SUPERFINLAND Press Release
Super Finland
Frozen lakes, guitar tunes and a polar bear
Superwood Festival // Tuomo & Markus // Lone Deer Laredo // New Silver Girl Winter swimmer – Erkki /// A film by Paola Suhonen
Justin “Nordic Thunder” Howard /// Air Guitar World Championships
Heavy Trip (SXSW 2018 Official Selection) /// Directors Jukka Vidgren and Juuso Laatio
Pulled Oats® Mini Burgers
Monday, March 12, 12 noon - 3pm
SXSW /// House of Scandinavia, Cafe Blue Downtown Austin, 340 E 2nd St, Austin, TX 78701
Super Finland - Frozen lakes, guitar tunes and a polar bearwill feature Superwood Festivalstyle performances of Tuomo and Markus, Lone Deer Laredo and New Silver Girl. Winter swimmer Erkki – latest documentary film by Paola Suhonen – will screen continuosly in the space. The film follows a 93-year-old Erkki Makkonen as he prepares for Winter Swimming World Championships, in Siberia Russia. The film is a story about sisu - Finnish concept maybe best translated as a stoic resoluteness in the face of adversity - and lust for life and ice holes. And a little bit about women, too.
Super Finland - Frozen lakes, guitar tunes and a polar bearwill also feature a special section promoting the Northern City of Oulu. There will be a performance by Justin “Nordic Thunder” Howard, who is promoting Air Guitar World Championshipsat the event. Air Guitar World Championships, organized annually in Oulu since 1996, is a celebration of love, peace and showmanship. There will also be a screening of best bits of SXSW official selection feature film Heavy Tripby directors Jukka Vidgren and Juuso Laatio. Filmed partly in Oulu, where the directors originate, the film tells a story of a young man trying to lead his unknown heavy metal band to the hottest metal festival of Norway. The journey, which includes not only heavy metal but also some grave robbing, will culminate on an armed conflict between Finland and Norway.
During Super Finland - Frozen lakes, guitar tunes and a polar bearthe hungry festival-goers will be fed by the delicious latest innovation from Finland - Pulled Oats® Mini Burgers by Gold&Green.
Super Finland - Frozen lakes, guitar tunes and a polar bearwill take place at House of Scandinavia (Cafe Blue Downtown Austin, 340 E 2nd St, Austin, TX 78701) on Monday, March 12 between noon and 3 PM. Super Finland - Frozen lakes, guitar tunes and a polar bear is produced by Creative Export Innovations, IVANAHelsinki and Grandpop with Visit Finland and Business Oulu. Marketing partners are Vizor and Radio Helsinki.
Tickets: Eventbrite http://bit.ly/2F22Bmz
Pssst. Super Finland vol: 2 // 12th March /// 9-11PM /// at Palm Door on Sixth, 508 E 6th St, Austin, TX
More information and press enquiries:
Kati Nuora Creative Export Innovations kati@creativeexport.fi +358 50 568 91 91
MORE INFORMATION
Superwood Festival
Blending Northern Oddity, Pure Beauty and unforgettable Emotions & Experiences, the first Superwood Festival by Ivana Helsinki took place in late October 2017 in Helsinki. For two nights in the autumn woods by the seaside, a community, a universe reminiscent of childhood summer camps was created. A sleepover experience with 45 hours of music, art, and food for thought and soul, The Superwood festival brought it all all under the same roof. Guest were invited to open the door, step in, get a glass of sparkling and experience the entire festival in a unique architectural space. The next edition of Superwood festival will be October 12-13 in Helsinki, Finland.
https://www.superwoodfestival.com
Tuomo & Markus
Tuomo & Markus is a new musical project from acclaimed Finnish soul artist Tuomo Prättälä and singer/songwriter Markus Nordenstreng (The Latebirds). Their music has been described as Nordic Americana and neo folk with distinct jazz, soul and prog-rock influences. The duo’s haunting harmonies have been compared to Simon & Garfunkel. Tuomo & Markus gathered spontaneously at Wavelab Studio in Tucson AZ to record their debut album 'Dead Circles' with friends who included John Stirratt (Wilco, Autumn Defense), John Convertino, Joey Burns and Jakob Valenzuela from Calexico, Pat Sansone (Wilco, Autumn Defense), and Gary Louris (The Jayhawks) who also contributed one song. Tuomo & Markus have also recorded several 7" soul singles for Stylart/Timmion Records under the alias Pratt & Moody. Their music has been featured in various films, documentaries and commercials.
New Silver Girl
Helsinki-based 4-piece rock band New Silver Girl creates the psychedelic garage pop world with screaming drone guitars, hypnotic pulse, pop melodies and surrealistic poetry. Say hello to the long-awaited homecoming of guitar music.
The Gods of rock and roll have been benevolent for this newcomer since the band is already working on its debut lp with a high profile producer Gordon Raphael (The Strokes, Regina Spektor, Hinds). The recording sessions take place in Berlin at legendary Hansa Studios. The first single ”Alms” of the forthcoming album sees its daylight on April 2018 and will be out on Soliti.
Lone Deer Laredo
The artistic, subtle and delicate music based on classic songwriting combines elements from slavic-scandinavian imagery and americana-tinted road trip moments. Visuality plays an important role in the folk duo’s musical- filmographic universe.
Lone Deer Laredo is all about love ballads, songs of the solitude, melodies from the dark magic forests and the enchanting charm of the highways. Once wounded days of the lonely ones, powerful stories of conquests and the endless curiosity of the adventurers all come together in the songs.
Winter Swimmer -Erkki
The documentary follows a 93-year-old Erkki Makkonen as he prepares for Winter Swimming World Championships that will take place in Siberia, Russia. Erkki has only visited Russia once before - in 1943.
"Then we went armed with guns, now I am only armed with my swim trunks ", Erkki summarizes the philosophy of his journey.
The documentary follows Erkki's travel preparations in a sleepy little village of Savonranta. Erkki is a well-known sight at the river rapids located in the center of the village. He walks to the rapids daily with his walker in order to swim to keep himself fit to race. This eight-time world champion, who also currently holds the title, looks to the future with confidence:
" Even though times now are hard in Finland, we will stand back up again and we will rise. I look forward to the future! Next, I could try mountaineering, ", Erkki ponders.
This film is a story about sisu - Finnish concept maybe best translated as a stoic resoluteness in the face of adversity - and lust for life and holes in the ice. And a little bit about love too.
Air Guitar World Championships: Justin "Nordic Thunder" Howard
Air Guitar World Championships is a celebration of love, peace and showmanship. Since 1996, the contest has gone worldwide with massive international press coverage, several official national championships as well as tons of devoted fans. The purpose of the Air Guitar World Championships is to promote world peace. According to the ideology of the Air Guitar, wars would end, climate change stop and all bad things disappear, if all the people in the world played the Air Guitar. This is why the whole universe is invited to play the Air Guitar for the world peace at the end of the competition. Air Guitar World Championships is not just one festival in Finland – it is an international chain of events and entertainment. The culmination of the worldwide season of air guitar gathers the best to the battle in Oulu, already for 23rd time in August 2018.
Justin "Nordic Thunder" Howard In the spring of 2006, Nordic Thunder took to the stage for the first time in a smoke filled bar in Chicago where he competed against 20 other air guitarists from around the Midwest, ultimately becoming Chicago’s greatest air guitarist. Two air guitar related surgeries later, along with becoming the Air Guitar World Champion, Nordic Thunder has traveled the world playing his invisible guitar. From the dunes of Qatar to the Artic Circle, Nordic Thunder spreads his message of world peace, love, and understanding through invisible guitar licks and head banging hair whips.
www.airguitarworldchampionships.com #MakeAirNotWar #AGWC
Heavy Trip (Finland) (World Premiere)
Directors: Jukka Vidgren, Juuso Laatio, Screenwriters: Jukka Vidgren, Juuso Laatio, Aleksi Puranen, Jari Olavi Rantala
A young man is trying to overcome his fears by leading the most unknown heavy metal band in to the hottest metal festival of Norway. The journey includes heavy metal, grave robbing, Viking heaven and an armed conflict between Finland and Norway.
Cast: Johannes Holopainen, Minka Kuustonen, Max Ovaska, Antti Heikkinen, Samuli Jaskio, Chike Ohanwe, Ville Tiihonen. Screening times:
ALAMO LAMAR B Mar 10, 2018 10:30pm —12:00am
ALAMO LAMAR C Mar 13, 2018 10:30pm —12:00am
ALAMO RITZ 1 Mar 16, 2018 4:30pm —6:00pm
Pulled Oats® Mini Burgers by Gold&Green
Gold&Green is a technology company that has revolutionized plant-based high protein foods. We started out to find an alternative to daily cooking with meat and developed Pulled oats – the perfect protein consisting of oats and beans. It is based on Nordic ingredients and the team’s unique scientific knowledge. The product has a superior amino-acid profile, more protein than chicken breast and is an answer to the huge environmental challenges and health hazards of the extreme meat consumption.
https://goldandgreenfoods.com/about/
Citizens Climate Pledge
Citizens Climate Pledge encourages citizens around the globe to make personal contributions to climate action. https://climatepledge.global/