Dionysos films
FINLAND
Contact
RIINA HYYTIA
CEO, Producer, Partner
VENLA HELLSTEDT
Producer
NORA KUUSISTO
Producer
COMPANY PROFILE
Dionysos Films is an independent, female-led production company based in Helsinki. We produce scripted content in series and feature film formats as well as high concept documentaries aiming at both domestic and international markets. We frequently collaborate with top Finnish filmmakers but also want to give a voice to emerging talent working with up-and-coming filmmakers on their 1st or 2nd feature films or tv-series. Dionysos Films was founded in 2008 by the award-winning filmmakers: Producer Riina Hyytiä and Director-Screenwriter Johanna Vuoksenmaa. The third company partner, Producer Leena Mäenpää-Bentley’s main focus are the ongoing series productions. The Producer Nora Kuusisto works in feature fiction and series. The latest addition to the team is the Producer Venla Hellstedt, who works across all genres, including documentaries.
Our latest series releases include the crime title DEADWIND (2016-20 Karppi, Dir. Rike Jokela), that had its season 3 premiere globally on Netflix in November 2022. The youth series NERD: DRAGONSLAYER 666 (2017-19, Dir. Aleksi Delikouras) won the Finnish National TV award for season 1 and has become a true phenomenon amongst young audiences with its three-season run. The latest series from Director-Screenwriter Johanna Vuoksenmaa is the comical drama series HORMONES! (2023-25) in which Vuoksenmaa brings her insightful and humorous take on the effects of hormones in the lives of menopausal adults and their extended families.
Dionysos Films is best known for producing content that reaches large audiences. The feature romantic comedy 21 WAYS TO RUIN A MARRIAGE was the top grossing domestic film in 2013. It reached over 400,000 admissions, and is still the biggest Finnish original hit ever written, directed and produced by women only (Vuoksenmaa and Hyytiä). Our children's film, TATU AND PATU (Dir. Rike Jokela), had a record-breaking opening with over 330,000 theatrical admissions, while the dramedy AURORA (Dir. Miia Tervo) had its theatrical release in January 2019 and has since screened at many festivals around the world. It won the national film award ’Jussi’ for the best director and the best screenplay as well as the Best International Feature Prize in Edinburgh International Film Festival.
Our latest film titles include a humorous coming-of-age story of an older woman, 70 IS JUST A NUMBER (2021, Vuoksenmaa) and a heist comedy with a romantic twist SCAMMERS (2023, Jokela).
Riina Hyytia
Venla Hellstedt
Nora Kuusisto
COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS
70 IS JUST A NUMBER 2022
Format: Feature film
Genre: Comedy
Director: Johanna Vuoksenmaa
Screenplay: Johanna Vuoksenmaa
Cast: Hannele Lauri, Mikko Nousiainen, Marja Packalén, Misa Palander
70 is Just a Number is a warm-hearted comedy about a legendary singer Seija Kuula who is trying to cope with her career, age and love. Seija falls in love with a younger guy. He and Seija's closest girlfriend suffer from a bad case of baby fever. Problems arise when Seija creates a masterplan to make everybody happy, only to realize that one cannot play with love. 70 is Just a Number is about relationships, regardless of age. When an older woman falls in love with a younger man, love does not care about age, but often the world around it does. Combining dreams of starting a family, friendships, and a parent-child relationship with atypical intimate relationship yields a story that explores the many dimensions of love. 70 is Just a Number is a touching and humorous coming-of-age-story - at 70.
DEADWIND 2018-2021 (3 seasons)
Format: TV Series
Genre: Crime
Director: Rike Jokela
Screenplay: Jari Olavi Rantala, Kirsi Porkka, Harri Virtanen
Cast: Pihla Viitala, Lauri Tilkanen
Deadwind is a highly thrilling and emotional Nordic crime series mixing murder investigation and a personal drama of the main character detective Sofia Karppi who has lost her husband and is left alone with two children to take care of.
Golden Venla (Finnish Emmy) for Pihla Viitala for Best Main Actress