Finnish Zombie Comedy Pigtown Wins Top Prize at Finnish Film Affair

A zombie outbreak in a quiet Finnish farming town takes center stage in Pigtown, the directorial debut of Pekka Ollula, which won the top prize among Nordic projects at the Finnish Film Affair. The industry showcase ran alongside the Helsinki International Film Festival – Love & Anarchy.

Pekka Ollula’s debut Pigtown wins Finnish Film Affair’s top Nordic prize, blending zombies, comedy, and rural life ahead of its Sitges premiere.

Oohlala Pictures

Described by Ollula as a “rural romantic zombie comedy,” the film follows Iida, an animal rights activist eager to reform her life. Her friend Anja escalates their activism by spiking pig feed with a mysterious black liquid, unleashing a plague that transforms pigs—and later villagers—into ravenous zombies. When Sami, a city dweller returning to his family’s farm, meets Iida at a local festival, their budding connection collides with chaos as a bingo game turns into a violent bloodbath.

The filmmaker calls Pigtown “a rural genre mash-up like no other,” combining humor, horror, and heartfelt storytelling. Speaking in Helsinki, Ollula outlined his formula: one part Shaun of the Dead for comedy, one part Aliens for action, one part Babe for emotional warmth, and a generous dose of Peter Jackson’s Bad Taste and Braindead.

Produced by Oohlala Pictures with Sweden’s GötaFilm, the project earned praise from the Nordic Selection jury for its “sheer fun, passion and energy.” The jury also highlighted the film’s balance of global potential with personal authenticity, especially in its themes of family and community.

Ollula, who previously worked on the marketing team of cult sci-fi spoof Iron Sky and produced genre titles such as The Redeemers and Delivery Run, now steps behind the camera for the first time. Pigtown will premiere at the Sitges Film Festival before its theatrical release in Finland on November 5.

The director’s career has roots in Huhtamo, his rural hometown, where he co-founded the Huhtamo International Film Festival in 2017. The event features inventive screenings in barns, bowling alleys, and even a “fly-in” cinema on a local airstrip. By using Huhtamo as both a filming location and a cultural hub, Ollula aims to revitalize his community through storytelling and cinema.

With Pigtown, Ollula brings together his personal history, creative ambition, and a love of genre filmmaking, showcasing Finnish rural life on the big screen in a way that merges horror, comedy, and heart.