Helsinki Analog Festival

International Open Call for visual artists to present their films at Kino Regina film theater as part of the Helsinki Analog Festival, Helsinki, Finland, in April 2026.

HELSINKI ANALOG FESTIVAL is a festival focusing on analog practices, organized by the Finnish Darkroom Association. The purpose of this festival is to bring together various institutions, researchers and artists working with analog practices.
Note: We do not accept digital films.

Analog film screenings
HAF 2026 will showcase a curated selection of analog short films, focusing on the depth and richness of film formats and artistic expression. The screenings offer artists, filmmakers, and enthusiasts a chance to explore the unique aspects of analog filmmaking and discuss the preservation of analog traditions in a digital age and the future of analog films.

Submissions
We open submissions for analog film screenings that take place at KINO REGINA in Helsinki Central Library OODI.

The dates of the screenings are 18 April and 19 April 2026.
(HAF screening is not part of the official KAVI program.)

We welcome films which are made by analog means using different film formats and other non-digital materials. We don’t accept any films made digitally or with digital techniques. Editing the film digitally is acceptable. The theme of the accepted propositions will revolve around the theme of the festival.

Festival Theme
The theme for HAF 2026 is "BODY", reflecting the festival's dedication to embodied practices. It encourages reflection on the physicality of our existence and material interactions, amidst an era dominated by virtual experiences. The festival also supports activism rooted in embodied artistic practices, urging participants to connect deeply with their senses and bodies.

Celebrating Slow Making and Embodied Practices
HAF foregrounds analog and handmade practices as a deliberate counterbalance to the fast pace of the modern, digital age. By focusing on slow making, the festival fosters an inclusive and sustainable environment that values physical presence and materiality.

An Inclusive and Equal Vision
HAF is committed to inclusivity and equity, striving to create a space where diverse voices and artistic practices are celebrated. In contrast to contemporary society's fast-paced, profit-driven ethos, the festival supports slow, non-profit approaches as a form of resistance and resilience.

Addressing Materiality and Environmental Concerns
The festival underscores the importance of handmade objects as a sustainable alternative to mass production. By highlighting their unique value, HAF challenges the environmental impact of industrial manufacturing and digital culture. It promotes a critical evaluation of digitalization’s environmental and cultural implications, advocating for a deeper appreciation of materiality and supporting sustainable cultural preservation.

Helsinki Analog Festival
HAF is a continuation of the Helsinki Darkroom Festival, organized in 2022 by the Finnish Darkroom Association. In 2026, the festival expands beyond photography to include moving images and book arts, celebrating analog and handcrafted art that emphasizes materiality, embodied artistic practices, and sustainable collaboration.

Kino Regina is a movie theater in the Oodi Central Library in Kluuvi, Helsinki. The theater is managed by KAVI, the National Audiovisual Institute. The single-screen theater has 250 seats and an 11-meter-wide screen.The theater is located on the ground floor of the library, at the northern end of the building. The name of the new movie theater built in the Oodi Library was a tribute to Regina Linnanheimo, one of the most famous actresses of the golden age of Finnish cinema. Regina's equipment includes two projectors for 35-millimeter film and a separate projector for 16-millimeter film. A 1950s-made combi projector can show 70-millimeter films. More than half of the films are shown on film. The Regina Hall has been designed to ensure that all seats have a good view of the screen.

** Images attached are from Helsinki Darkroom festival in 2022, if you wish to submit photographs for an exhibition, please see https://site.picter.com/helsinki-analog-festival-2026 **