Apollo Award 2026 to the Finnish Documentary Guild
DocPoint Helsinki Documentary Film Festival Association has decided to award the 2026 Apollo Award to the Finnish Documentary Guild (Dokumenttikilta ry). The award is intended to celebrate and thank the Finnish Documentary Guild for its long-term work for Finnish documentary film.
Founded in 1996, the Finnish Documentary Guild will celebrate its 30th anniversary next year. For three decades, the Guild has been a community, a voice and a forum for Finnish documentary filmmakers. It has been a place for discussion, the sharing of knowledge and the defence of the value of creative documentary film.
DocPoint explains its decision as follows:
“The Finnish Documentary Guild has been a significant and consistent force in the field of Finnish documentary film. It has built a community that supports filmmakers and promotes openness, ethical practice and professionalism. At DocPoint, we wish to express our appreciation for the Guild’s important work and to emphasise how important cooperation and shared discussion are in the field of documentary film.”
In recent years, amid the challenges facing the field, the Finnish Documentary Guild has continued its work tirelessly. It has brought forward key perspectives for documentary filmmakers and provided concrete peer support at a time when funding and structures in the field have been under pressure.
Sanna Kultanen, Executive Director of the Finnish Documentary Guild, states that the Guild is honoured that the significance of its work is being recognised with the Apollo Award. “The award encourages documentary filmmakers to cherish their community as a resource and to continue their work even when the future is uncertain.”
Maija Hirvonen, Chair of the Board of the Finnish Documentary Guild, adds: “When we share experiences, question ideas and become inspired by ideas together, we sustain the vitality of the art form.”
Anniversary Year and Visibility at the Festival
At the 2026 DocPoint Festival from 3 to 8 February 2026, the Finnish Documentary Guild will celebrate its 30-year history prominently. The festival programme will include, among other events, an anniversary seminar organised by the Finnish Documentary Guild and a film screening curated by the Guild at the Kiasma Theatre.
These events are part of the festival programme and will highlight the diversity, history and future of the documentary filmmakers’ community.
“We want to offer the Finnish Documentary Guild the best possible framework to celebrate its community and we are developing the anniversary programme in close cooperation with the Guild. The field of documentary film is constantly evolving and communities such as the Finnish Documentary Guild, which engage in unique and long-term work, are at the core of its vitality,” states Betty Marschan, Chair of the Board of DocPoint.
The Apollo Award is DocPoint’s honorary award. It is presented to an individual, community or institution for significant work in promoting the visibility and status of documentary film in Finland.
In 2025, the award was presented to director Virpi Suutari.
