Director
Mika Taanila
61 years · Helsinki, Finland · 28 films
Mika Taanila is a filmmaker and visual artist based in Helsinki. His films have been screened at several international film festivals such as TIFF Toronto, IFFR Rotterdam, Berlinale, CPH:DOX, Clermont-Ferrand, Karlovy-Vary, Midnight Sun Film Festival, IDFA Amsterdam and Kurzfilmtage Oberhausen. Taanila’s moving image installations have been shown at major international group shows, such as Venice Biennale (2017), Aichi Triennale (2013), Documenta (2012), Shanghai Biennale (2006) and Berlin Biennale (2004). Solo shows include Padiglione de l’Esprit Nouveau, Bologna (2020), STUK, Leuven (2018), Kiasma, Helsinki (2013–14), CAM, St. Louis (2013), Badischer Kunstverein (2008) and Migrosmuseum, Zurich (2005). In 2015 Taanila was awarded The Ars Fennica prize.
Best known for
Filmography 28
D Is for Distance
2026 · Producer
John 9:25 / 52:9 nhoJ
2026 · Music
Nox
2026 · Producer
John 9:25
2025 · Music
Failed Emptiness
2024 · Director, Editor
Monica in the South Seas
2023 · Editor, Director
Failed Emptiness. Place
2023 · Director
Verbranntes land
2022 · Director
Failed Emptiness. Time
2021 · Director
Patent Nr. 314805
2020 · Director, Writer
Realms
2019 · Editor
Flame
2018 · Producer
The World
2017 · Director, Producer
Sad Song of the Hard-Edge Transition Wipe Markers
2017 · Director
Branches
2017 · Director
Tectonic Plate
2016 · Director
Return of the Atom
2015 · Director
Spindrift
2013 · Director
60 Seconds of Solitude in Year Zero
2011 · Director
The Zone of Total Eclipse
2006 · Director
Optical Sound
2005 · Director
The Future Is Not What It Used to Be
2002 · Director, Writer
A Physical Ring
2002 · Director
RoboCup99
2000 · Director, Screenplay