VILLE SUHONEN

(born in Helsinki 1964)

director / screenwriter / author

He has worked as a freelance film director as well as film and culture critic since 1985. Has directed over 30 films: documentaries, nature films, short fictions, dance- and music videos (e.g. by Värttinä and Angelin tytöt). Has also written and co-directed box office hits, feature adventure "Tommy and the Wildcat" and nature documentary "Tale of a Forest". His films have been sold to over 100 countries and visited to over 100 festivals. He has also written three novels and a nature book based on the "Tale of a Forest".

AWARDS:

Grand Prix and Best Direction: World Mountain Documentary Festival of Qinghai China 2014: "Tale of a Forest"
Prize of the Environment 2013, The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation: "Tale of a Forest"
The State Quality Award 2013: "Tale of a Forest"
The State Quality Award 2012: "Frozen Hell - Prisoners of War in Finland 1941-42"
Best Documentary Film in Northern Character Festival in Murmansk 2012: "Frozen Hell - Prisoners of War in Finland 1941-42"
Prix de la Connaissance et de la Protection de la Faune Europeénne, Fest.Int.du Film Animalier, Albert 2005: "Song of the Whooper Swan"
Children's Culture State Award 1999: "Tommy and the Wildcat"
Best Children's Film, Wildlife Europe Festival 1999: "Tommy and the Wildcat"
The State Quality Award 1999: "Tommy and the Wildcat"
Jussi Award Nomination Best Script 1998: "Tommy and the Wildcat"
Golden Gate Award San Francisco International Film Festival 1997: "Moments in Time"
The Ministry of Culture Award Ekotop Film Festival in Bratislava, Slovakia 1996: "Moments in Time".
The State Quality Award 1996: "Moments in Time"
Bronze Medal Documentary Category in Media & Message Festival, Finland 1996: "Moments in Time"
Main Prize National Competition in Tampere Film Festival 1996: "Moments in Time"
Bronze Medal National Music Video Competition 1993: "The Mingy Maid".
Special Mention International Video Dance Festival ini Cannes 1992: "Black + White"
The Finnish Short Film Honorary Award 1990: "Colony of Survivors".

FILMOGRAPHY:

Seamstress (2015) documentary 93'
Tale of a Forest (2012; co-dir, sc.) documentary 75'
Frozen Hell - Prisoners of War in Finland 1941-42 (2011) documentary 85'
Four Journeys on the River (2007; co-dir, sc.) documentary 75'
Song of the Whooper Swan (2004; co-dir, sc.) documentary 50'
A Journey with the cranes (2002; co-dir, co-sc.) documentary 55'
Paradise in the City (2000;co-dir, co-sc.) documentary 55'
Tommy and the Wildcat (1998;co-dir, co-sc.)family adventure 90'
A Spider Swindle (1997) children's film 30'
The Holy Swan (1996; script) nature documentary 25'
Moments in Time (1996) art documentary 34'
From Speech to Song (1995) music documentary 60'
Arctica - the Mythical Migration (1995) nature documentary 24'
Io (1994) music video 5'
Marea (1993) music video 5'
Pihi neito - The Mingy Maid (1993) music video and -film 5'
Wild-Grown City (1993) environmental documentary 58'
Dolla (1992) music video 5'
Black & White (1992) dance video 12'
Student Life (1990) documentary 20'
Colony of Survivors (1990) environmental documentary 27'
Silent City (1989) dance video 15'
Helsinki. Architecture (1989) documentary 20'
Thinker (1989) dance video 6'
The Kumenius Case (1989) documentary 52'
The Last Waterfront (1988) documentary 16'
Flame of Functionalism (1988; ass.dir.) documentary 40'
Time of the City (1987) documentary 20'
Dream Mode (1986) short fiction 16'
Paris, Breakfast (1985) short fiction 20'

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

"Tuulensieppaaja" (Wind Catcher, 2005) Novel
"Tommy and the Wildcat - Return to the Wild" (2003) Sequel of the story
"Tommy and the Wildcat" (1999) Novelization of the film
"Tommy and the Wildcat - An Adventure in the Wilderness" (1999) Illustrated book for younger audience