The Sodankylä Film Festival has now lasted for four decades with a clear purpose: to show films to audiences and create a place where viewers can meet the filmmakers behind them. HBL says that simple idea is still what gives the festival its strength today.

Beyond the screenings, the festival has come to stand for something larger. It is described as a dream of Finland and of the country at its best, which gives the event a symbolic role well beyond the cinema programme itself.