Tampere Film Festival launches a Live Competition for VJ’s in Finland

Submission open: 25 May–11 September 

Tampere Film Festival is calling for Finland-based Visual Jockeys (VJ) to take part in the festival’s first live-action VJ Competition. The submission for pre-selections is open during 25 May–11 September, and the Jury will nominate four finalists to perform in the Live Competition held on 22 October 2022 as a part of the Media and Light Event Projio in Tampere, Finland. The Main Prize is 600 euros and all the finalists will also get a Participation Reward of 300 euros. The winner is selected by the Competition Jury and the audience has also a chance to vote for their favourite VJ. 

The first VJ Competition by Tampere Film Festival was held in autumn 2021 with five invited VJ artists’ pre-recorded video projections. The winner –  ‘goofy-foot’ by Konsta Fed – was selected by audience vote. The 2022 edition will be carried out as an open call competition and the final visual performances will be mixed live on site accompanying the live DJ’s tunes. 

– A live-action setting increases the competition’s intensity, and the situation is similar to live gigs at clubs, where Visual Jockeys usually work, explains Mikko Sorrela, who works as the producer of Tampere Film Festival and the VJ Competition. 

The venue for the Live Competition is Väinö Linna square (Väinö Linnan aukio) in the old industrial Finlayson area, where the visuals will be projected on the walls of Kuusvooninkinen and Mehiläinen with two projectors. Each VJ will have a 25-minute showtime to mix and project the visuals accompanying the DJ’s live music. The Competition will be seen as a part of Media and Light Event Projio, that illuminates the Finlayson Area with colourful visual art for the third time in 20–25 October. The event is free of charge and suitable for all ages. The VJ contestants’ performances will be seen at Projio as the highlight of Saturday evening at 18:30–22:30. 

During many years, VJ artists have had a prominent role in the club events of Tampere Film Festival. The festival’s executive director Riina Mikkonen thinks that it is also important to see innovative video art in cinemas screens and accessible urban spaces. In March 2022, the festival presented a visual projection by the first VJ Competition winner Konsta Fed, whose new project Connection was supported by Tampere Film Festival and premiered at Väinö Linna square. In the upcoming VJ Competition, the venue is once again going to be seen in its most beautiful glory, that will offer the audience a unique and unforgettable visual experience!

Read more about the Competition here: VJ Competition 2022