***The Kid in SAN FRANCISCO* FROZEN FILM FESTIVAL *2025***

First things first, I want to share with you The Kid (4:44 min) the film who made it to East Village New York Film Festival (where it won an Award as a Best Indie Short) and then afterwards to San Francisco Frozen Film Festival (where your generosity made possible my trip there).

* Please watch it in a bigger screen than in the phone! laptop at least, or preferably bigger screen :)

THE KID

I would love to hear your comments, opinions or questions about it, if you feel like sharing :) I will answer those who have some questions, remember to add your e-mail at the end.

Also, I am looking for a place in Helsinki to screen it, to have a Premiere. If you know of any, reach out :)

STORY TIME! : How "The Kid" was made

I wanted to participate in the Uneton48 competition (the competition in which you make a short film in 48 hours), and I had some images that had been "haunting me" for some time (the wall of colorful condoms, the fetus falling in the bathroom, the expression of the girl, the open dating app...). I wanted to connect all the dots and make a short film out of it. In previous experiences making shorts, I would stress too much somehow preparing everything, but for this one, I waited until the very last weekend before the competition started to ask around about my cast. I wasn't planning to have a technical crew (so we didn't have a sound recordist on set; the voices were recorded straight from the camera, and then I decided to use the camera myself) because I just wanted to conduct an experiment with the actors... I never thought it would become a short film.

After we finished it, I showed it around, and someone mentioned it had potential for some festivals, so I wondered... why not? I had never tried to send any of my shorts to any festival before, so it would be a good test. As a surprise, last year it was selected for the New York East Film Festival (February 2025, where it won the prize for Best Indie Short Film), and then it went to the San Francisco Frozen Film Festival (July 2025), along with other nominations at different festivals.

I need to thank again all the crew and cast who were so generous with their time and who trusted me in this experiment because it truly was! I was super lucky thinking about the fetus; I asked Anu Sallinen how it could be done, and she said, "I have one already." Then, too spontaneously, I asked my friend Maria to take the main role. Until that day, she had never acted in any short film, and what a discovery I made! She did an amazing job, and her naturalness and spontaneity spoke volumes in front of the camera. Then, Daniela came along, and her creativity on set (we improvised her lines) was stunning. Maija happened to come with her kids (it wasn't planned that way), and it was great to include them in the storyline plus her acting felt so touching. I hadn't met Nick until that day, but believe me when I say that if I had the chance to do a proper casting beforehand, he would have been the one.

Later on, when realizing the potential of the short film, the sound was designed by the great Alexander, who added the layers needed to impress audiences and enhance the storytelling. The images were then color graded by the amazing Italo, who shaped the colors to be more vibrant.

Thanks to everyone involved! <3

PHOTOS of the trip to SAN FRANCISCO!

The festival was happening at an outdoor cinema, which was really fun! Although I soon realized why it was called the "San Francisco Frozen Film Festival." It was indeed quite cold at night (the temperatures dropped as the day went on). But other than that, it was really nice, and the people there were very friendly. On the first day of the festival, there was a meeting for filmmakers, and I talked with many people. Most of them were from the Bay Area, and they were quite surprised when I mentioned that I was coming from Finland!

During the festival, I visited different places. In the photos, you can see The Paramount Theater in Oakland (probably the most beautiful cinema I have ever seen—what a style!), Roxie Theater (where I went to watch one film; it was quite cozy with really good vibes), and the Painted Ladies (those famous houses featured in the opening credits of the TV series "Full House"). I also enjoyed views of the Golden Gate from a beach, and many times I loved to wander around the city, taking different modes of transport and getting inspired by the vibe of it. I really loved it.

Even though I traveled solo, I didn't feel alone. People were always open to a small chat (with no other intentions), and if you were walking around at night, they looked out for you. At one point, I got lost one night, and a female bus driver stopped to tell me where to go to catch my bus back. I had the great idea to travel without internet. I was depending on Wi-Fi, and you couldn't find it everywhere. But that gave me chances to interact more with locals, just like in the past.

Overall, the experience was amazing; it made me believe that everything is possible, even our most delusional dreams. You just have to step a bit out of the "familiar" and trust that things are going to work out.

If you want to hear more anecdotes in person, please, reach me out, I will be happy to do that :)

VIDEO I MADE ABOUT THE TRIP!

You can see it through this link:

THANKS FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART TO HAVE SUPPORTED THIS EXPERIENCE