The Helsinki Intl. Film Festival – Love & Anarchy kicks off its 38th edition Thursday with change in the air, with long-time artistic director and festival co-founder Pekka Lanerva announcing this week that he’s stepping down from the operational side of the popular Finnish event, and incoming executive director Pauliina Ståhlberg preparing to oversee her first edition since assuming the post last fall.

Speaking to Variety ahead of opening night, Ståhlberg says that the transition — which will see festival veteran Outi Rehn take on the role of head of programming — doesn’t represent a “big shift” from previous editions, so much as the arrival of “a new generation and a new way of collaborative working.”

“Change is always an opportunity to do things in a different, more modern way,” s

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