LevelK Swoops on Sex-Positive Finnish Comedy ‘Sudden Outbursts of Emotion’ (EXCLUSIVE)

LevelK has boarded Paula Korva’s “Sudden Outbursts of Emotion,” a sex-positive comedy about the complexities of modern love and midlife crises, which took home the top prize this week at the Finnish Film Affair, an annual industry event running parallel to the Helsinki Intl. Film Festival.

Korva’s feature debut follows Jane, a travel agent who sells people on adventure but is happily settled in her own life with her partner, Mikki. Thinking their relationship is strong, Jane is shocked when Mikki suddenly proposes they open it up. To save their love, Jane agrees to attend a sex party of the creative class called the Isle of Lust.

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The experiment takes a surprising turn when Jane falls in love with the polyamorous Valma. For a moment, everything seems fine, but then new people and new emotions enter the picture. Exploring the diversity of love and the difficult yet liberating journey of finding one’s own path, the film asks if there’s such a thing as too much love.

Produced by Marko Talli of Helsinki-based Yellow Film & TV, “Sudden Outbursts of Emotion” was financed by Nelonen Media and the Finnish Film Foundation and will be released theatrically in Finland by Nelonen in early 2025. LevelK has acquired the rights for the rest of the world. The film is currently in post-production.

Korva, who adapted the film from the novel “Kenraaliharjoitus,” by Anna-Leena Härkönen, said she was drawn to the book’s depiction of mid-life crises — what she described as “this bittersweet phase in life when adults start acting like teenagers again.”

“Mid-life is a humorous and tragic period when people realize they’re going to die eventually. You realize you’re going to die, and…you feel like you’re in a rush to make some big changes in your life,” she said.

For the protagonists of her film, those changes lead to an exploration of polyamory and the sex-party scene in Helsinki, with Korva examining “how to be in a relationship in today’s world.”

“Open relationships, as such, are not a new thing. It’s an old phenomenon…but I think it was male-led and male-dominated,” she said. “Earlier, the man in the relationship made the rules. But at least here in Finland, this new wave in this conversation is more about the feminine perspective and empowering women.”

Praising Korva’s feature debut, LevelK CEO Tine Klint told Variety: “It is a sex-positive comedy that also includes the female angle. It is fun, entertaining. What’s not to like? It’s a good fit for us where we see cross-media and rights potential and get to work with an experienced producer and a new directing talent.”

Talli added: “We are thrilled to start a collaboration with LevelK and we believe that this will open the road for the international journey for our film. Paula has found a heartfelt and funny style to tell the story of the diversity of modern love and midlife crisis when adults act like teenagers. I believe everyone who is looking for their own way to love will enjoy this story.”

Finnish Film Affair runs Sept. 25 – 27.