Finnish director Ilja Rautsi's debut feature 'Red Snow', a horror-comedy where Santa is a vampire, has been picked up by Selecta Vision in Spain. The deal was secured by Charades during Cannes' Next from the Nordics showcase.
Concept and Inspiration
Rautsi shared his inspiration with Variety, saying, “I was thinking about Christmas and the pain of it all, this forced togetherness, and then suddenly I went: ‘What if Santa was a vampire?’ It just clicked. You invite him in, just like a vampire, and then he can eat your entire family.”
Rautsi's Directorial Debut
'Red Snow' marks Rautsi's directorial debut, following his acclaimed shorts 'Helsinki Mansplaining Massacre' and 'Night of the Living Dicks'. As a screenwriter, he is known for 'Hatching', a Sundance hit, and 'Nightborn', featuring Rupert Grint, which premiered at the Berlinale.
Cast and Characters
The film stars Hannu-Pekka Björkman, Anni Iikkanen, Tommi Korpela, Krista Kosonen, and Kari Hietalahti. Björkman, who starred in the 2007 film 'Christmas Story', returns as a serial-killing vampire Santa. “That [2007] film was about a lonely boy who grew up to become Santa. Now, he’s a serial-killing vampire Santa,” Rautsi noted, suggesting a double feature with ‘Christmas Story’ could be interesting.
Production Details and Approach
The film, set to premiere later this year, features a teenage goth girl who confronts the vampire Santa. Rautsi emphasized practical effects, using prosthetics over CGI. “I like the physicality of it all,” he explained, describing the film as “more like a funhouse, carnival type of scariness.”
Produced by Misha Jaari and Mark Lwoff for Bufo, known for Aki Kaurismäki’s 'Fallen Leaves', and co-produced by Ivo Felt for Allfilm (Estonia) and Peter Krupenin for Hobab (Sweden), 'Red Snow' combines arthouse and genre elements.
Rautsi hopes 'Red Snow' might become a Christmas classic. “It would be the best outcome imaginable if it became something that people watch every Christmas,” he stated.
Source: https://variety.com/2026/film/global/vampire-santa-red-snow-ilja-rautsi-spain-charades-1236750158/
