Finnish film is being showcased across the Benelux this spring, featuring a diverse lineup of productions and co-productions at festivals from Brussels to Nijmegen.
Echoes of Ji.hlava at Bozar, Brussels
18–21.3.2026
Documentary filmmaker and screenwriter Natalia Koniarz’s Silver is a stark portrait of life in Bolivia’s highest silver mine. Families inhabit a barren landscape where the search for silver defines existence. Exhausting work, constant danger and psychological strain shape daily life. Children learn to defend themselves against violence, while spirituality offers a fragile anchor. Visually stunning shots of a lunar terrain contrast with lives scarred by colonial legacies and the price of European wealth.
The screening of Silver is part of Echoes of Ji.hlava, which brings a selection of the most captivating documentaries from the Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival to Brussels.
Silver, Poland, Norway, Finland (2025)
20.3, 19:00 – Bozar, Brussels (screening in the presence of the director)
21.3, 14:00 – Bozar, Brussels
DOCVILLE International Documentary Film Festival, Leuven
18–26.3.2026
Ragnhild Ekner’s documentary Ultras (2025) is a vibrant exploration of hardcore football fans around the world. The film follows devoted supporters from Argentina, Italy, Indonesia, Morocco, and beyond, showing how stadiums become spaces of liberation and collective expression. Without ever showing a minute of football, Ultras celebrates the energy, creativity, and cultural complexity of this controversial subculture. The film had its world premiere in the Nordic Documentary Competition at Göteborg Film Festival 2025.
Ultras, Sweden, Denmark, Finland (2025)
20.3, 18:00 – Cinema ZED Vesalius, Leuven
25.3, 15:00 – Cinema ZED Vesalius, Leuven
Cinedans FEST, Amsterdam
25–29.3.2026
An increasing number of short dance films originate in the Netherlands and are given a platform during Cinedans FEST in two New Dutch programmes: New Dutch 1: Adaptive Worlds and New Dutch 2: Circular & Otherwise Absurd Connections. Sara Europaeus’ Daughters has its world premiere in the New Dutch 1 programme and includes a Q&A sessions with the filmmaker. Daughters is an alternative continuum to the tragic fate of the Finnish folklore figure Aino.
The 22nd International Edition of Cinedans FEST ’26 takes place 25–29.3 in Eye Filmmuseum and 26.3–5.4 online at Cinedans WEB.
Daughters, The Netherlands, Finland (2026)
26.3, 21:30 – Eye Filmmuseum, Amsterdam.
Watch Daughters at Cinedans FEST
Millennium International Film Festival, Brussels
26.3–3.4.2026
Selected for the International Competition at the Millennium International Film Festival, Silent Legacy is a documentary by filmmakers Jenni Kivistö and Jussi Rastas that approaches migration from a fresh perspective, portraying the lived reality of those who move between worlds. It opens a window onto an often overlooked emotional landscape, seeking to narrow the distance between migrants and the communities in which they live. The film had its world premiere at the 78th Locarno Film Festival in the Semaine de la Critique section, and its Nordic premiere at Göteborg Film Festival in 2026.
Silent Legacy, Finland, France, Burkina Faso (2025)
28.3, 16:00 – Quai10, Charleroi (the screening will be followed by a Q&A with Jussi Rastas and Jenni Kivistö)
30.3, 19:00 – UGC Toison d’Or, Brussels
Watch Silent Legacy at Millennium Festival
Go Short – International Short Film Festival Nijmegen
7–12.4.2026
Maija Blåfield‘s film The Fantastic will be screened as part of the short film programme Age of Disinformation at the 18th Go Short. The programme takes a closer look at the ongoing stream of disinformation, from state-controlled media to images circling on our favourite social platforms. Blåfield was awarded the Finnish State Award for Media Art in 2014 and was nominated for the prestigious Ars Fennica award in 2017.
The Fantastic, Finland (2020)
9.4.2026, 18:00 – LUX, Nijmegen
Watch The Fantastic at Go Short
Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFFF)
3–18.4.2026
BIFFF celebrates its 44th anniversary this year and includes the Belgian premieres of three Finnish productions and co-productions: Hanna Bergholm’s Nightborn, Jalmari Helander’s SISU: Road to Revenge and Alberto Gastesi’s Singular.
As one of the most famous genre film festivals in the world, the BIFFF does not limit itself to screening feature films and shorts. In the course of its 16 days, almost twenty peripheral activities will be on offer. The programme includes the famous vampire ball, the must-see make-up competition, an art exhibition, as well as many other surprising events.
Nightborn, Finland, France, Lithuania, UK (2026)
SISU: Road to Revenge, Finland, UK, USA (2025)
Singular, Spain, Finland (2025)
All films are screened at Brussels Expo, Heysel. Discover the full programme!
And in case you missed it, last week we were at Cinema Aventure in Brussels for the screening 100 Liters of Gold by Teemu Nikki, the number two domestic box office hit of 2025 in Finland. The event drew a full house, with our director Johanna Råman sharing opening words. It was a pleasure to continue our collaboration with Polarise and celebrate Nordic cinema in Brussels. We look forward to the next edition!
Cover image: Film still from Silent Legacy (2025).