Katja Gauriloff

Gauriloff was born in Inari to a Finnish father and a Skolt Sámi mother. Although Gauriloff is of Skolt Sámi heritage on her mother's side, she grew up in Rovaniemi, far away from the main areas the Skolt community lives in around Lake Inari. As she did not grow up in an environment where Skolt Sámi was spoken and it was not spoken at home, she did not learn the language.{{Cite web|url=http://areena.yle.fi/1-1401448|title=Taustapeili: Vieraana Katja Gauriloff|author=Jokimies, Paula|publisher=Yle Areena|type=Radio program|language= fi|date=January 31, 2012|access-date=September 1, 2015}} In spite of this, Gauriloff has developed a strong identity as a Skolt and has explored her heritage through two of her documentaries. In 2016, the cultural association of the Skolts Saaʹmi Nueʹtt and the Skolt village meeting named her Skolt of the Year for her work on Kaisa's Enchanted Forest.

From 2000 to 2004, she studied directing at the Tampere University of Applied Sciences at the School of Art and Media.

Gauriloff began her career in the film industry in 1998.

Two of Gauriloff's documentaries, A Shout into the Wind and Canned Dreams, have been awarded Finnish State Quality Support for cinema productions ({{langx|fi|elokuvataiteen laatutuki}}). In 2013, Gauriloff and Joonas Berghäll directed the documentary Voimanlähde about four women and their fight against breast cancer for the Pink Ribbon campaign by the Cancer Foundation of Finland ({{langx|fi|Syöpäsäätiö}}).{{cite web|url=https://www.marmai.fi/uutiset/roosa-nauha-kampanjalle-tehty-dokumentti-antaa-rintasyovalle-kasvot-6289024 |title= Roosa nauha -kampanjalle tehty dokumentti antaa rintasyövälle kasvot |trans-title= Documentary made for the Pink Ribbon campaign |date= November 24, 2017 |publisher= Region Norrbotten |access-date= August 11, 2018 |language= fi}}

A Shout into the Wind was not only Gauriloff's debut film, it was her first film about the Skolt Sámi community. The film documents the struggles of a Skolt family near Sevettijärvi to preserve their traditions in today's world. At first, it was difficult to find funding for the film and it looked like it would not be produced at all.{{cite web |url= https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2017/02/14/saamelainen-elokuvaohjaaja-katja-gauriloff-berliinin-elokuvajuhlilla-olen|author=Sundqvist, Janne |title= Saamelainen elokuvaohjaaja Katja Gauriloff Berliinin elokuvajuhlilla: Olen ikuisesti ulkopuolinen |trans-title= Sámi film director Katja Gauriloff at the Berlin International Film Festival: I will always be an outsider |date= February 14, 2017 |publisher= Yle |language=fi |access-date= August 11, 2018}} The Finnish Film Foundation and the Promotion Centre For Audiovisual Culture AVEK originally declined requests to fund the movie, but National Geographic gave Gauriloff a seed grant from its All Roads Film Project.{{cite web |url= http://press.nationalgeographic.com/2007/09/28/all-roads-film-project-brings-together-new-voices-and-first-stories-in-fourth-annual-festival/|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121023114248/http://press.nationalgeographic.com/2007/09/28/all-roads-film-project-brings-together-new-voices-and-first-stories-in-fourth-annual-festival/|url-status= dead|archive-date= October 23, 2012|author= |title= National Geographic's All Roads Film Project Brings Together New Voices and First Stories in Fourth Annual Festival of Film, Photography, Live Music|date= September 28, 2007 |publisher= National Geographic |access-date= August 11, 2018}} The world premiere of A Shout into the Wind was screened at National Geographic's All Roads Film Festival in 2007.

Gauriloff's next documentary, Canned Dreams is a full-length film that follows the making of a can of ravioli through the entire chain of production, concentrating on the individuals contributing to its production.{{Cite web|url=http://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/215994/|title=Finnish dish for Culinary Cinema - a can of ravioli, by Gauriloff |author=Rossing Jensen, Jorn |publisher=Cineuropa |date=February 9, 2012 |access-date=August 11, 2018}} Unusual for this type of documentary, it was even shown in commercial movie theaters in Finland and Denmark. In addition, it was shown at the DocPoint Documentary Movie Festival in Helsinki, Finland and was selected to be shown in the Culinary Cinema programme at the 2012 Berlin International Film Festival.{{Cite news|author=Virtanen, Leena|title=Säilykkeen tarina on nyt purkissa|publisher=Helsingin Sanomat|date=January 24, 2011|page=C2|language= fi}}

Gauriloff's documentary about the friendship between her great-grandmother Kaisa Taisia Gauriloff, a Skolt Sámi storyteller, and the Swiss writer Robert Crottet premiered at the Midnight Sun Film Festival in Sodankylä, Finland in June 2016.{{Cite web|url=http://yle.fi/uutiset/elokuvantekija_katja_gauriloff_palaa_kolttasaamelaisille_juurilleen/7607776|title=Elokuvantekijä Katja Gauriloff palaa kolttasaamelaisille juurilleen|publisher=Yle Uutiset|author=Wesslin, Sara|author-link=Sara Wesslin|language=fi|date=November 7, 2014|access-date=November 7, 2014}}{{Cite web|url=http://yle.fi/uutiset/kuun_metsan_kaisa_oli_kolttasukunsa_vahva_nainen__katja_gauriloffin_elokuva_kertoo_ohjaajan_isoisoaidista/8968196|title=Kuun metsän Kaisa oli kolttasukunsa vahva nainen – Katja Gauriloffin elokuva kertoo ohjaajan isoisoäidistä|publisher=Yle Uutiset|author=Juntti, Maija-Liisa|language= fi|date=June 18, 2016|access-date=June 18, 2016}}

In 2017, it was announced that Gauriloff would be directing her first full-length fiction feature film, the film adaptation of Sofi Oksanen's Baby Jane.{{cite web |url=https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-9547669 |author=Pesonen, Mikko |title= Sofi Oksasen Baby Jane valkokankaalle |trans-title= Sofi Oksanen's Baby Jane to the screen |publisher= Yle |date= April 5, 2017 |language= fi |access-date= August 11, 2018}} The movie premiered on International Women's Day 2019.{{cite web |url= https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/sapmi/gauriloff_bagadan_baby_jane_filbmateahtariidda_8_beaivve__cajehuvvo_maid_ohcejogas_ja_avvilis/10668222|author=Torikka, Xia |title= Gauriloff bagadan Baby Jane filbmateahteriidda 8. beaivve – čájehuvvo maid Ohcejogas ja Avvilis |trans-title= Gauriloff's Baby Jane in movie theaters on the 8th – showings in Utsjoki and Ivalo too |date= March 1, 2019 |publisher= Yle Sápmi |language=se |access-date= March 5, 2019}}

Gauriloff and her movies have won numerous awards both at home in Finland and around the world.{{cite web |url=http://skabmagovat.fi/skabmagovat_2014/?page_id=10546 |title= Skábmagovat Prize to Katja Gauriloff |date= January 28, 2017 |publisher= Skábmagovat |access-date= August 11, 2018}}{{cite web |url=https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-9429730|author=Guttorm, Susanna |title= Skábmagovat-palkinto ohjaaja Katja Gauriloffille – viimeisin elokuva Jussi-ehdokkaana |trans-title= Katja Gauriloff wins Skábmagovat Prize – her latest movie up for a Jussi Award |date= January 28, 2017 |publisher= Yle |access-date= August 11, 2018 |language= fi}} 2016 saw Gauriloff win multiple awards, mainly for the movie Kaisa's Enchanted Forest, which was the first Sámi film ever to not only be nominated for a Jussi Award (Best Sound Design and Best Documentary), but to also win one, which it did for Best Documentary. In addition to winning a Jussi, Kaisa's Enchanted Forest was awarded a Golden Dove at Dok Leipzig in the International Competition for Animated Documentary.{{cite web |url=https://www.dok-leipzig.de/en/dok/dokarchiv/2016/festival-2016/awards-and-juries-2016/preistraeger |title= Award winners 2016 |publisher= Dok Leipzig |access-date= August 11, 2018}} To round out the year, Gauriloff was named the Skolt of the Year by the Skolt Sámi Language and Culture Association Saaʹmi Nueʹtt and the Skolt community council.{{Cite web|url=http://www.lapinkansa.fi/lappi/kuun-metsan-kaisa-elokuvantekija-katja-gauriloff-on-vuoden-koltta-2016/|title=Kuun metsän Kaisa -elokuvantekijä Katja Gauriloff on Vuoden koltta 2016|trans-title=Kaisa's Enchanted Forest's Filmmaker Katja Gauriloff is Skolt of the Year 2016|publisher=Lapin Kansa|date=October 31, 2016|language=fi|access-date=November 1, 2016|archive-date=November 1, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161101121108/http://www.lapinkansa.fi/lappi/kuun-metsan-kaisa-elokuvantekija-katja-gauriloff-on-vuoden-koltta-2016/|url-status=dead}} In 2017, Gauriloff received the Skábmagovat Prize, an indigenous film award to honor the significant, long-term contributions she has made to the Sámi culture and communities.{{Cite web |last=Guttorm |first=Susanna |last2=Saijets |first2=Maria |date=2017-01-28 |title=Skábma-bálkkašupmi Gauriloffii |url=https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/sapmi/skabma-balkkasupmi_gauriloffii/9429715 |access-date=2021-01-28 |website=Yle Sápmi |language=se}}{{Cite web |last=Gaup |first=Anne Gro |date=2017-01-30 |title=Oaččui filbmabálkkašumi mannan vahkkoloahpa |url=https://www.avvir.no/oaccui-filbmabalkkasumi-mannan-vahkkoloahpa/ |access-date=2021-01-28 |website=Ávvir |language=se}} The same year, Kaisa's Enchanted Forest continued to win awards, this time, the Grand Prix at the Northern Character movie festival in Murmansk.{{Cite web|url=http://www.amusa.fi/fin/foorumi/?nid=4579|title=Kuun metsän Kaisalle pääpalkinto Murmanskissa|author=|publisher=Amusa Kulttuuritori|language=fi|date=November 28, 2017|access-date=April 27, 2018|archive-date=April 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180428093732/http://amusa.fi/fin/foorumi/?nid=4579|url-status=dead}}

• The Last Day of His Life, 2003
• Pei'vv paast, 2004
• Baby Jane, 2019
• Jeʹvida, 2023

• Sincere intentions ({{langx|se|Buorit áigumusat}}), 2004
• A Shout into the Wind ({{langx|fi|Huuto tuuleen}}), 2007
• Canned Dreams ({{langx|fi|Säilöttyjä unelmia}}) 2011
• Voimanlähde, 2013
• Kaisa's Enchanted Forest ({{langx|sms|Mannu mieʹcc Kaiʹssi}}, {{langx|fi|Kuun metsän Kaisa}}), 2016

{{Reflist}}

• {{Twitter|id=katjagau|katjagau}}
• [http://areena.yle.fi/1-2437677 Taiteilijaelämää: Katja Gauriloff ja elokuvien tekemisen pakko] Yle Areena. 24.10.2014. (Radio program in Finnish)
• [http://www.film-o-holic.com/haastattelut/katja-gauriloff-sailottyja-unelmia/ Katja Gauriloff and Canned Dreams] Interview at Film-o-Holic.com.

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Category:Skolts

Category:Sámi film directors

Category:Finnish documentary filmmakers

Category:1972 births

Category:Living people

Category:Gauriloff family

Category:Sámi women