Oulu Music Video Festival awarded the year's best Finnish and Nordic music videos

The 32nd Oulu Music Video Festival culminated on Saturday evening with the awards gala at RioLive, where the best Nordic and Finnish music videos and their creators were celebrated.

The first ever Nordic music video competition was won by Norwegian Sander August Dahl with the video Honningbarna – Rød Bic. Dahl received a pair of Genelec 8351B SAM™ speakers worth €8,000. An honourable mention went to Icelanders Anna Róshildur B. Bøving and Simon Bendroth for the video Roshildur – Timi, ekki lioa.

The main award of the Finnish competition, went to Heini Susanne for her video NCO – Ei rakkaut. She received a €3001 gift card donated by Kinos Rentals. The award given to a promising new director, together with a colour grading gift card donated by Toast, was awarded to Aatos Ketvel for Kirsikkapuu – Kirsikkapuu kaatuu. Ketvel also composed and wrote the lyrics for the song.

The award for best cinematography, along with an equipment rental prize sponsored by Valofirma and Kamerafirman, was awarded to Hannu Käki for his cinematography in Kissa Uolevi & Sebastiwan – Vierelläin, directed by Joonas Schwanck. The award for the best post-production and a Valco product gift card went to kaverikarim for the video Sexmane – V!ttu.

The audience vote crowned Yoki – Oon pahoillani as the public’s favourite. Honourable mentions were awarded to Miikka Lommi, Eva-Liisa Orupõld, Oliver Webb and Jaro Koho.

This year’s jury for the Finnish competition consisted of journalist Anton Vanha-Majamaa, Tromsø International Film Festival director Lisa Hoen, and film director Mika Ronkainen. The Nordic jury included filmmaker Mika Taanila, director Marcus Söderlund, and artist Billy Roisz.

Jury statements:

Nordic Main Prize
Sander August Dahl (Honningbarna – Rød Bic)
With striking imagery and haunting choreography set in the wastelands of the mind.

Nordic Honorable Mention
Anna Róshildur B. Bøving, Simon Bendroth (Roshildur – Timi, ekki lioa)
Like in all great cinema, we loved the surprises in the storyline. Let’s all grab more red Bics and set offices on fire. 

Golden Pumpeli
Heini Susanne (NCO – Ei rakkaut)
The video puts a positive spin on the story of the lonely, bitter taxi driver. It has great vibes, and manages to tell a coherent story. It's the complete package, really: great editing, cinematography, lighting, color grading, acting and so on. The end result is a compelling, emotionally engaging short film.

Teen Pumpeli
Aatos Ketvel (Kirsikkapuu – Kirsikkapuu kaatuu)
Quirky, off-beat and totally unique, this multi-layered, DIY video made the jury laugh out loud. It goes to places where most wouldn't dare to go, and turns its budgetary restrictions into strengths. The use of additional text brings a whole new layer to the piece. The director/artist is a genius in the making.

Lens Pumpeli
Hannu Käki (Kissa Uolevi & Sebastiwan – Vierelläin)
Mutual trust between the actors and the cinematographer is crucial for this type of video to work, and here it is clearly visible. The camera lingers on the characters' faces, creating intimate moments packed with emotion. The video has a beautiful, naturalistic style, with well-thought-out compositions and expert use of natural light.

Post Pumpeli
kaverikarim (Sexmane – V!ttu)
The video conjures highly ambitious images on a (probably) limited budget. The protagonist has some sort of a Christ complex, and the special effects are integral to the way it is depicted. Balancing the tightrope between funny and ridiculous is a difficult task, but somehow they pull it off.

National Honorable Mentions

Eva-Liisa Orupõld (Fanni Tähti – Rosita)
It's a formally traditional music video, but its imagery is something that is too rarely seen in the Finnish pop landscape. The video celebrates a rich, unique culture in an extremely cool and accomplished way, and the artist has tons of charisma.

Oliver Webb (Krypta – Lasipalatsi)
The best animation of the competition. This extremely fun music video is not only aesthetically perfect pastiche of the He-Man-esque animated series of the 80's, but the animation also works in tandem with the song, telling and enriching its story.

Jaro Koho (Figaro – Kun mä tapasin sut)
A moving story made of simple ingredients. The jury appreciated the contrast between the fragility of the artist and the grandiosity of the images. Extra points for great post-production.

Miikka Lommi (Emma & Matilda – Sisko)
Traditional in a good way, this emotionally resonant music video works because of its two charismatic young actors. The visuals support the story and the message of the song, and it's hard not to feel nostalgic watching these kids play and bicker and love each other in a schoolyard or a gym turned into a disco.