Networking in HAFF

On the second day of the festival bridges were built in a networking event organized by Shalin Suomi and World Vision Finland. The event gathered together experts of renewable energy from different sectors to discuss the topic of Barriers to Renewable Energy Uptake in Africa.

Participants to the panel lead by journalist Tuomas Forsell were energy advisor Anu Hassinen of the Finnish Foreign Ministry, researcher Leila Costelle, EU project coordinator Melissa Plath of UNiPID, founding member Sarah Laaru Mwaawaaru of Finland-Ghana Chamber of Commerce, representative Eija Laitinen of HAMK polytechnic, programme office Saara Nokelainen of World Vision Finland and CEO Rasmus Lampen of Lumivio Ltd.

HAFF 2012 has begun!

The first free film screening for high school students began at 11 am on Wednesday and the second at 1 pm. HAFF invited also staff and residents of the reception centers in Helsinki to join the screenings.

Today’s screenings (Thursday) are Masquerades at 1pm, Bamako at 6 pm and Harragas 7:15 pm. Today as well as Saturday the films are screened in Kino Andorra (Eerikinkatu 11) and STOA (Turunlinnantie 1), Friday and Sunday there will be screenings also in Bio Rex of Lasipalatsi.

Team HAFF welcomes warmly welcomes everyone to come and watch the top of African films. More tickets have been bought in advance this year that at previous festivals, but there is still plenty of room to all screenings.

Three of the HAFF films in Oulu later in May

Oulu Film Centre is showing three films from HAFF in May, while other regional film centres are planning their screenings in the autumn. The African film series at Elokuvateatteri Studio in Oulu:

Friday 18.5. at 18.00 Bamako

Saturday 19.5. at 19.00 Sinking Sands

Sunday 20.5. at 19.00 Harragas

Special ticket offer!

Special offer - buy 4 tickets to different films and get a 5th ticket free! If you buy 4 tickets to different films online, just send an email to info(at)haff.fi and we will reserve an extra ticket that you can collect at the theatre before the screening of your choice. If you buy 4 tickets to different films at the theatre we'll give you the extra ticket at the same time.

Mika Kaurismäki is the patron of HAFF 2012

We are delighted to have leading Finnish filmmaker Mika Kaurismäki, director of Mama Africa and many other documentaries and feature films, as the patron of HAFF 2012.

"There is a saying that everything that happens twice will surely happen a third time and this festival is no exception. HAFF is now organised for the third time which is a clear sign that there is demand for the festival in Finland and that it has found its place and audience in the spectrum of cultural events on offer. This year’s festival has its finger on the pulse thanks to the visit by Tunisian director Nadia El-Fani, who will give fascinating personal insights into the Jasmine Revolution and the wave of change it set in motion in North Africa and in the wider Arab world. The building of new bridges has begun."

Mika Kaurismäki

Free shows for students

HAFF is organising free screenings of the award-winning Algerian drama/comedy Masquerades for senior high school (lukio) students. All high schools in Helsinki, Vantaa and Espoo are welcome to participate. Please reserve your places by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Screening times

Wednesday 2 May at 11.00 and 13.00 in Andorra, Eerikinkatu 11, 00100 Helsinki

Thursday 3 May at 13.00 in Stoa, Turunlinnantie 1, Itäkeskus, 00990, Helsinki

Masquerades tells about Mounir who is fed up of being the laughing stock of his village because his narcoleptic sister Rym keeps falling asleep at inopportune moments. One fateful night Mounir announces that Rym is engaged to be married to a rich foreign businessman. To Mounir's surprise, the lie spreads like wildfire and soon he is enjoying his new status as an envied celebrity. The village starts preparing for the wedding of the century - but with no groom in sight.

The film is in Arabic with English subtitles.