Veera Lamminpää’s Odd Birds to Represent Finland at Euro Connection 2026

Award-winning director Veera Lamminpää has been nominated to represent Finland at Euro Connection 2026 with her short musical, Odd Birds. Blending live action and stop-motion animation, the film gives voice to taxidermied birds in a display case, whose notions of pecking orders and the laws of nature are also reflected in the unwritten rules of their school environment. The film is set to be produced by Jenni Pulli and Janne J. Vanhanen from the Helsinki-based production company, Rata Motion.

In 2025, Lamminpää’s Fish River Anthology (Finland, 2024) was shown at Tampere Film Festival, where it was awarded a total of four prizes and one Special Mention. Juries praised the film for its imaginative world-building, poignant comedic aspects, as well as the sustainability practiced in its production.

Euro Connection is a networking and pitching event for European producers, distributors and financiers. Held annually as part of the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, it focuses on encouraging cooperation between European and international production companies through high-quality short film projects. Expert juries from 32 European countries will each choose one domestic film project as their nominee, with the exception of Ukrainian filmmakers, who may apply regardless of where they reside in the European continent.

The 18th edition of Euro Connection will be held February 3–4, 2026. In the previous 17 years, the event has led to 142 finished short films, 77 of which were international co-productions.

You can read more about the event on the Euro Connection website.

Veera Lamminpää With Muse. Photo: Rata Motion