The Finnish film industry has been lamenting proposed government cuts of 7 million euros ($8.26 million), set to come into effect on Jan. 1, 2026.

“If this cut really is 7 million and if it is aimed at our production support, the amount of films we can support will be halved. This means only a few documentaries and shorts, and less than 10 feature films,” Finnish Film Foundation CEO Lasse Saarinen told Variety .

Saarinen has been voicing similar concerns for years – but the latest development still took him aback.

“We’ve been fearing more cuts on top of the 3 million we’ve lost during the 2020s, but this came as a total surprise. This shows how twisted our system is. Our Ministry of Finance is to blame, as well as its continuing urge to minimize the cultural budget of Finland ,”

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