Circus Film Night

Free admission!

Cirko – Center for New Circus presents a selection of outstanding international circus films at Cirko during the Night of the Arts. The programme has been curated by producer and circus filmmaker Antti Suniala. Lasting approximately one hour, the programme will be screened three times throughout the evening, and visitors are welcome to arrive at any time.

Schedule

17:45 Doors open
17:50 Introduction to the programme – Antti Suniala
18:00–18:55 Screening 1
19:00–19:55 Screening 2
20:00–20:55 Screening 3

Films (in screening order)

Embers (Canada)
Documentary, 24 min – director: Trixie Pacis

After losing everything in a wildfire, aerial acrobat Sasha Galitzki performs among burned forests and retreating glaciers, channeling grief into a visually striking journey of environmental advocacy.

Under the Cobble Stones Is the Beach (Ireland)
Short film, 3 min – director: Ken Fanning

A short film about partner acrobats performing in the street, created using the rotoscoping animation technique.

Ghost Light (USA)
Short film, 4 min – director: Ken Fanning

Ghost Light is a surreal circus short film about our inner light. In a world that increasingly shapes us into mere spectators, the film invites us back into presence and expression. Through circus and movement, Ghost Light celebrates participation, connection, and the courage to let our own light shine.

Rightside/Down (Canada)
Short film, 4 min – director: Eric Bates

Rightside/Down follows a contortionist on an unexpected journey toward finding their own community.

Vertical Feeling (Finland)
Short film, 8 min – director: Jenny Mansikkasalo

Vertical Feeling is a dreamlike short film exploring what it feels like to grow up practising aerial acrobatics. What does verticality feel like in the body? How does aerial acrobatics shape body image and a developing identity? In the film, memories, imaginings, and lived experiences intertwine. The boundaries of the body stretch, fabric overflows, and the inner child has something to say.

Les fleurs éclosent à l’ombre (France)
Short film, 11 min – director: Mat Santa Cruz

A solitary man seeks out the sensation of danger with almost calculated precision and care. Situated somewhere between rural romanticism and cowboy melancholy, this minimalist comic work—touching on the extremes of circus—surprises with a story about human vulnerability and the longing to feel.

Circus Film Night is part of Planet Suvilahti, an annual Night of the Arts event organized by Suvilahti’s tenants and the Suvilahtelaiset Association.