Inka Achté has started as the Head of Programming at DocPoint –The Helsinki Documentary Film Festival. Achté will be responsible for the planning and delivering of the entire film programme of DocPoint, which has been running for over 20 years and is Finland’s only event solely dedicated to non-fiction cinema.

“It is my goal to make DocPoint an unforgettable collective experience, more than a series of screenings over the five day festival period. After two years of lockdowns, we miss connection and a sense of community. The festival should bring people together, especially as it takes place during the darkest time of the year in Finland,” Achté says.

Next year’s programme will challenge viewers and break boundaries, encouraging audiences into further dialogue. Various side events and panels stemming from the selected films will form an integral part of the festival programme, one key element being music documentaries combined with live performances. 

“I want to give a platform to (non-fiction) cinema that won’t leave you alone – films that demand you to get together with friends afterwards to discuss, ponder and dissect…even to dance. Strong stories are always welcome, but we also want to show titles which aren’t easy to define: ones which blur our notions of what documentary cinema can be and break the rules without an ethical or moral bargain.”

This is the first time the festival appoints a Head of Programming. Previously the entire programme has been overseen by an Artistic Director, but this role has now been divided into two. While Achté will deliver the film programme, a Head of Industry will be recruited in the late spring. 

Achté bio: 

Inka Achté is a Finnish director and festival distributor with nearly 20 years experience from the film and television industries. Prior to her directorial debut Boys Who Like Girls (2018) she worked as a sales agent, first at Taskovski Films and then Autlook Filmsales. Her second feature documentary Golden Land (2022)  is currently on the festival circuit and recently won the Golden Alexander at Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival. Achté also co-runs Raina Film Festival Distribution, a Helsinki-based agency focused on the festival distribution of short and documentary films.