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Full Programme Revealed!

This November, Rokumentti brings over 40 films to the big screen, with music ranging from punk to K-pop and stories spanning moving personal portraits to some of the most pressing issues in world politics. A packed programme of free events will also take the festival spirit beyond the cinema walls.

Among the highlights of this year's music film selection are The DominATE Experience, a spectacular concert film featuring K-pop sensation Stray Kids; Jawbreaker, documenting Scandinavian hardcore punk pioneers Anti Cimex; and 40 Years of Fuckin' Up: A Film By NOFX, in which the punk band's farewell tour puts decades of friendship to the test. Audiences can also sing their hearts out at a special sing-along screening of Kaunis rietas onnellinen, the biopic of Finnish pop icon Kaija Koo, introduced by its leading actress Oona Airola.

The many meanings of music are explored further in documentaries examining its place in individual lives and times of social upheaval. The Way We Move follows sign language interpreters as they prepare for live performances at music festivals, while Unesta tehty mies (A Man Made of Dreams) explores the life of composer Aulis Sallinen, moving beyond a personal portrait to reflect on the lasting scars of war and Finnish identity across generations. Soldiers of Song, meanwhile, follows Ukrainian musicians and reveals how music can become a powerful force for resistance, solidarity and hope in the midst of war.

Rokumentti's current affairs documentaries turn their attention to human rights violations, abuses of power and the devastating consequences of the environmental crisis. Hailed as one of the most significant documentaries of our time and attracting widespread international attention, Naza exposes the harrowing reality of genocide in Gaza through anonymous testimonies from Israeli military and intelligence personnel. All We Have Is Us examines the tech industry's influence over environmental policy and the destruction caused by mining operations across the globe, while The Secret Reading Club of Kabul follows Afghan women fighting for their right to education and to make their voices heard under Taliban rule.

The programme also features Finnish productions making waves on the international festival circuit. Finland's Oscar submission, the sci-fi satire Orava, examines humanity's relationship with nature, while Craftswoman, selected for New York's Nordic International Film Festival, explores the place of Finnish craftsmanship in the modern world. Among those featured in the documentary is master shoemaker Hanna Piipponen from Tuupovaara, North Karelia.

Rokumentti's free programme of special events brings its own share of surprises and fresh perspectives on how films are made and experienced. At the outdoor screening of Savage Beauty – The World's Largest Light Installation, light, mist and biting winds won't be confined to the screen – audiences can experience them first-hand in Joensuu's Market Square. On Rokumentti Saturday, local young filmmakers take centre stage at the Nuorten Roku! short film screening, while Sunday sees Foley artist Tapio Liukkonen lift the lid on the art of creating film sound effects in a live demonstration. The programme also includes Sound & Vision, a discussion exploring the role of culture and creative work in a changing world, and Musavideoklubi (Music Video Club), showcasing music video productions from Eastern Finland.

Explore the full film programme, festival guests, side-events and exclusive Rokumentti offers.

Individual screening tickets and festival ticket booklets containing four or eight tickets go on sale on Monday 26 October at 10 am.

Over its 20-year history, Rokumentti, the largest music film festival in the Nordic countries, has screened more than 700 films, many of them Finnish premieres. The festival is organised by Joensuun Popmuusikot ry, a non-profit association dedicated to promoting live music.