Miia Tervo – Award-Winning Auteur (Director and screenwriter) & bold voice in arthouse cinema

Miia Tervo is a visionary filmmaker whose bold, emotionally charged storytelling has earned her international acclaim. Born and raised in Finnish Lapland in a working-class family, her roots deeply influence her poetic, raw, and often darkly humorous approach to cinema.

Her short films have captivated audiences at major film festivals worldwide, including IDFA and Torino, earning multiple awards. Her short documentary The Little Snow Animal (2009) received a prestigious European Film Award (EFA) nomination, marking her as a powerful emerging voice in arthouse cinema.

Tervo’s debut feature, Aurora (2019), premiered as the opening film at the Gothenburg Film Festival, made its U.S. premiere at South by Southwest (SXSW), and won Best International Feature at Edinburgh International Film Festival. The film won 7 Jussi Awards (Finnish Oscars) including Best Film, and Best Director and Screenplay for Tervo herself. With its unapologetic wit and deeply human storytelling, Aurora established her as a filmmaker unafraid to tackle themes of love, survival, and the search for belonging.

Her  second feature, The Missile (2024), premiered in the Nordic Competition at Gothenburg Film Festival and is continuing its festival run worldwide. Following its German theatrical release in November 2024, the film is set for a U.S. theatrical run in spring 2025 and has been acquired by Netflix, bringing Tervo’s unique cinematic voice to an even broader international audience. Like her debut, The Missile, was awarded at the Finnish Jussi Awards with the Best Screenplay award.

With her sharp, fearless storytelling and a signature blend of warmth, humor, and emotional depth, Miia Tervo is one of the most exciting and distinctive voices in Finnish contemporary arthouse cinema.