Outside of the capital Helsinki, the country offers a marvellous diversity of locations, from extreme arctic landscapes to forests and farmlands, and from modern urban cityscapes to little towns resembling old European villages or the small towns of North America.

Whether itís the snow-covered hills in Lapland, the hi-tech buildings of ìNokialandî or classic and modernist architecture you are looking for, Finland offers innumerable locations that meet virtually any screenplay requirement.

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One of the greatest attractions in Lapland is the sight of the northern lights (Aurora borealis). The northern polar lights are formed at the height of about 100 kilometres above ground level, as electrically charged particles collide with the earth¥s atmosphere near the magnetic poles.

Finnish Lapland is of course the home country of Santa Claus. The rumours about Father Christmas living on the North Pole are clearly untrue ñ there wouldnít even be any food for his reindeer there!

HELSINKI
Helsinki is not only the capital of Finland, but also the main production centre of the country and a major gateway to a multitude of locations.

The architectural heritage here mainly dates back to the 18th and 19th centuries, including remarkable showcases of modern architecture by such luminaries as Alvar Aalto and Eliel Saarinen. A plethora of Art Nouveau ñ or its German variant Jugendstil ñ and Functionalist buildings can be found in the city of Helsinki. There are many examples of ultra-modern architecture sitting next to the historic, such as the Museum of Contemporary Art facing the Parliament House.

Because of the city's architectural and geographical background, feature films and commercials set in mainland Europe, Central or Eastern Europe (e.g. St. Petersburg) have been convincingly shot in Helsinki. Or, if youíre looking for that non-descript European suburb, thereís plenty of that to choose from!

OTHER TOWNS & VILLAGES
The former capital Turku, one of the oldest cities in Finland is only a two-hour drive west from Helsinki. The city's old castle and cathedral, together with narrow streets and steep slopes, offer stunning panoramas of the beautiful River Aura and its banks below.

Just half an hour east of Helsinki is the small coastal town of Porvoo, Finland's second-oldest town dating back to 1346. The old town of Porvoo features charming red wooden buildings and cobbled streets along the River Porvoonjoki.

FORESTS, WATER & ARCHIPELAGO
In bigger cities like Helsinki or Tampere you'll find the office towers, industrial landscapes and the downtown neighbourhoods, but it is the green and blue spaces that make up a vital part of Finlandís richness and appeal. In fact, this natural beauty extends all around the cities and beyond, with the sea, lakes and forests easily accessible.

A massive 70% of the country is forest, split by a well-maintained road network with a variety of bridges crossing the water areas. The Twin Peaks ñstyled eerie forests & lakesides have been used, for example, in a recent commercial for Impulse Siren.

Roughly 10% of Finlandís total area is water, with 187,888 lakes, 5,100 rapids and 179,584 islands. On top of this, Finland boasts Europe's largest archipelago situated off the southwest coast, in and around the semi-autonomous province of ≈land. The archipelago offers plenty of locations to choose from, including lush green islands, rough wind-swept islets and old lighthouses.

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There might be long periods of darkness in winter, especially in the North, with only a few hours of daylight in December. But come summer, the sunny days never seem to end. In the far north of the country the sun does not set for about 73 days, and it can be almost as bright at 9pm as it is at midday.
From the map on the left you can see the average dates of permanent snow fall in Finland.

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Helsinki production crews are at the cutting edge of their field, thanks to extensive professional collaboration and the comprehensive education programmes available in the field. With Finland being the home of global mobile phone giant Nokia and various other hi- tech companies, the very latest technology is widely used throughout the country for both business and pleasure. The producers, performers, crews and technicians all speak fluent English and usually one or two other languages as well (most often German, French and Swedish).

Helsinki is the capital of Finland and the film and television centre of the nation. It's also the countryís largest production centre with world class studios and post-production facilities. Our crews are experienced, flexible and ready for anything - as even the most demanding productions will prove. Our skilled and experienced partnering service companies light up the other end of the spectrum, offering studios, equipment suppliers and other related business from post-production to on-site catering.

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