Inspector Palmu’s mistake and other Finnish film posters

The Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) celebrates its 100th anniversary in autumn 2026. To mark the centenary, YLE invited Finns to share the films that have been most meaningful to them, spanning the history of Finnish cinema from the 1920s to the present day.

The initiative received more than 5,000 responses. Based on the results, one hundred Finnish films will be screened throughout the year in what will be the most extensive audience-selected programming series in YLE’s history.

Malva’s exhibition presents a selection of original posters from films chosen as the nation’s favourites. The posters reveal how the visual language of cinema has been shaped by audience expectations, production company policies, and changing trends in graphic design.

The exhibition explores the stylistic evolution of film poster art, the influence of designers’ creative choices, and the relationship between posters and the technological and cultural developments of their time. In some cases, a film poster can leave a more lasting impression than the film itself, shaping how audiences remember and interpret the work.

The exhibition features works from Malva’s poster collection and the poster archive of the National Audiovisual Institute (KAVI). It has been produced in collaboration with KAVI and the Finnish Broadcasting Company.