The best Finnish filmmakers have received their appropriate awards. Here’s our report from last Friday’s award ceremony, the Jussi-gaala, which brought families together around the national TV broadcast and made photojournalists sweat on the red carpet.

An overheard conversation took place at the Kamppi shopping center in Helsinki after the Jussi Awards.

“Did you watch the awards?” a middle‑aged man asked another.

“I don’t think so … who won?”

“Well … someone’s always going to win! Or, as the late radio announcer Höyry Häyrinen said, ‘Only the best will win an award.’”

Raimo “Höyry (Steam)” Häyrinen made the Guinness Book of World Records by speaking 218 words in 57.5 seconds, and he knew a lot about winning after watching Finns grab gold after gold, from the Olympics to world‑class boxing.

But historical records show no evidence of Häyrinen visiting the Jussi Awards, but I was there, and it seemed that the cream of the crop of the Finnish acting scene was there too!

The award ceremony for the best Finnish films of the past year had moved from the Cable Factory to a conference wing of the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre, and it was compact, crowded and functional.

Everything smelled new, and the plastic on top of the red carpet was ripped away after the press had gone in.

Entertainment workers stepped in front of the cameras, and the women especially had put energy and effort into their hair and outfits.

There was not much time for talking, because the guests were ushered into the ceremony hall for the gala dinner and the award ceremony, which was being broadcast live on national TV.

But I did take some photos.

I hope you like them.