DocPoint’s Apollo Award to Finnish production company Epidem

DocPoint’s Apollo Award for Epidem production company is a recognition of its persistent, progressive and broadly expanded, as well as artistically highly qualified work done in the field of Finnish documentary film. The Apollo Award by DocPoint Festival is annually handed out to a person or community having significantly developed Finnish documentary film and earned credit in the field within.

Epidem is a production company focused above all on issues dealing with society and third world. It was founded in the year 1968. Above all, Epidem is remembered for its documentaries in Latin America in the 70s and 80s. In total, the company has produced 130 documentary films and willingly served as a springboard for many Finnish filmmakers, such as Markku Lehmuskallio, Pirjo Honkasalo, Kiti Luostarinen, Elina Katainen, Visa Koiso-Kanttila and John Webster. Nearly all Finnish veteran-filmmakers in the field of documentary film have at some point worked in the caring hands of Epidem. The company serves as a perfect example of a well-balanced cooperation between a production company and a filmmaker.

The driving forces behind Epidem have throughout decades been Mikael Wahlforss, Kai Salminen – also acknowledged documentary film directors, and deceased producer Elina Katainen. In the early years of Epidem, their own work as directors formed a solid ground for the company’s production. In addition to producing, Wahlforss and Salminen still continue their work as directors. Especially Wahlforss has directed a spectacular series of documentary films around the world.

The well-deserved Apollo Award for Epidem was handed out to the company’s founders, Mikael Wahlforss & Kai Salminen and producer Jaana Wahlforss in the Opening Ceremony of DocPoint Festival on 21st of January 2009.

In honour of Epidem’s Apollo Award DocPoint screened a series of documentary films produced by Epidem.

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