Tampere, Finland – August 19, 2025 The International Emmy® Awards Semi-Final Judging for the Sports Documentary category was held in Tampere on August 19th, 2025. The session, hosted by the Finnish TV and film sales and financing distributor company Norse Key Studios in collaboration with Film Tampere, the Tampere Film Commission supporting the growth and internationalization of the region’s audiovisual and gaming industries, brought together an international panel of distinguished television and streaming professionals. This internationally recognized event underscored Tampere’s growing role as Finland’s center for creative industries and the city’s strong connection to sports. The judging sessions brought together a distinguished panel of experts from top global media companies, including Alien Films, Al Jazeera, Entertainment Sky Deutschland, Nippon Television Japan, Norse Key Studios, Mediapro Group, Sputnik Media, Viaplay Finland, VRT, Wag entertainment, Warner Brothers Finland and ZDF (listed alphabetically). Jurors evaluated entries in the Sports Documentary category. Regarded as one of the most prestigious international television awards, the International Emmy® Awards honors the best programming produced outside of the United States. The Semi-Final Judging is a key stage in the International Emmy® Awards competition, where jurors review and score shortlisted entries from around the world across various categories. Final nominees will be announced in September, ahead of the International Emmy® Awards ceremony on November 24 in New York. As official hosts of the Tampere session, Maria Kivinen, Director of Sales at Norse Key Studios, and Fanny Heinonen, Program Director of Film Tampere, welcomed the international jury and guests. Only members of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences are eligible to host semi-final events. Derek Nguyen, the Director of Emmy Judging at the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, & organisation, recognized Tampere’s contribution as a new host city: “It has been amazing to be here in Tampere. This is the first time the International Emmy Awards has done a semi-final judging here, and it has been such a pleasure. It is perfect for Tampere to be hosting the sports documentary, because I know it is a City of Sports.” Maria Kivinen highlighted the significance of the collaboration: “It’s a great honor for me to collaborate with Tampere in bringing the International Emmy semi-finals in Sports Documentary Category to Tampere and hope this will result in many future Emmy winning productions to be filmed here.” Fanny Heinonen, the Director of Film Tampere, underlined the importance of the event in strengthening Tampere’s position in the international audiovisual field: “We are very delighted for this. Bringing this delegation to Tampere strengthens our position in the increasingly competitive industry and enables direct connections for new business opportunities. Also, I was positively surprised at how well the jury recognized Finland specifically as an innovator in technology and as the home of Sauna. I hope we meet these wonderful people in the future!” In conjunction with the Semi-Final Judging, Norse Key Studios and Film Tampere hosted a special evening reception on August 18 for invited guests from Finland’s creative industries, business community, and international jurors. The reception provided an opportunity for networking and exchange between local audiovisual professionals and global media executives. Among the attendees were representatives from the City of Tampere, Business Tampere, and Visit Tampere, as well as distinguished members of the jury panel. Supporting the experience economy in Tampere is systematic work and part of the city’s strategy. Juros praised Tampere and Finland as a hosts of the event. “I have been to Finland few times, but I’ve never been to Tampere before. What I’ve heard is that this is an amazing center of culture and sports.” said Janice Strangward, the Vice President of Sales & Acquisitions form Wag entertainment, UK. “I’ve been in Finland a couple of times before, last time for the Eurovision Song Contest. For me, Tampere stands out with its strong identity as a city of culture and sports” added Rafael Herrera Fernandez, the Programming Director of TenTV, Mediapro Group, Spain. Storytelling and Emotion at the Heart of Outstanding Sports Documentaries The judges also shared their views on what makes an outstanding sports documentary. “For me it is always about the storytelling. I like the originality of the premise and also getting that glimpse into the world we probably don’t know too much about,” noted Janice Strangward. “As a film producer, I’m looking for strong stories. Especially in the sports category, I want to find great documentaries to present to global audiences,” said Moustafa Fares Radwan, a Producer of Al Jazeera, Qatar. “A sports documentary has to be touching – trying to understand the human stories behind the players and behind the sports,” Rafael Herrera Fernandez emphasized. Following the judging sessions, the international jury was treated to a uniquely Finnish cultural experience with a visit to a traditional sauna, as the city of Tampere is also known for being “the Sauna Capital of the World.” The visit offered jurors a chance to relax after the intensive evaluation process, while also experiencing one of Finland’s most iconic traditions. The Semi-Final Round is often hosted by leading organizations that represent their country on the global stage. By organizing this year’s event, Norse Key Studios and Film Tampere underscored both their commitment to strengthening Finland’s audiovisual presence internationally and Tampere’s position as a hub for creative industries. The event was made possible in collaboration with the City of Tampere, Business Tampere, Visit Tampere, Valofirma, ICS Nordic, and Courtyard by Marriott, whose contribution was instrumental in ensuring the success of the Tampere session. The International Jury of the Semi-final Judging, Sport Documentary category: Christian Asanger, Vice President of Entertainment Sky Deutschland, (Germany) Eileen Tasca, CEO of the Alien Films (Italy) Janice Strangward, Vice President Sales & Acquisitions, Wag entertainment (UK) Jussi Ranta, Head of Sports at Viaplay Finland (Finand) Kris Gaens, the Founder of Sputnik Media (Belgium) Maria Kivinen, Director of Sales, Acquisitions & Co-productions of Norse Key Studios (Finland) Marko Karvo, Director of Sports, Warner Brothers Finland, (Finland) Moustafa Fares Radwan, Producer, Al Jazeera (Qatar) Nico Brodda, International Format Development, ZDF, Germany Rafael Herrera Fernandez, Programming Director of TenTV, Mediapro Group (Spain) Tom Bleyaert, Head of Factual at VRT (Belgium) Yukiko Kimishima, the President of Nippon Television (Japan) Contacts for more information: Maria KivinenDirector of Sales, Acquisitions & Co-productionsNorse Key Studios Ltd.+358 (0) 442404214maria.kivinen@norsekeydistribution.fi Fanny Heinonen Program Director, Film Tampere Business Tampere Oy +358 (0) 40 6655 051 fanny.heinonen@businesstampere.com Fanny Heinonen Program Director, Film Tampere +358 40 6655 051 fanny.heinonen@businesstampere.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/fannyheinonen+358 40 6655 051