Announced as the grand return of veteran Finnish filmmaker Aki Kaurismäki , Cannes Jury Prize winner 2023 “ Fallen Leaves ” was one of the most successful Nordic films globally between 2020-2023.

What inspired release strategies did arthouse distributors in countries as diverse as Taiwan, Norway and the Czech Republic employ to broaden Kaurismäki's fanbase and make him a popular figure on social media?

The topic was explored Aug. 22 at the Europa Distribution panel, Around the World in 80 Minutes: The Distribution and Promotion of Nordic Films Internationally, hosted by New Nordic Films in Haugesund, Norway.

One of the highlights of the three-day Nordic market, the Europa Distribution panel was led by experienced industry veteran Petri Kemppinen, founder of Good Hand Production, a consultant at Finland’s post-production company Totalpost and co-head of Baltic Event’s TV Beats.

First, outlining his local release strategy for Kaurismäki’s Helsinki-based love story, Albert Yao, head of acquisitions at Taiwan’s Swallow Wings, said he rarely pre-buys films but felt compelled to begin negotiations for “Fallen Leaves” at Berlin 2023 with sales company The Match Factory, prior to the film’s official premiere in the main competition at Cannes. “Even at the European Film Market in Berlin, the buzz surrounding the movie was tremendous, and another buyer told me he had submitted a very high offer with a bank loan!” said Yao, a regular attendee at Haugesund.

The deal with The Match Factory was finalized in April 2023, and the Taiwanese release was scheduled for May 1, 2024, across 19 theaters in six cities. Yao said he had hoped to capitalize on an Oscar nomination, but the film missed out on the prestigious Hollywood award.

Displayed between May 1 and June 11, the Finnish film garnered 3,700 admissions in Taiwan, marking the best performance for an Aki Kaurismäki film in the region, although the numbers fell slightly short of expectations.

“Competition was intense during that period,” explained Yao, citing the top-grossing films during “Fallen Leaves”‘ opening week – the Japanese animated film “Haikyu!! The Movie” (43,929 admissions), the South Korean action film “The Roundup: Punishment” (25,883), and the Hollywood offering “The Fall Guy” (23,002). “European arthouse films have a limited audience, with local audiences favoring Hollywood, Japanese, or domestic titles,” Yao remarked.

To captivate film enthusiasts, women, and audiences aged 30 and above, Swallow Films employed a blend of conventional poster campaigns, press, and social media public relations to generate awareness. They also organized special screenings and collaborations with travel agencies promoting Finland as well as local book publishers. Key selling points of the movie were the romance, Chaplin the dog – prominently featured in standees and various leaflets – and the music from indie pop duo Maustetytöt.

When asked if other revenue streams were available for arthouse films, Yao responded, “Television is challenging, even for Hollywood films, and VOD is difficult for European titles. Each film is unique, and it’s hard to predict the final audience count for an arthouse European title,” he emphasized.

The Nor-way

Representing Arthaus, a long-standing arthouse distributor in Norway, distribution manager Anne Marte Nygaard said her company rarely pre-buys films. However, as the distributor of Kaurismäki's recent works, “it felt secure to buy without seeing it, and indeed it was,” she stated.

The Norwegian release date was set for December 25, 2023, as a counter-programming strategy to the customary local Christmas family and World War II blockbusters. To initiate word-of-mouth in Norway following the triumphant Cannes world premiere, the film was showcased at five national festivals until its domestic launch, commencing with a launch at the Norwegian Film Festival in Haugesund 2023. A series of pre-screening sessions were scheduled for November-December, and a Kaurismäki retrospective was held in December.

The film was positioned as “A romantic comedy set in Helsinki, a must-watch Kaurismäki film,” designed to be accessible and appealing to exhibitors due to its concise runtime (81 minutes). The primary target audience was identified as educated individuals over 40 years old, along with dedicated Kaurismäki fans, with an additional focus on viewers in their 20s.

“We were confident in the film’s broad appeal, as younger generations are seeking high-quality independent films like those by Wes Anderson,” stated Nygaard, who also expressed optimism about the film's enduring popularity. We recognize that our audience takes time to engage with films, so we prioritized securing a limited number of well-chosen screenings over a prolonged period rather than opting for a wide release with a short run. ”

Released alongside Ken Loach’s “The Old Oak” and the Norwegian WW2 drama “The Arctic Convoy”, the film sold 18,080 tickets from 80 locations, performing slightly better than other Cannes titles “Close” (27,013), “Aftersun” (21,982), “Perfect Days” (20,014), but surpassing “Decision to Leave” (7,2 09), “How to Have Sex” (5,542), “Four Daughters” (4,944) and “Afire” (2,775).  Nygaard attributed the success to the popular special-themed cinema outings in Norway, such as the “knitting cinema” on Tuesdays. This was ideal for the film,” she said.

As with the release in Taiwan, the marketing and PR strategy combined paper and online media campaigns, posters and flyers utilizing the same main artwork and unique visuals for the cinematheque Kaurismäki showcase. “Our team enjoyed creating the clips for social media because the dialogues are so engaging,” the distributor shared.

Merchandise included homemade match boxes to reflect the warm and affectionate nature of the romantic film, and cinema halls embraced cozy Nordic atmospheres. “It was quite straightforward,” Nygaard remarked. “Fallen Leaves”‘ main actress Alma Pöysti participated in PR events supported by the Finnish Cultural Centre in Norway and reviews were exceptional, providing a wide array of compelling quotes for poster use.

Cool Czech

Meanwhile, the film’s launch in the Czech Republic was handled by the largest national arthouse distributor, Aerofilms, which also owns six cinemas and releases approximately 26 titles annually. Marketing manager Laura Čadek Plačková stated the title was changed to “Karaoke Blues,” and the premiere was set for Nov. 16, 2023, following a festival premiere in Karlovy Vary to generate word-of-mouth buzz. A combination of arthouse and mainstream multiplexes were secured for distribution before the VOD launch on KVIFF.TV in February 2024.

The taglines “A poignant love story unfolding on the streets of Helsinki” and “Aki Kaurismäki in his signature style” were employed to reach the core audience of Kaurismäki enthusiasts, film aficionados, admirers of Nordic cinema, romance fans, and regular patrons of Aerofilms, as well as to attract a wider younger audience.

The marketing strategy revolved around three key themes: romance, humor, and the distinctive brand of Aki Kaurismäki. The ‘rediscovering Kaurismäki’ campaign featured three distinct approaches: a younger-focused segment aimed at reintroducing the director to a new generation, an engagement strategy that leveraged Kaurismäki's signature aesthetic, and a comprehensive retrospective dedicated to the Finnish filmmaker, scheduled a month before the premiere and showcasing five of his classic films.

The dog from the film and Kaurismäki's signature deadpan humor continued to be key selling points, according to Čadek Plačková. To engage younger viewers, Aerofilms produced “short-form content for Instagram to create a more dynamic presentation of the movie” and formed partnerships with Czech radio stations and influencers.

Both media reviews and audience feedback were utilized to collect compelling quotes. Creative promotional stunts included street posters featuring missing persons, which were noticed by influencers, contributing to heightened online buzz.

The film drew 13,000 viewers across 427 theaters, which aligned with the projected range of 10,000-15,000 attendees, stated Čadek Plačková. Additionally, the online platform KVIFF.TV garnered an extra 1,500 viewers. Concurrently, the online campaign reached 900,000 individuals and amassed 200,000 video views.  “Beyond the film itself, our key objective was to promote the Aerofilms brand, which aims to deliver high-quality films to Czech audiences and foster their film appreciation. Our entire campaign was fully aligned with this mission,” Čadek Plačková concluded.