant.

10.9.2020

AVEK

Finland's most significant media art award granted to artist Jenna Sutela

The 2020 AVEK Award has been awarded to internationally renowned artist Jenna Sutela (b. 1983), whose art studies artificial intelligence and interaction between species. She works diversely on audiovisual works, sculptures and performances.

Eläinjuttu, which received production support in November, deals with attempts by animal rights activists to bring about change. Saila Kivelä, one of the film’s directors, was the first animal rights activist to come out with her own face as an undercover photographer of animal production. When Kivelä’s older sister, Mai Kivelä, is elected to Parliament to decide on the reform of the Animal Welfare Act, Saila gets to follow the preparation of the law and the new attempts by activists to influence animal welfare with undercover photography.

‘What appeals to me in Saila’s story, is the question of how we should act when we face injustice and what we can demand of ourselves when this happens,’ says the other director of the film, Vesa Kuosmanen.

According to Kuosmanen, issues related to intensive animal production are among the most important topics of the present day. ‘Now that we are finally also getting to see the link between intensive farming and human suffering and pandemics, I feel that this film is the most important thing I can do right now.’

Photo credits: Heini Mäntylä

Support decisions for documentary and short films as well as media art are published monthly on our Finnish website. Support issued for training, international promotion, and audiovisual culture are published as quickly as possible after support decision meetings.

Support decisions

How do I send my application to AVEK? Can I apply for support for several works at the same time? Online application system does not work, what to do? How long is the decision-making process? Where should the final report be delivered? You will find the answer for these questions and many others in our FAQ section.

Frequently asked questions