M.A. Iiris Härmä has over 15 years experience as a producer, production coordinator, director and writer in documentary film productions. Her background is in Ethnology and Cultural Studies in which she received MA in University of Turku, and Film Studies diploma from The New School University, NY.

Iiris Härmä is the other founding member of Guerilla Films with her husband documentary film director Visa Koiso-Kanttila.

She is also an active member of  PINGIS, the community of Finnish forefront women documentarists. Iiris Härmä has produced and directed several award-winning short and feature-length documentaries that have acclaimed international reputation in various film festivals around the world.

Filmography

Director
LEAVING AFRICA – A Story about friendship and empowerment. A documentary film 84 min. 2015.

Director
THE CHILD OF SILENT WINTER. A documentary film about loneliness, 21 min. 2012. In co-operation with YLE TV1.co-productions. Oulu Int Children’s FF 2012, Nordisk Panorama 2012, Tampere IFF, Jury’s special award 2013. Reikäreuna Finland 2012, Helsinki Short Film Festival, The Best Finnish Professional Short Documentary Award 2012. Docpoint 2013. Tromsa Int. FF Norway 2013. It’s All True, Jury’s special award, Brazil 2013, Ankara IFF Turkey 2013. Dhaka IFF Bangladesh 2013, Guanajuata IFF Mexico 2013, Uppsala Int. Short FF Sweden 2013, West Nordisk IFF Norway 2013, Zoom Rights Sarajevo 2013, Vilnius Film Shorts Lithuania 2013, Montenegro FF Jury’s Special award 2014. Quality Prize of Arts Council of Finland 2013.

Director
LOOK AT ME, A documentary film about special needs class, 68 min. 2010. In co-operation with YLE Co-productions. Oulu Int. Children’s and Youth FF. Docpoint 2011, Tampere FF 2011, Beldocs 2011. China int Children’s FF, Uninvited Paris FF 2011, Nordisk Panorama 2011, Reikäreuna 2011. awards: Church Media Foundation award 2011, Honorary mention in Tampere IFF2011. Quality Prize of Arts Council of Finland 2011.

Producer
A PORTRAIT OF A MAN – A documentary film. 80 min. Directed by Visa Koiso-Kanttila
Guerilla Films 2010

Producer
MEANING OF LIFE – A documentary film. 11 min.
Guerilla Films 2008

Director
YOU LIVE AND BURN – A documentary film about two roma siblings on the verge of adulthood. Guerilla Films 2007. 69 min
In co-operation with YLE Co-productions.
Festivals: Docpoint, Helsinki 2008; Tampere International Short Film Festival 2008, Viscult 2008, Arctic Glory 2008. Released by SVT Sweden. Royal Anthropological Film Festival 2009, Astra Film Festival Romania 2009, Göttingen International Film Festival 2010.

Producer
A WINTER’S JOURNEY
A documentary film. Directed by Visa Koiso-Kanttila Guerilla Films Ltd 2007

Director
TOMORROW’S MEMORIES.
Creative documentary film. 28 min. Yleisradio TV1 Finland.
Guerilla Films Ltd. 2004. Viscult Joensuu 2004, Kettupäivät Helsinki 2004. Filmmor, Istanbul 2005, DocAviv, Tel Aviv 2005. Milano International Film Festival 2004, Izmir International Short Film festival 2004.

Producer
FATHER TO SON, Creative documentary film, 70 min & 58 min. Dir: Visa Koiso-Kanttila. Yleisradio TV 1 Finland, SVT 1, Cinematic release in Finland. Guerilla Films Ltd. 2004.

Production assistant, Second director
END OF THE LINE, Creative documentary film, 64 min. Dir: Visa Koiso-Kanttila
Guerilla Films Ltd. 2000.