Vinokino Finland: Loud, Queer, and Impossible to Ignore

Vinokino 2025: Queer Cinema Lighting Up Finland

There’s something magical about sitting in a dark movie theatre, surrounded by people who see and celebrate the world as you do. For over 30 years, Vinokino has been that safe, electric space in Finland — the only film festival in the country fully dedicated to LGBTQ+ stories.

Every October and November, Vinokino tours across Finnish cities — Turku, Helsinki, Jyväskylä, Oulu, and Tampere — bringing with it a mix of fierce, tender, challenging, and hilarious queer cinema. Whether you’re into indie short films that bite, documentaries that shake you awake, or feature films that make your heart melt, this festival is where it all collides.

What makes Vinokino so special isn’t just the lineup — it’s the mission. Organized by Turun seudun Seta ry (TuSeta), a non-profit LGBTQ+ rights association, the festival has always been about more than film. Since its first edition back in 1992, Vinokino has been about community, visibility, and resistance against silence. By curating cinema that pushes boundaries, laughs at norms, and speaks truth to power, the festival reminds us that queer art is not only entertainment — it’s survival.

Films:  ©The Best Friend.  ©I Don’t Know Who You Are. ©5 Nanomoles. ©Skinny Love.

This year, Vinokino returns bolder than ever. In Helsinki, screenings will run from October 17–19, 2025, with the full program available at vinokino.fi. Expect raw truths, unapologetic joy, and stories that matter — all subtitled in English, because queer cinema should cross every border.

Films:  ©Outerlands.  ©Short Film Compilation: The World Stood Still. ©Baby & Berlin Fuck You.

Vinokino thrives thanks to the love and labor of volunteers, community supporters, and allies. It’s a celebration, yes, but it’s also a call: let’s keep telling our stories, loud and unfiltered, in the languages of cinema, resilience, and pride.

You can find the program and screening times HERE

✨ Support your LGBTQ+ community. Share this note. Amplify queer art. Let’s keep the lights on for queer culture in Finland and everywhere.