— Educational background
MFA -
film directing
American Film Institute (Los Angeles, CA)
PhD -
molecular genetics
University of Helsinki (Finland)
— Selected awards and grants
Finnish Film Foundation, Finnish Culture Foundation, Alfred P Sloan Foundation, Oskar Öflunds Stiftelse, Finlandia Foundation
Timeline
2023
PALIMPSEST at the Raindance (London, UK)
PALIMPSEST at the Helsinki International Film Festival
PALIMPSEST at the Sodankylän elokuvajuhlat - Midnight Sun Film Festival
Joined Activist Artist Management
Speaking at the Nordic Oscar Week in LA
Golden Globes: Residency Fellows Show Impressive Work
Venice Film Festival International Showcase: Palimpsest
2022
HFPA Renews Global Mentorship Program in Venice
‘Palimpsest’ Helmer Hanna Västinsalo Readies ‘Space Hobos,’ New Series ‘Heaven’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Hanna Västinsalo, Cyril Jacob Abraham – Palympsist #Venezia79
2021
PALIMPSEST selected to the Biennale College Cinema
WOMBSONG at Moovy Tanzfilmfestival
THEN-NOW-TOMORROW selected to the NewImages Financing Market
2020
Hanna is currently in a working group, Neuwrite Nordic, composed of scientists and writers with a mission is to develop novel strategies for communicating science to general audiences. The project is supported by Koneen säätiö
MAN UNDER BRIDGE Nominated Stereopsia Europe
MAN UNDER BRIDGE Official selection Festival dei Popoli
MAN UNDER BRIDGE Official selection FIVARS
MAN UNDER BRIDGE Official selection Kaohsiung Film Festival
MAN UNDER BRIDGE Official selection 77th Venice International Film Festival - VR Expanded
2019
Curator of HELSINKI HOBO, Helsinki City Museum exhibition
Director of virtual reality animation, MAN UNDER BRIDGE
WOMBSONG Official selection, Bogota Shot Film Festival
WOMBSONG Official selection Aesthetica Short Film Festival
WOMBSONG Official selection SPLIT Film Festival
WOMBSONG Official selection San Francisco Dance Film Festival
Finalist for Best VR made by Women Fine Arts Film Festival
Official selection shorTS International Film Festival
Official selection Vox Popular Media Arts Festival
WOMBSONG nominated for Best VR film NYC Independent Film Festival
WOMBSONG official selection Harlem International Film Festival
WOMBSONG finalist for Best VR made by Women Fine Arts Film Festival
2018
WOMBSONG - Official selection Kinetoscope VR Film Festival
WOMBSONG - Official selection 360 Film Festival
Speaking in TEDxHelsinkiUniversity event May 11 at Tiedekulma (Yliopistonkatu 4, Helsinki)
WOMBSONG - virtual reality dance art video premiere in LOIKKA dance film festival
Directing - STEPS OF PERHEENTUPA (feature documentary)