SAIMAA FILM FESTIVAL IS HERE!
Film submissions.. Our email: saimaafilmfestival (at) gmail.com
The Black and White Theatre Association is organizing the new Saimaa Film Festival event for the first time on 22-24 August 2025. The event will be held in cooperation with the UNESCO-listed Saimaa Geopark. Significant support received through South Karelia's Kärki-Leader, Leader Länsi-Saimaa and the Rural Trust will enable the event to be implemented on a larger scale in 2025 and 2026.
The Black and White Theatre is known for organizing the largest professional theatre festival in Southeast Finland since 2004. It also has its own theatre activities. The Saimaa Film Festival offers a variety of film screenings, lectures and side events, which are taken to various natural and cultural environments around South Karelia. The festival is intended to promote the awareness of South Karelia both nationally and internationally, strengthen the vitality of the region, and attract people from near and far.
Artistic director Kamran Shahmardan is putting together a great international program, which will be published later. In addition, well-known film professionals from Finland and abroad will arrive in South Karelia.
We organize screenings in historical and scenic locations, such as the Vuoksi area, the shores of Lake Saimaa and the Taavetti Fortress in Luumäki. We also actively cooperate with various actors in the region. The festival program is presented all over South Karelia: in Imatra, Lappeenranta, Ruokolahti, Rautjärvi, Luumäki and Taipalsaari.
Saimaa Film Festival emphasizes ecology and the principles of sustainable development. Film screenings and programs organized outdoors offer families the opportunity to experience the art of cinema in the middle of nature, which supports physical and mental well-being. Most of the festival's performances are free of charge, which makes the threshold for coming to see the performances low.
Imatra, Lappeenranta and the rest of South Karelia have faced challenges caused by the Russian war of aggression, and the festival aims to revive the vitality of the region by attracting tourists and activating the people living in the area. At the first event, we expect 3000–4000 visitors, and the long-term goal is to increase the number of visitors to 8000–10000. The second event will be held in August 2026.
We hope that everything goes wonderfully and that the first Saimaa Film Festival will make the hearts of the audience beat with excitement!