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Karhupuisto Film Festival started almost as a joke. In February 2025, a group of friends from Kallio working in the cultural sector – Mete Sasioglu, Deniz Kayan, Aleksi Kinnunen and Onerva Helne – were visiting the Berlin International Film Festival. Someone floated the idea that Kallio could have a film festival of its own. After all, it was pretty much the only urban thing the neighbourhood was missing.
They got to work. Janne Hulkkonen, who screens outdoor films in Helsinki and organises other pop-up movie nights around the city, joined the team.
The small-scale Karhupuisto Film Festival, held for the first time last autumn, has already grown into a week-long event this year. There’s several times as much on the programme as last year.
Screenings are mainly held in the Sirkus Suosalo tent in Alli Trygg Park and at Alō, a beautiful early-20th-century theatre and event hall on Pengerkatu. Films are now being shown there too, for the first time in decades.
Events are also taking place at Kallio Church and Kallio Library, as well as Bar Typo. You can climb the tower of Kallio Church. On Thursday, Karhupuisto will host a lookalike contest for the late cult actor Matti Pellonpää, best known for his roles in Aki Kaurismäki’s films.
Most events charge admission, but there are also a couple of free screenings in Karhupuisto: Richard Linklater’s ‘Before Sunset’ on Wednesday evening and Jim Jarmusch’s ‘Night on Earth’ on Thursday.
Even though there’s already plenty happening, the festival still feels like a celebration that belongs to the neighbourhood. Films are shown in improvised spaces (especially in the tent, it’s worth bringing a jacket!) and after the screenings, it’s easy to imagine the local bars filling up with passionate film discussions.
But why Karhupuisto? The park sits right in the middle of Kallio. It also has an obvious connection to the Berlin International Film Festival. In Berlin, the best films are awarded Golden and Silver Bears. And Kallio, of course, has a bear of its own. The imposing sculpture by Jussi Mäntynen stands at the edge of Karhupuisto.
Take a closer look at the Karhupuisto Film Festival programme.