Welcome to Joutseno Art Summer International Film Festival,
the Nordic celebration of independent filmmaking!

To highlight the importance of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), Joutseno College (Joutsenon Opisto in Finnish) is holding this international film festival offering the pleasant atmosphere and the great natural scenery of Lake Saimaa in Lappeenranta, Finland.

The festival is open to everyone and we warmly welcome people to see and enjoy various films as well as encounter one another. The festival also takes note to children and families offering a dedicated event for them.

As an addition to the Joutseno College's Art Summer programme running for decades, this festival provides not only a novel cinematic experience for audiences as well as filmmakers, but it also renders an opportunity to reflect on the future of our planet emphasising on the role and responsibilities of us as human beings.

Joutseno Art Summer International Film Festival endeavours to bring filmmakers from around the world who use their knowledge, inspirations, creativity, and resources to highlight the need for balanced social, economic, and environmental sustainability. Our main goal is to help maximise the engagement of select independent filmmakers who choose to challenge and reflect on global scale problems. The festival offers filmmakers a unique opportunity to screen their works in one of the most scenic venues and locations in Finland!

For the 2024 festival we accept films of a variety of genres, lengths and languages released in or after 2021. We are excited to review and showcase feature films, social impact documentaries, and films with a focus on education, human rights, gender equality, and justice. Artists whose works concentrate on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are welcome to submit their films using the special track and discounted fees offered. In year 2024 UN Sustainable Development Goals 1 (No poverty), 2 (Zero hunger), 12 (responsible consumption and production), and 13 (Climate action) are discounted. Although the festival focuses on the role of sustainable development and on the beauty of responsible art and filmmaking, it welcomes submissions on other themes as well.

In addition to live screenings, we offer:

networking events
open dialogue sessions
pre/post sessions
an extensive network of different stakeholders
a guided tour of Lappeenranta
an event for children and families
recreational events such as live music

Joutseno College

Joutseno College, which organises the festival, has been an established educational provider of arts and languages for over 70 years.

Joutseno College arranges education on long study lines from August to May as well as short courses, and enhances the learning of adults of all ages. In all its operations, Joutseno College emphasises sustainable development, responsibility and the promotion of eco-social education.

A significant part of Joutseno College's activities is Joutseno Art Summer, organized since 1972. During eight weeks of intensive courses, Art Summer brings together approximately 550 students from music and different forms of art, both amateurs and professionals, who get to practice and deepen their skills in the beautiful milieu of Joutseno College.

Lively Lappeenranta by the lake saimaa

Joutseno Art Summer International Film Festival takes place in Lappeenranta, the central city of South Karelia province, approximately 2,5 hours trip from Helsinki, the capital city of Finland.

South Karelia (Finnish Etelä-Karjala) is one of the regions in Finland where culture can be enjoyed in the peace that nature offers and as well as in the dynamic modern city life bringing intellectually stimulating experiences. Lappeenranta is an international university city with 72 000 inhabitants, and as the winner of the 2021 European Green Leaf 2021 it is one of the greenest cities in Europe. Lappeenranta offers a wide range of activities and experiences as well as local atmosphere, culture and history, both in the urban environment and in nature destinations. The largest lake in Finland, Lake Saimaa, starts from the harbour in the heart of Lappeenranta, and Saimaa surrounds the entire western, northern and eastern part of the city. You can read more about Lappeenranta and its tourism on the Visit Lappeenranta website.