Finland's biggest film and video distributor, FS Film Oy, has set up a newproduction outfit, Juonifilmi Oy, with 33-year old producer Jarkko Hentula (Pearls And Pigs).

FS Film, which is fully owned by Nordic major AB Svensk Filmindustri, holdsthe majority stake in the company, while Hentula, who has been appointedmanaging director, will hold the minor. "We want to produce strong, compellingand surprising stories that give the audience positive experiences," saidHentula, who aims to produce both features, drama series and documentaries."The quantity is surely important, but quality always comes first."

Juonifilmi Oy, which roughly translates 'plot/story based film', will startoperations in September with the new film from Perttu Leppa (Pearls And Pigs), the romantic comedy 8 Days To Premiere.

"Local films have stabilised their market share to a significant level andhold an important role in FS Film's strategy," says FS Film's managing directorLasse Hyyti. "We had been looking for a right partner for a while, and found aperfect match in Hentula." FS Film, which had a Euros 23m turnover in 2003,distributed nine out of 16 Finnish films this year, and also has its own slateof films it plans to produce in-house.

Hentula brought Leppa's new project with him from the MRP-owned productionoutfit Talent House, where he worked for four years and produced two box-officehits, Pearls And Pigs (215,000admissions) and Lovers & Leavers(220,000). For Talent House he is still obliged to produce Joona Tena's comedy FC Venus, which shoots next summer.