KIELO
Short Film (4min.) Finland.
Dance/Movement Film - Youth Film
World premiere on NOWNESS.
Currently available for festival screenings worldwide.
“Kielo finds it hard to sit still in class. She takes a break venturing into the corridors of her imagination.”
The film Kielo touches on the subject of love, support as well as contempt between young people in the school environment, with a focus on the convergence of neurodivergence and sisterhood/peer-hood.
We all have a poetic body, that dances when encouraged. It just needs to be given a chance to exist alongside the body that goes by the rules and is used to shy away from expression.
Read exclusive interview with Janina Rajakangas and Sinem Kayacan about Kielo on CURATION HOUR.
SCREENINGS
SCREENINGS
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NOWNESS Premiere
Online worldwide, Feb. 28th 2025
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Warsaw/Poland
Official Selection
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Online worldwide.
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Portland / United States
Official Selection
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London / UK
Official Selection
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Larissa / Greece
Official Selection
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Jyväskylä / Finland
Official Selection
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Barcelona/Spain
Official Selection
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Vardø/Norway
Official Selection.
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Tredegar/Wales
Official Selection
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New York / US
Official Selection
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Uppsala / Sweden
In Competition - Best Children's Film
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Ancona, Italy.
Winner of the Jury Prize.
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Varna/ Bulgaria
Official Selection - In competition
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Girona/Spain.
Official Selection.
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Lübeck/Germany.
Official selection.
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Graz/Austria
Official selection.
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New York/ US
Official selection.
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Tallinn/Estonia
Official Selection.
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Rimini/ Italy.
Official selection.
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Boulder, Colorado / US
Official Selection
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California/US
Official Selection
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Lisbon/Portugal
In competition.
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Blackpool / UK
Official selection.
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Barcelona/Spain
online edition
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Bhimtal/ India
Official selection.
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Udine/Italy
Jury award
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Athens / Greece
Official selection
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Trondheim / Norway
Honorable mention - Dance films Nordic Competition
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LA/US
Official selection.
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Missoula/US
Official selection
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Helsinki / Finland
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– Cultural Centre Marilyn, Loviisa, 8–9.2.2026
– Cultural House Grand, Porvoo, 26–27.2.2026
– Agricola-talo, Pernaja, 28.2.2026 -
Budapest/Hungary
Official selection.
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Ghent/Belgium
Official selection
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Istanbul/Turkey
Jury Special Award
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Braga/Portugal
Official selection.
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Toronto/Canada
Official selection.
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Dresden/Germany
Official selection.
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Beirut/Lebanon
Official selection.
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Stockholm/Sweden
Official selection.
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Tokyo/Japan
Official selection.
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Eskilstuna/ Sweden
Official selection.
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Best ‘Dance on Screen’ Jury Award London/UK
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Lübeck/Germany
Official selection.
MORE FESTIVAL SCREENINGS WILL BE ANNOUNCED SOON.
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Film Director
Sinem is a visual artist/filmmaker, originally from Istanbul and based in Helsinki.
She holds an MA degree in Filmmaking and is currently a doctoral candidate in the field of Contemporary Art. Her practice and research focus on embodied and sensual forms of knowledge production, as well as diverse forms and methods of performance and performativity.
Her works have been screened globally in film festivals, gallery settings, as well as digital channels like NOWNESS, and exhibited in international platforms such as the Research Pavilion in Venice. She has been awarded various multi-year research and artistic project grants, both as part of collectives, and individually.
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Director, Choreographer
Janina Rajakangas is a choreographer, performer and teacher based in Helsinki. She has been offered grants for artistic work since 2017 by Arts Promotion Centre Finland and Finnish Cultural Foundation. She works both with very detailed choreographic material and large scale scores for groups.
At the centre for what she does in trying to understand how dance comes from what we encounter in the everyday. Love, death, age, sensitivities. Embodying these things becomes dance in our projects.
“I truly believe dance is a crucial way to communicate without words. And it is in all of us. This is why we work with a variety of performers from professionals to youth and the elderly.”
Get in touch.
Festival programmers, distributors and all industry representatives are welcome to request further info and screener via the form below.
CREDITS
Director, Choreographer Janina Rajakangas
Film Director Sinem Kayacan
Lead Performer Kielo Kivinen
Re-Imagined From Janina Rajakangas’ Stage Work Dancer
Artistic Collaborators Volta Rajakangas-Moussaoui, Tuuli Kyttälä
Supporting Performers
Aava Hirvanen
Meeti Assefa
Mea Holappa
Mimosa Paloniemi
Siiri Toivanen
Volta Rajakangas-Moussaoui
Assistant Director Mariangela Pluchino
Director Of Photography Theofanis Kavvadas
Ist Ac Henrik Leppänen
Gaffer Simo Friman
Grip Joonas Saine
Bestboy Leevi Pienihäkkinen
Assistant Grip Litu Virmavirta
Sound Designer Tuuli Kyttälä
Piano Track Performance, Vocals, Lyrics Volta Rajakangas-Moussaoui
Composition Volta Rajakangas-Moussaoui, Tuuli Kyttälä
Drum Track Level 2 Cadence - Cassidy Byars / Freedrummusic.com
Production Sound Recordist, Foley, Re-Recording Mixer, Supervising Sound Editor
Salla Hämäläinen / Aino Sound - Kalevala Studio
Mixing Consultant Sami Sarhamaa
Editing Atte Merikallio / Askel Company
Color Grading Juhani Vuorisalo / Gradeone
Titles/ Credits Sinem Kayacan
Master Copies, Dcp Teijo Pellinen / Kinokki
Costume Artist Kirsi Gum
Costumer On Set Annika Saloranta
Hair, Make-Up Artist Anu Levy
Set Photographer Anna Poleteli
Producer Zodiak - Center For New Dance
Production Partner Palo Art Productions
Production Managers Johanna Flander, Jenni Tulitie
Zodiak Visions Project Managers Ari Tenhula, Sinem Kayacan
Production Coordinators Ali Al-Saffu, Teemu Turunen
Accounting Elina Ruoho-Kurola /Zodiak
Catering Samra Sabanovic / Kahvila Verso
Equipment Valofirma & Zodiak
Location Kulosaari Secondary School
Special Thanks To Lauri Halla, Head Of School
Copyright Zodiak - Center For New Dance 2025