In 2025, the 40th Helsinki Comics Festival, held at the Cable Factory, and the second Kids’ Comics Fest will explore themes of darkness and Greek comics. The special programme for this anniversary year is made possible in part with the help of the festivals’ numerous partners! The full programme can be viewed here.
Finnish Comics Society organises the Helsinki Comics Festival in collaboration with many partners. This year, partners include, among others, the Helsinki International Film Festival Love & Anarchy, Helsinki Central Library Oodi, the French Institute, FILI – Finnish Literature Exchange, and the Greek Embassy.
As part of the Love & Anarchy collaboration, Anssi Rauhala will lead a storyboard-themed discussion at the Cable Factory during the festival. The panelists include artists Kivi Larmola and Maria Björklund, and director Dome Karukoski . The Kids’ Comics Fest will also feature a storyboard workshop at the Cable Factory, led by Elina Vitkala. Additionally, from September 18–28, 2025, the Kutikuti comics collective’s exhibition will be on display at Bio Rex.
Helsinki Central Library Oodi will host Kuvittele Week from September 8–14, 2025, centered around comics, with some activities organised by the Helsinki Comics Festival. The collaborative programme at Oodi includes Melek Zertal’s comic exhibition, a reading group led by Onni Mustonen focusing on Charles Burns’ Black Hole, an inclusive performance titled Työstäkieltäytymistoimisto (The Work Refusal Office) by comics artist H-P Ontto-Panula, a panel discussion on the 90s Naarassarja magazine led by comic researcher Leena Romu, with comics expert Roju, and artists Tiina Pystynen and Annukka Leppänen, plus a live drawing event on Sunday, September 14, featuring artists Aino Sutinen, Evangelos Androutsopoulos, Jiipu Uusitalo, and Jyrki Nissinen.
On September 18, 2025, from 5–7 pm, the French Institute will host a live drawing and fan meeting event with Melek Zertal.
Exhibitions by other partners will also take place across Helsinki. At Myymälä2 gallery, from September 17–28, 2025, Tuoni Myllylä’s exhibition Pimeän puolelta (From the Dark Side) will be on display. MUU Helsinki Contemporary Art Center at the Cable Factory will showcase works by festival guests Alexia Othonaiou, Ilias Kyriazis, Steve Stivaktis, Jiipu Uusitalo, Terhi Ekebom, and Joonas Järvi. The Sarjakuvia pimeältä puolelta (Comics from the Dark Side) exhibition by Alexandros Kyparissis, Rikkisu, and Haltijakäpälä will be at Molotow’s store starting September 10, 2025. The Paja Gallery of Kalasataman seripaja will feature the Black Eye exhibition by Swedish collective Longest Night from September 20 to November 2, 2025. Additionally, Ivanda Jansone’s solo exhibition Levoton tyyneys (Restless Calm) will be on display at Vallila Brewery Gallery on September 1–30. The exhibition Mad Corridors: Contemporary Indian Comics and Zines on Madness, curated by Shambhavi Singh, can be seen at Stoa Balcony Gallery from September 17 to October 19, 2025. The group exhibition The Most Heavenly Exhibition, organised during the festival weekend by Zine Fest, will take place at the Cable Factory on September 20–21, 2025.
Furthermore, at the Cable Factory’s Kahvibaari, there will be a release event for Mika Lietzen’s book Hitaan juoksijan kirja (The Slow Runner’s Book), as well as for Johanna Vehkoo and Emmi Nieminen’s Syntymän ja kuoleman kirja (The Book of Birth and Death) on September 20, 2025.
More information and interview requests:
Ella Tahkolahti
producer
+35844 366 36 06
info@sarjakuvafestivaalit.fi
Athanasía Aarniosuo
artistic director
+35840 126 45 78
athanasia.aarniosuo@sarjakuvaseura.fi