Aito Media sets sights on international drama

Aito Media, a production company known for successful factual and reality series, is expanding its range to drama series production, with the aim of catering for the Finnish audience in a versatile way and creating series for export. Aito Media will strengthen its team with some cutting-edge talent as scriptwriter and dramaturge Harri Viitanen and producer Maria Kangas join the company.

Aito Media, counted among the largest tv-production companies in Finland, extends into drama production. The company’s aim is to make drama on an international scale for the purpose of export. The factual programs of the company have been seen in 40 countries and now it is time for fiction.

- We want to make Finnish series and films for Finnish people. Additionally, our aim is to make tv-series and films for the international market within the next two years, says Ilkka Hynninen, the CEO of Aito Media.

Dramaturge and scriptwriter Harri Virtanen has been appointed Senior Advisor of Drama. He has substantial management experience in the media industry.

- Aito Media is a rapidly growing production company of the next generation, a company which sees drama in a way that is innovative in principle. Aito Media already has an exceptionally great readiness to succeed overseas with its international ownership base and the connections that come with it.

Virtanen has worked as Professor of Dramaturgy at the Theatre Academy, Sript Manager at Nelonen, Commissioning Editor at YLE TV1 and as Publisher of fiction at WSOY. He has participated, either as a scriptwriter or as part of the buying end, in creating blockbusting Finnish drama series such as Kylmäverisesti sinun, Mustat lesket and Kumman Kaa. Virtanen has also trained to become a psychoanalyst at the Jung Institute of Copenhagen.

Producer Maria Kangas will be in charge of drama production. She has worked as a producer for the hospital series Syke, among others.

The best known series produced by Aito Media are The Redneck Auction, The Night Patrol, Ville Haapasalo’s 30-days series, Letter to My Baby and All-Star Lifeguards. Aito Media’s programs have been seen in 40 countries both as formats and as ready series. Counted among the largest production companies in Finland, Aito Media Group has consistently increased its revenue since the year of its foundation and now has a revenue of 11 million euros for the current accounting period.