A Finnish black comedy with a Christmas feel, filmed in Estonia and served up with a twist.

Are you looking for a film that will warm your heart with the Christmas spirit? Well, here you go. But be warned: this is, after all, a ‘Finnish comedy’.

Sixteen-year-old Johanna is a rebellious teenager whose parents are divorced. Her mum doesn’t want to spend time with her, her dad is too busy with his upcoming wedding, and her little brother is a real nuisance. Johanna’s only wish is to meet someone who resembles Edward from Twilight, and would give her a chance to escape her boring everyday life with a vampire bite. On Christmas Eve, the whole family travels to their grandmother’s for the holidays. When the most eagerly awaited moment of the year arrives and Santa Claus asks for permission to enter the house several times, you can already guess who it is. Much to Johanna’s delight, her wish may finally come true, but instead of Edward, it is the fat and balding Martti who steps into the house.

“Red Christmas” is the debut film by Ilja Rautsi, a passionate horror fan whose short films made the rounds at every festival where such oddities are adored. It’s fair to say that he has also hit the mark with “Red Christmas” which received a thunderous applause from fans at its premiere at the Austin Fantasy Film Festival.

Helmut Jänes