The first Frozen Nights festival will focus on films made by children and young people, animation and game design. Oulu will host international experts from these fields, along with filmmakers whose works have been selected for the competition. The festival programme includes a game design masterclass led by Norwegian game designer Per Kristian Coskun, and a 2D animation masterclass conducted by Danish animator Rasmus Tobias. The acclaimed Catharina Bøhler, recipient of a prestigious BAFTA Award, will give a lecture on the impact of digital games on wellbeing and emotional skills. Visitors will also have the opportunity to explore the films of renowned Czech animator and master of surrealism Jan Švankmajer in a session led by expert Pavel Bednařík.
Frozen Nights will culminate on Friday, 13 November, with a gala event at Valve Cultural Centre, where the best films in the international competition for children and young people will be awarded. The gala will be hosted by Roni Liedes and Miss Lumiere.
The result of a long-held dream and years of dedicated work
The dream of organising an international film event in Oulu was born more than fifteen years ago. The European Capital of Culture year finally turned those plans into reality:
“More than 15 years ago, I travelled to Seoul, South Korea, with children from Oulu who were interested in filmmaking, to attend an international festival. It was there that I set myself the goal of one day organising our own international film event for children and young people. Through the event, we want to offer children and young people opportunities to experience the art of film and participate in film culture in Oulu, a city with a long tradition of dedicated film education. Oulu can be considered one of the key centres of film education in Finland. At the heart of the event is art created by children and young people,” says Tommi Nevala from the Children’s Cultural Centre Kotilo.
Frozen Nights events are open to everyone, and almost all programme content is free of charge. The full programme will be published during October on the Children’s Cultural Centre Kotilo’s website.
The festival is organised by the Children’s Cultural Centre Kotilo. Frozen Nights is part of the Oulu2026 European Capital of Culture programme and is held in conjunction with the Oulu International Children’s and Youth Film Festival.
Frozen Nights Media Art Festival
For more information about the event, please visit the Frozen Nights page on the Kotilo Children’s Culture Centre website.