Pia Tikka, Filmmaker, PhD in film
FIN +358 50 3477432
EE +3725224013
E-mail: pia.tikka@oblomovies.com
http://www.oblomovies.com
Short biography
Graduating from the Helsinki Film School as a cinematographer, she spent the 1990s working on international productions with director Mika Kaurismäki and prominent DoPs like Ken Kelsch and Fred Elmes. She directed the feature films The Daughters of Yemanjá (1996) and Sand Bride (1998). In 2000, Tikka pivoted to interactive storytelling. She created “Obsession” (2005), a biosensor-driven Enactive Cinema project that won the Möbius Prix Nordic prize. She also co-created the mobile film-game “The Third Woman,” exhibited globally from New York to Xian. She also directed documentaries and music videos. Her recent work includes the cinematic virtual reality installation “The State of Darkness” (2018, 2022). Tikka is a member of the European Film Academy and serves as the CEO of her production company, Oblomovies Oy. She has two international feature co-productions currently in development.
Artistic Portfolio – producer/director/creative crew
Feature films as director (2); Medium-lenght feature (1); Feature films – in development (2); Interactive film projects (3) Documentaries (3) Shortfilms (6); Virtual 360 Cinema (3); Feature films – creative crew member (12)
Most important film work (4)
1. Sand Bride, Dir. Pia Tikka, feature film, prod. Oblomovies Oy with Marianna Films Oy [FIN] 1998 [See excerpt]
2. Daughters of Yemanjá, Dir., DoP, and co-cinematographer Pia Tikka, prod. Oblomovies Oy with Marianna Films Oy [Brazil-Finland] 1996 [See excerpt]
3. Tigrero, Dir. Mika Kaurismäki, DoP Jacques Cheuiche; 2nd Unit Camera operator, Camera assistant Pia Tikka; Marianna Films and Mira Set Filmes [BR] 1993
4. Last Border, Dir. Mika Kaurismäki, DoP Timo Salminen; Co-screenwriter, Script supervisor, Still photographer Pia Tikka; Last Border [FIN] 1992
Most important work in interactive / enactive cinema (4)
1. State of Darkness, producer-director Pia Tikka; Enactive cinematic virtual reality installations SOD 1.0 and SOS 2.0 (6 mins) in association with Baltic Film Media, and Arts School, Tallinn University & Estonian Research Council (MOBTT90)©OBLOMOVIES
2. Maiden of Dusk Dir. Pia Tikka, Enactive Cinema version in development (draft WGAW); innovations in the enactive character-design with the VFX designer Peter Hjorth [DK]; prod. Oblomovies Oy [FIN], in development
3. The Third Woman Dir. Pia Tikka & Martin Rieser, DoP Pia Tikka, Experimental mobile phone film and public game, 2010. Oblomovies Oy in association with Montfort University [FIN-UK]
4. Obsession (enactive 4-wall cinema installation), Dir. Pia Tikka, Installation premiered in Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma 2005; Prod. Oblomovies Oy in association with University of Art and Design; [FIN] [See excerpt]
A. Filmography
Feature films – film director, in development (3)
ARCHEOLOGY OF SHAME Dir. Pia Tikka, feature in development (draft entitled Maiden of Dusk, WGAW). Idea, Producer, Director Pia Tikka, Screenplay Pia Tikka & Eeva R. Tikka & Richard James Allen, Development funding Finnish Film Foundation. All rights ©OBLOMOVIES 2026
NUTCRACKER – THE STORY OF CLARA AND NICHOLAS Dir. Pia Tikka, Co-dir. Eeva R Tikka, Feature film, coming-of-age ballet drama in development (draft WGAW). Producer, Director Pia Tikka, Screenplay Eeva R. Tikka, Screenplay funded by Finnish Film Foundation; all rights ©OBLOMOVIES 2026
THE REAL PRINCESS Dir. Pia Tikka, Feature film, action-thriller in development (draft WGAW). Screenplay ©Eeva Tikka, Development funding Finnish Film Foundation/Kaisu Isto.
Feature films – film director, completed (2)
SAND BRIDE (Fiction, film S16mm, Finland 75’) Dir. Pia Tikka, Producer Mika Kaurismäki, Director, Co-screenwriter, Editor Pia Tikka, Co-screenwriter Eeva Tikka, Cinematographer Olli Varja ©OBLOMOVIES in association with MARIANNA FILMS [FIN] 1997
DAUGHTERS OF YEMANJÁ (Fiction, film S16mm, Brazil-Finland 78’) Dir. Pia Tikka, Producer Mika Kaurismäki, Director, co-screenwriter, co-cinematography Pia Tikka, Co-screenwriter Eeva Tikka, Co-cinematographer Jacques Cheuiche ©OBLOMOVIES 1995 in association with MIRASET FILMS
Feature films – creative team member (12)
HONEY BABY (Finland-Germany-Latvia-Russia 105’) Dir. Mika Kaurismäki, DoP Timo Salminen, film 35mm, Production assistant in Finland Pia Tikka, STAMINA MEDIA [D] & MARIANNA FILMS OY [FIN] © 2004
MORO NO BRASIL (Finland-France-Brazil) Dir. Mika Kaurismäki, DoP Jacques Cheuiche, S16mm, Camera operator in Finland, Video camera operator in Brazil Pia Tikka ©MAGNATEL [UK], ARTE [FR], YLE [FIN] & MARIANNA FILMS @ 2002
HIGHWAY SOCIETY (Germany-Finland) Dir. Mika Kaurismäki, DoP Timo Salminen, film 35mm, Still photographer, 2nd Camera operator Pia Tikka @ MARIANNA FILMS and MARIETTE RISSENBEEK PRODUCTIONS [GER] 1999
LA WITHOUT A MAP (British-Finnish-French) Dir. Mika Kaurismäki, DoP Michel Amathieu, film 35mm, 3rd Camera assistant, Still photographer Pia Tikka © MARIANNA FILMS, DAN FILMS [UK] with EURO-AMERICAN FILMS [FR] 1998
SAMBOLICO (Episode of a feature film) (Brazil) Dir. Mika Kaurismäki, DoP Jacques Cheuiche, s16mm, Director’s assistant, 2nd Camera operator, Camera assistant, Still photographer Pia Tikka © MARIANNA FILMS and REGINA ZIEGLER PRODUCTIONS [GER] 1995
DANISH GIRLS (Episode of a feature film) (Brazil) Dir. Mika Kaurismäki, DoP Jacques Cheuice, S16mm, 2nd Camera operator, Director’s assistant, Still photographer Pia Tikka © MARIANNA and HOLLAND HOUSE [DK] 1995
CONDITION RED (United States) Dir. Mika Kaurismäki, DoP Ken Kelsch, film 35mm, Script supervisor, Director’s assistant, Making-off video director & camera Pia Tikka © MARIANNA FILMS and OAK ISLAND FILMS [US] 1994
TIGRERO (Brazil-Finland) Dir. Mika Kaurismäki, DoP Jacques Cheuiche, S16mm, 2nd Unit Camera operator, Camera assistant, graphic designer Pia Tikka © MARIANNA FILMS and MIRA SET FILMES [BR] 1993
LAST BORDER (Finland-Norway) Dir. Mika Kaurismäki, DoP Timo Salminen, film 35mm, Co-screenwriter, Script supervisor, Still photographer Pia Tikka © LAST BORDER [FIN] 1992
NIGHT ON EARTH (Episode in Finland) Dir. Jim Jarmusch, DoP Fred Elmes, film 35mm, 2nd Camera assistant Pia Tikka © LOCUS SOLUS [US] 1991
ZOMBIE AND THE GHOSTTRAIN (Finland-Turkey) Dir. Mika Kaurismäki, DoP Olli Varja, film 35mm, Camera assistant, Still photographer Pia Tikka, © MARIANNA FILMS 1991
AMAZON (Brazil-Finland) Dir. Mika Kaurismäki, DoP Timo Salminen, film 35mm, 2nd Camera assistant in Finland Pia Tikka © VILLEALFA [FIN] 1990
Interactive film projects (3)
THE MAIDEN OF DUSK Dir. Pia Tikka, Enactive Cinema version in development (draft WGAW) (working title), Idea, Producer, Director Pia Tikka, Screenplay Pia Tikka & Eeva Tikka, Development funding Finnish Film Foundation ©OBLOMOVIES 2011
THE THIRD WOMAN Dir. Pia Tikka & Martin Rieser, DoP Pia Tikka, Experimental mobile phone film and public game, eMobiLArt project 2008-2009, Co-producer, co-director, co-scriptwriter, cinematographer Pia Tikka, System architect Rasmus Vuori ©OBLOMOVIES in association with IOCT/De Montfort University [UK] 2009
ENACTIVE CINEMA OBSESSION (Non-stop) Dir. Pia Tikka, Installation premiered in Museum of Contemporary Art KIASMA, Helsinki, Producer, Director, Screenwirter, Cinematographer Pia Tikka, System architect Rasmus Vuori ©OBLOMOVIES in association with University of Art and Design, Helsinki 2005
Documentaries (3)
MAKING-OFF CONDITION RED (25’) Dir. Pia Tikka, Producer Mika Kaurismäki, Director-Cinematographer, Editor Pia Tikka © MARIANNA FILMS 1995
LILIUS – fury and exhaustion (Documentary 45’) Dir. Nina Stenros & Pia Tikka, Producers Nina Stenros & Pia Tikka, Co-director, Cinematographer, Editor Pia Tikka © OBLOMOVIES 1992
TRAIKKIBAIKKI (Documentary 22’) Dir. Nina Stenros, Producers Nina Stenros & Pia Tikka, Cinematographer, Editor Pia Tikka © OBLOMOVIES 1991
Shortfilms (7)
THE SQUEEZE (medium length 38 min). Writer-director-producer Pia Tikka; Oblomovies Oy in association with Baltic Film Media, and Arts School, Tallinn University & Estonian Research Council (PRG2109), Estonia, 2025.
KUNINGATAR [The Queen] (short film 25 min), Dir. Pia Tikka, Production in collaboration with producer Harri Haanpää, Screenplay Eeva Tikka. Production Aalto University in association with Dreammill Oy, Helsinki, 2012.
OBSESSION (Short film, S16mm, 30’) Dir. Pia Tikka, Producer, Director, Sccreenplay, Co-cinematographer Pia Tikka, Co-cinematographer Harri Räty ©OBLOMOVIES in association with University of Art and Design, Helsinki 2004
DANCERS ON BOULEVARD (Fiction 25’) Dir. Pia Tikka, Producer, Director-Cinematographer, Editor Pia Tikka, Screenplay Eeva Tikka © OBLOMOVIES 1993
KIRJAILIJA KIRJOITTAA (Fiction 60’) Dir. Kari Väänänen, Cinematographer Pia Tikka © University of Art and Design, Helsinki in association with YLE 1993
LIISANKADUN HELMERI (Fiction, film S16mm, 7’) Dir. Nina Stenros, Producers Nina Stenros & Pia Tikka, Screenplay Nina Stenros, Cinematographer, Editor Pia Tikka © OBLOMOVIES 1990
SURUSAATTO (Fiction, film S16mm 8’) Dir. Pia Tikka, Director-Cinematographer, Screenplay, Editor Pia Tikka © OBLOMOVIES 1990 in association with University of Art and Design, Helsinki
Music videos (2)
PERKO & HURMIO ORCHESTRA (Music video) Dir. Pia Tikka, DoP Ulf Sundval, Producer Mika Kaurismäki, Director, Scriptwriter, Editor Pia Tikka © MARIANNA FILMS in association with ESEK 2001
COLD FEELING (Music video, film S16mm, 5’) Dir. Pia Tikka, Producer Mika Kaurismäki, Director-Cinematographer, Editor Pia Tikka © MARIANNA FILMS in ass with ESEK 1991
B. Other artistic work and concept development
1. Enactive Cinema concept
Enactive cinema installation Obsession stands as a proof of concept described in Tikka, P. 2008. Enactive Cinema: Simulatorium Eisensteinense. PhD dissertation. Helsinki: University of Art and Design Publication Series.
Enactive films
ENACTIVE CINEMA OBSESSION (Non-stop) Dir. Pia Tikka, Installation premiered in Museum of Contemporary Art KIASMA, Helsinki, Producer, Director, Screenwirter, Cinematographer Pia Tikka, System architect Rasmus Vuori ©OBLOMOVIES in association with University of Art and Design, Helsinki 2005
Enactive exhibitions
· Enactive Dialectics, by Dumitriu A, Holder J & Tikka P. e-MobiLArt Project Exhibition, an interactive media art project funded with support from the CULTURE 2007 Programme of the European Union, in the Gallery of the Academy of Fine Arts, Katowice, Poland, Oct – Nov 2009.
· Obsession – Enactive Cinema Installation in the South Carelia Art Museum, Lappeenranta, Finland (April 15 – May 31, 2009); Obsession – Enactive Cinema Installation. In the Ars Nova Museum, Digitally Yours -show, Turku, Finland, curator Andy Best (April 1 – May 13, 2007)
· Obsession – Enactive Cinema Installation. In ISEA2006, the Thirteenth International Symposium on Electronic Arts held in San Jose, California, in conjunction with the inaugural biennial ZeroOne San Jose: A Global Festival of Art on the Edge (Aug 7 – 13, 2006)
· Obsession – Enactive Cinema Installation. Museum of Contemporary Art KIASMA Helsinki (June 9 – Aug 22, 2005); Obsession – Enactive Cinema Installation. International Film Festival Espoo Ciné Espoo Cultural Centre, Finland, (Aug 23 – 28, 2005)
Enactive Avatar for feature films
Currently I’m developing an enactive avatar, a computer-generated film character that is photographically identical to the live actress (Maria Järvenhelmi).
The work is conducted together with the Danish VFX supervisor Peter Hjort (e.g. Melancholia, Lars von Trier). The en active avatar is responsive for the viewer’s real time psychophysiological reactions as well as to the filmic surroundings generated on the fly. The avatar will be applied to the enactive version of feature film Maiden of Dusk (in development).
Enactive technology development
The practical editing tool for creating interactive fiction film montage on the fly based on the viewer’s psycho-physiological responses was developed in the enactive cinema installation Obsession – the media editor by Tikka, Vuori, and Kaipainen 2003.
2. Film work for neuroscientific research purposes
The film Queen was designed and produced for neuroscientific purposes. In collaboration with the neuroscientists at Aalto University, particular type of social behavior was embedded into the story, in order to observe different neural responses in the target groups of autists, psychopaths, and control subjects. The film will be shown in public only after the scientific experiment has been concluded (estimation 2017). The behavioral research is conducted in association with Finnish broadcasting company, webpage (Finnish language) yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2013/12/04/osallistu-aivotutkimukseen-katso-kuningatar-elokuva
THE QUEEN (short film 25 min), Dir. Pia Tikka, Director, Produced together with Harri Haanpää, Screenplay Eeva Tikka. Production Aalto University in association with Dreammill Oy, Helsinki, 2012
3. Other interactive concepts
The Third Woman – mobile film-game
· The Third Woman –mobile film-game event, dir. Nina Yankowitzin collaboration with Pia Tikka, Martin Rieser, & eMobiLArt team, Galapagos Art Space event, Brooklyn, NY (May 9, 2011).
· The Third Woman –mobile film-game, dir. Pia Tikka & Martin Rieser, eMobiLArt team, Digital Arts Weeks China, Xian Academy of Fine Arts (http://www.thirdwoman.com/) (June 27 – July 10, 2010)
· The Third Woman –mobile film-game, dir. Pia Tikka & Martin Rieser, eMobiLArt team, Bath, Carpenter House, Bath UK, (http://www.thirdwoman.com/), Special showing to commemorate the end of Bath University’s Cityware Research project (July 4, 2009)
· The Third Woman –mobile film-game, e-MobiLArt Project Exhibition, an interactive media art project funded with support from the CULTURE 2007 Programme of the European Union, in the 2nd Biennale of the State Museum of Contemporary Art, Thessaloniki, Greece (May 20 – June 10, 2009) http://www.thirdwoman.com
Olgatar – a Physical Avatar
· The Physical Avatar OLGATAR – Remote Presence for disabled Elder by workgroup Maria Croné, Jon Grönlund, Jennifer Sjöberg, Pia Tikka, Pär-Ola Zander, at Designing expression in interactive spaces NIRES 6, Stockholm (Aug 26 – 31, 2002)
C. Other creative activities
· Interviewing cinematographers at Camerimage 2002, the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography Lodz, Poland (Nov 30 – Dec 7, 2002).
· Invited film director in a range of International Film Festivals with the long feature films ”DAUGHTERS OF YEMÁNJA” (1995) and ”SAND BRIDE” (1998)
· Midnight Sun Film Festival, Sodankylä hosting the international guests with the founder of the festival Mika Kaurismäki (1990 – 2002) http://www.msfilmfestival.fi/
Professional film training
· The feature film script The Maid of Dusk w/ Eeva Tikka, developed through Sources2, an initiative of the MEDIA II program of the European Union, 1999.
· The feature film script The Maiden of Dusk selected to EAVE European producer workshop with Danish film producer Stine Meldgaard, 2013.
Advertising work
· Art Director with a wide range of advertising designs (1980 – 1989)
Other design projects
· Design of new jugend-style front doors and supervising the artwork for Heimo As. Oy Laivanvarustajankatu 3, 000140 Helsinki. The building is constructed 1913
Fine arts painting
· Orlando paintings in ”Vieraanvaraisuuksia”–exhibition, Image & Word -group supported by the Arts Council of Pirkanmaa & the Arts Council of Finland, Voipaala Art Centre, Finland (Sep 16 – Nov16, 2003)
· Private Art Exhibition in Oblomovies Studio Helsinki, Finland (1988)
· Group Art Exhibition in the Museum of Hyvinkää, Finland (1987)
· Group Art Exhibition in the Art Society of Lappeenranta, Finland (1980)
Owner of film production companies
· Partner /owner (50%) in the production company Oblomovies Oy (since 1990) with Nina Stenros.
· Partner/owner in the production company Marianna Films Oy (1990–2004)