contact: katja.niemi@gmail.com

Katja Niemi, born in 1981, is a Finnish film director and screenwriter known for her bold exploration of heavy social issues. Her debut short film, R is for Realdoll (2009), garnered international acclaim, winning three best student awards. Her latest work, Armageddon in the Living Room (2021), bravely tackles spiritual violence and child sexual abuse, shedding light on difficult topics. Niemi’s films provoke thought and challenge societal norms, earning praise for their fearless portrayal of taboo subjects. Currently, she is working on a feature documentary about inequality in children’s nutrition, supported by a two-year grant from the Kone Foundation, while pursuing a master’s degree in documentary filmmaking at Aalto University.

Filmography:

• Thanatopsis / documentary / 2021 / as director
• Armageddon in the Living Room / documentary / 2020 / as director
• Self-Loath / experimental short film / 2017 / as director
• §1 / experimental documentary / 2016 / as director
• She has your eyes / fictional film / 2012 / as director
• The Crow / fictional film / 2011 / as director
• “R” is for Realdoll / documentary / 2009 / as director

Festivals / Awards:

• Thanatopsis / Finnish Death Studies Society Short Film Competition / 2021 / Best short film
• Armageddon in the Living Room / Chicago International Children’s Film Festival / 2021 / Best short documentary
• She Has Your Eyes / Film Festival Ålesund / Norway / 2013 / Audience award and Best film
• “R” is for Realdoll / Festival International Cinema Jovem / Espinho, Portugal / 2011 / Best student documentary
• “R” is for Realdoll / Festival International du court-metrage des ecoles de cinema / Beirut, Lebanon / 2010 / Best student documentary
• “R” is for Realdoll / Helsinki Short Film Festival / 2009 / Best student documentary
• Armageddon in the Living Room / Chicago International Children’s Film Festival / 2021
• Armageddon in the Living Room / Red Carpet Film Festival (curated by Iris Härmä) / 2021
• She Has Your Eyes / West Nordic International Film Festival / Alesund, Norway / 2013
• She Has Your Eyes / 11th International Festival Signes de Nuit / France / 2013
• She Has Your Eyes / Dublin International Short Film and Music Festival / Ireland / 2013
• She Has Your Eyes / Love & Anarchy Helsinki International Film Festival / Short film screening / 2013
• She Has Your Eyes  / Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival, CILECT Panorama / Israel / 2013
• She Has Your Eyes / Tampere Film Festival / National competition / Tampere / 2013 
• Varis / Kurz Film Festival Koln #7 / Germany / 2013
• Varis / Arktisen Upeeta! Nordic Film Festival / Jyvaskyla / 2013
• Varis / TV Broadcasts: Tele Bocal, Paris / France / 2013
• She Has Your Eyes / Helsinki Short Film Festival / 2012
• Varis / Tampere Film Festival, National Competition / 2012
• Varis / 10th In the Palace International Short Film Festival / Bulgaria / 2012
• “R” is for Realdoll / Festival International Cinema Jovem / Espinho, Portugal / 2011
• “R” is for Realdoll / The European Documentary Film Festival / Oslo, Norway / 2011
• “R” is for Realdoll / Nordic Panorama / Belgrade, Serbia / 2011
• “R” is for Realdoll / Reykjavik Shorts and Docs Film Festival / Iceland / 2011
• “R” is for Realdoll / Festival International du court-metrage des ecoles de cinema / Beirut, Lebanon / 2010
• “R” is for Realdoll / St. Petersburg Open Film Festival / Russia / 2010
• “R” is for Realdoll / Nordisk Panorama / Bergen, Norway / 2010
• “R” is for Realdoll / DocPoint – Helsinki Documentary Film Festival, Student Series / Finland / 2010
• “R” is for Realdoll / Tampere Film Festival, Mediakoulut Series / 2010
• “R” is for Realdoll / Arktisen Upeeta! Nordic Film Festival / Jyvaskyla / 2009
• “R” is for Realdoll / Helsinki Short Film Festivals Kettupaivat / 2009