Juho Kuosmanen (born September 30, 1979) is a Finnish filmmaker.Torino Film Lab Most known for his films The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki (2016) and Compartment No. 6 (2021).
Early life He graduated from Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture in 2014.Aalto University Kuosmanen's graduation film called The Painting Sellers was nominated for five Finnish film Academy Awards.IMDB: The Painting Sellers (set design, screenplay, best actress, best director, best film). The Painting Sellers won the first prize in Cinéfondation in the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.Cannes Film Festival: The Painting Sellers
Kuosmanen acted in Leea Klemola's arctic trilogy, performing in "Kokkola" and "New Karleby", both staged at Tampere Theatre in Tampere, Finland. He has also directed operaKokkola Opera homepage with conductors Sakari Oramo and Santtu-Matias Rouvali.
Career His debut feature The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki (2016) had its world premiere at the Un Certain Regard section of the 69th Cannes Film Festival, where it won the section's top prize. The project had been developed through the TorinoFilmLab Script&Pitch programme in 2014. The movie also won the Grand Prix of the Saint-Jean-de-Luz International Film Festival. It was selected as the Finnish entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards, but it was not nominated.
His second feature film Compartment No. 6 (2021), had its world premiere at the main competition of the 74th Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Grand Prix (the festival's second prize) alongside Asghar Farhadi's A Hero. It was selected as the Finnish submission for the Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards, it was one of the 15 shortlisted films in the category but was not nominated.
His upcoming series Yours, Margot won development prize at 2023 Series Mania Seriesmakers section.
Since 2025, Kuosmanen is also a part-time cinema professor at Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture.
Upcoming projects His third feature film A Real Dreamer (En Ægte Drømmer), and his Danish language debut was announced in June 2026. Starring Magnus Millang, Paprika Steen, Ellen Kihri, and Ragnhild Kaasgaard, shooting took place during the summer, with an expected 2027 release date in Denmark.
Filmography
Feature films YearEnglish TitleOriginal TitleNotes2016The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli MäkiHymyilevä mies2021Compartment No. 6Hytti nro 6TBAA Real DreamerEn Ægte DrømmerPost-production
Television Alice & Jack (TV series, 2024) Yours, Margot (TV series, in production) References
External links