Aki Kaurismaki’s new project Le Havre and Maria Lindberg’s animated Moomins project are among nine features to receive $7.1m (€7.1m) from the Finiish Film Foundation.

It has given $1m (€750,000) to Kaurismaki’s project, which will start shooing next month in France and will star André Wilms, Kati Outinen, Blondin Miguel and Elina Salo. The project, which was revealed at the Berlin Film Festival, is about a ”shoeblack” who tries to save a refugee. It will be produced by Kaurismäki’s own Sputnik Oy Museokatu.

The Match Factory and Willmar Andersson Film will handle international sales and Sandrew Metronome will release it locally.

Maria Lindberg’s $1.3m (€975,000) Moomins And The Comet Chase (pictured) (Muumi Ja Punainen Pyrstötähti) is the second part of a trilogy, based on books by Finnish writer Tove Jansson’s books and comic strip. It has received $535,000 (€390,000) from the foundation. It being sold by Sweden’s NonStop Sales and Oy Filmkompaniet Alpha is handling local distribution.

The foundation has also handed out cash to Timo Koivusalo’s €1.6m ($2.2m) sequel to Under the North Star (Täällä Pohjantähden Alla), from Artista Filmi; Raimo O Niemi’s €1.6m ($2.2m) Garbage Prince (Roskisprinssi) from Periferia Productions; and Olli Saarela’s Priest of Evil (Harpunpää Ja Pahan Pappi), which being made by MRP Matila Röhr Productions.

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