Frequently Asked Questions

What is Film Tampere? Do you make films? 

Film Tampere is the film commission for the Tampere city region. Our main task is to promote the audiovisual (AV) industry in the Tampere city region by providing production incentive funding, undertaking various projects and training to develop the industry and its education, organizing events, and networking creators and AV-related industries.

You could say that we work closely with all things related to developing the AV industry but we are not a production company and do not make, produce, or distribute films or other AV content ourselves.

What productions are coming up and where can I find information about them? 

We are actively negotiating with several productions and typically have many applications on the table, but all discussions related to productions are confidential until the production itself announces its realization. You can check specific production incentive decisions in the decision system of the City of Tampere. https://tampere.cloudnc.fi/fi-FI

Can I get a job or internship in productions through Film Tampere? 

Film Tampere is not involved in the implementation of productions in Tampere and thus not involved in recruitment or acting as an employment intermediary. The best way to get a job in productions is to monitor the production companies’ own announcements, the official decisions made by the Finnish Film Foundation and other funders and contact the producers directly.

In addition, you can add your information to the Film Tampere’s “Tekijät ja palvelut” Professionals and Services) page by using this form: https://www.filmtampere.com/add-service/ Also, make sure that your IMDB and LinkedIn profiles, CV (in both Finnish and English), and personal showreels are up to date.

For a production looking for trainees

You can find the contact information of the teachers responsible for Tampere University of Applied Sciences interns by department below. Please note that the aim is to get students into paid internships only. The recommended intern salary is 850 €/month for a full-time internship. However, the trainee can also do individual short projects and gigs by agreement separately through the invoicing service, the cooperative or their own business name. Internships must always have a supervisor appointed by the company, from whom the trainee can ask for advice if necessary.

Cinematography: Tommi Moilanen, tommi.moilanen@tuni.fi
Edit: Tuomas Niemi, tuomas.k.niemi@tuni.fi
Sound: Maaret Salminen, maaret.salminen@tuni.fi
Scriptwriting: Teppo Nuutinen, teppo.nuutinen@tuni.fi
Production and marketing: Katri Varjos, katri.varjos@tuni.fi or Janne Heinonen janne.heinonen@tuni.fi
Art, web and new media projects: Ilmari.Huttu-Hiltunen, ilmari.huttu-hiltunen@tuni.fi
Other miscellaneous internships, broader cooperation projects and telephone enquiries: Pertti Näränen, pertti.naranen@tuni.fi 050 304 6351

What is Business Tampere? 

Business Tampere is the economic and development agency of the Tampere city region, the home of Film Tampere and an organization under which we operate. Business Tampere promotes the activities of companies in the Tampere city region through 14 different ecosystems, each representing different industries. Film Tampere is one of these ecosystems and we represent the AV industry. We work with the other Business Tampere ecosystems as well when it is benefitial for all of the parties. 

I would like myself, my children or my house in a movie. How would that be possible?

Film and TV productions are always looking for extras (background people who can be seen and/or heard in the production) and filming locations. Sometimes productions may require more home-like locations and sometimes these are staged in studios or even done with special effects in post-production. Private properties, such as homes, are always searched by professional location scouts. Depending on the size and style of the production, extras are searched for and recruited by the 2nd assistant director, casting agent or production coordinator working for the production. Extras are recruited from casting and modeling agencies, sports and hobby groups, schools, workplaces and above all from social media groups. Both recruiting extras and searching for locations is done by the production company.

Some of the most popular open and free platforms for extras in Finland:

Ohjelma-avustajat ry
Elokuva-ja TV-sarja näyttelijät/avustajat – palkkiolliset | Facebook
Elokuva/TV-esiintyjät & avustajat | Facebook
Elokuva-ja TV-sarja-avustajat II | Facebook (for children and their guardians)
Elokuva- ja TV-sarja-avustajat | Facebook

Casting agencies for professionals:

Tutsacast esiintyjien roolitustoimisto
Roolituspalvelu esiintyjille ja tuottajille – Filmityöt (filmityot.fi)
Helsinki Casting | FANTABULOUS casting & crew services

Open roles are also searched on the production companies’ website and social media pages, which you should actively follow. If you want advice from the Tampere region about the use of your home, cottage or business premises for filming, we will connect you with the top location scouts in our area, with whom you can agree on usage and compensation in more detail.

Which areas are eligible for the incentive? 

The production incentive is available in the Tampere city region, which includes eight municipalities: Tampere, Kangasala, Nokia, Ylöjärvi, Pirkkala, Lempäälä, Vesilahti, and Orivesi. The city region is an administrative area that is separate from the Pirkanmaa region, and the incentive is not available for the entire Pirkanmaa area. The municipalities within the city region fund regional cooperation from their own tax revenues, which also supports Film Tampere’s activities, making them eligible areas for the incentive. 

What costs, purchases, and services are eligible for the incentive?

Eligible costs include all expenses incurred in the Tampere city region under the production that received the incentive, such as salaries and fees for local crews, equipment and vehicle rentals, accommodation, catering, and the purchase of services and products.

A good rule of thumb is that any expenditure that generates tax revenue for the Tampere city region is eligible for the incentive. You can accumulate production incentive expenses from all stages of production, including pre-production, post-production, premiere-related costs, marketing, and more – as long as they are paid into the Tampere region. The costs do not need to occur specifically during the filming period. Additionally, Tampere’s production incentive does not have minimum or maximum spending requirements.

What costs, purchases, and services are NOT eligible for the incentive?

Expenses that are paid outside the Tampere city region or for productions that are entirely carried out outside the city region are not eligible for the incentive.

For example, if you hire a crew member from Ikaalinen or Valkeakoski for your production in Tampere, their salary expenses would not qualify for the incentive because they do not contribute tax revenue to the city region. Similarly, if you hire crew members from Tampere for a production without any direct connection to Tampere and shoot the entire production in Lapland, the salaries of these individual crew members would not typically be eligible for the incentive. Although the crew members’ tax contributions remain in Tampere, the production incentive primarily supports projects that significantly benefit the Tampere city region by generating revenue, creating jobs, and increasing visibility.

Additionally, it is not allowed to invoice expenses through a Tampere-based production company for crew members coming from other locations, just to make the costs appear as if they originated in Tampere. Film Tampere conducts audits of all productions that receive the incentive, addressing any discrepancies and requesting additional clarification if necessary.

Do you have any support other than the production incentive?

Currently, we do not offer any other forms of support or funding beyond the production incentive for audiovisual productions. However, it is possible for a company or an entrepreneur to apply for Film Tampere’s location scoutting services when planning to shoot a production in the Tampere region.

When are production incentive decisions made and when can applications be submitted? Do you have exact application deadlines?

You can submit applications throughout the year and decisions are made throughout the year. To request an application, you can contact business advisor Niina Virtanen, our customer relationship manager, at niina.virtanen@businesstampere.com. Typically it takes 1-3 days Niina to get back to an applicant and 2-4 weeks to get decision for funding when there is remaining budget.

However, it’s essential to note that the majority of decisions are made in the early part of the year, typically from January to March. Since Film Tampere’s incentive budget comes from the annual budget of the City of Tampere, we operate on a calendar-year basis. In practice, this means that we can grant incentive support only for the current year, and the support must be reported within the same year. As a result, many productions submit their applications at the end of the previous year, just before the new budget opens after the turn of the year. We encourage you to submit your application early in the year or even in the previous year if possible. This way, we can be well aware of all the productions planned for the new incentive year as soon as it begins.

Despite the emphasis on the early part of the year, we welcome applications throughout the year. When projects that received support earlier in the year report their actual spending in the latter half of the year, additional committed incentive funding often becomes available, allowing us to make new decisions.

What to do in your spare time after the shooting day if you don’t know Tampere that well?

Tampere offers a wide range of activities for your leisure time, from culinary experiences to events, public saunas, and hobbies. While you can always ask us directly for specific recommendations, we recommend exploring Visit Tampere’s website for a comprehensive introduction to the city: https://visittampere.fi/

Additionally, check out the tourist map that includes Tampere’s best restaurants, cafés, museums, and other activities.

Here are some great tips from the Film Tampere team, where you might even run into us during your leisure time:

For Fitness and Exercise we prefer Fressi Gym, Polte Gym, Kauppi Sports Park and Kauppi Sports Center, Vintti Yoga Studio and for for combat training MMA Team 300 or Tampereen Ju-Jutsukoulu

To relax in the sauna we usually head to Rauhaniemi or Kaupinoja saunas where you can swim in Lake Näsijärvi year-round, Nekala Allotment Garden Sauna or the oldest sauna in Finlad: Rajaportti Sauna in Pispala

When we desire good coffee or delicious food, you’ll most likely find us at Music & Arts Café Onda, having brunch at Daisy in Kehräsaari and for dinner we head to for instance Kajo, Liv, Apaja, Villit ja Viinit and Bertha. For lunch, explore the Tampere Market Hall with its various restaurants, try Marco Boulangerie for French cuisine at Tullintori, or experience the traditional Tampere vibe at Konditoria Mari in Nekala, known for the city’s largest and most affordable pastries.

For art, culture and history we go to the museum center Vapriikki, Sara Hildén Art Museum, Moomin Museum, Amuri Workers’ Museum Quarter or Tampere Art Museum. For live music we head to Tul Tullikamarin Klubi, Pakkahuone, Tavara-asema, G Livelab or Tampere-talo. For more underground Gigs we warmly recommend Vastavirta and Pethouse in Pispala, Varjobaari in Hervanta and Bar Kotelo in Kaleva.

We have international team members arriving in the city with our production, where can I get practical help to manage their affairs?

International House Tampere, located on Rautatienkatu in the city center of Tampere, specializes in assisting and advising international workers and residents who are permanently or temporarily moving to Tampere. They can help with various aspects, including accommodation, employment, and matters related to family members relocating with your team members. Additionally, International House connects international individuals with local organizations and resources. For more detailed information about International House’s services, visit their website: https://internationalhouse.tampere.fi/en/ 

Is Film Tampere closed in the summer – how are you on vacation?

Generally, we aim to be available throughout the year. Since the Film Tampere team is small, there are occasional moments when we take vacations simultaneously, such as during Christmas holidays, Midsummer, and possibly short periods in July. However, our office is never closed for an extended period. So, except for a few short vacation breaks, we are reachable even in July. 

We’re considering Tampere as a filming location for our production, but would like to get to know the city better before making a decision. How to move forward?

For production interested in scouting the Tampere region, Film Tampere provides three location scout days with a local professional organizer. This allows interested productions to explore Tampere as a potential filming location before making a decision. To get started, reach out to our business advisor, Niina Virtanen, at niina.virtanen@businesstampere.com. Introduce your production and ideas, and we’ll arrange a local scout for you. During the location tour, you can also stay in Tampere using our Film Tampere Friends partner hotels.

How do you get into the film industry? Can I study the industry in Tampere?

In the audiovisual industry, most people have a vocational or a higher education. For instance we have lots of media assistants and Bachelors or Masters of Media and Art working in the field. The field encompasses a diverse range of job titles, from lighting technicians, cinematographers, costume designers, and makeup artists to screenwriters, directors, producers, editors, and actors. And these are only to name a few. While formal education is not the sole path to entering the AV industry, it provides a solid foundation for learning the craft, gaining work experience through internships, and most importantly, networking with industry peers, which can lead to future job opportunities.

In the Tampere city region, several educational institutions offer AV-related programs. Here are some of the key ones:

Vocational schools and colleges

Tredu:
Offers a basic degree in media and visual expression, specializing in media services.

Sasky:
Provides a basic degree in industrial arts, with a focus on set construction.

Voionmaan opisto:
Offers vocational training in media from the AV field or photography.
Also provides open university studies.

Suomen teatteriopisto:
Offers basic and advanced actor training.
Has a music theater-oriented basic actor training program.

AhlmanEdu:
Provides a basic degree in media and visual expression.
Offers game-related studies such as game programming, visual game design, and Esports.
Also has programs in writing, visual arts, music, and acting.

Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK):
Offers a degree program in audiovisual communication (medianomi).
YAMK (Master’s level) programs include media production and TV scriptwriting.
TAMK Music offers programs in music theater, creative music composition, and music pedagogy.
There’s also an English-language music production program.

Tampere University’s Department of Acting (Näty):
Focuses on actor training.

Additional Training:

Tredu offers a camera and video assistant / DIT training program.

Various makeup and hair training programs allow specialization in AV industry makeup and hair styling and costume design studies can also lead to specialization in AV costume design and wardrobe work.