Clout Chasers – like, follow and love me!

Cannes Docs

Clout Chasers – like, follow and love me!

Original title: Clout Chasers

Directed by: Anna-Maija Heinonen & Krista Moisio

Produced by: Oskar Forstén ( Polygraf, Finland)

Country of production: Finland

Runtime: 80',58'

Expected release: January, 2024

Production stage: Production

Budget: € 414,000 (76% in place)

1st feature: Yes

Looking for: Buyers, Co-producers, distributors and strategic guidance in the international market place

Synopsis:

Twenty-year-old Atte has gotten the attention of forty thousand online followers by branding himself as a funny and laid-back “party guy”, who discusses topics on drug abuse with his followers. One morning he wakes up in a pre-trial detention center and starts to question his need to be admired and the cost of online stardom. At the same time, eighteen-year-old Jonsu starts cutting Atte out of her life.

Director’s profile:

Anna-Maija Heinonen (born in 1993) is a Helsinki-based filmmaker. Since graduating from film school in 2016, she has been exploring topics regarding youth, taboos and underground phenomenons. She’s interested in stories that portray the ambivalence of human experience in modern times. In her first upcoming feature documentary, Clout Chasers, she and co-director Krista Moisio explore the use of social media and self-branding as a tool for self-discovery and approval in Gen Z. Upon discovering the film’s topic and protagonist, she knew instantly that this is the project she wants to devote her time, passion and heart to. In her spare time she is developing her screenwriting and editing skills.

Co-Director’s profile:

Krista Moisio (born in 1992) has a sharp eye and a beating heart for subcultures and phenomenons trending among teens. She has a deep-rooted need for understanding different kinds of people, and loves to develop her understanding by spending a lot of time on online forums and social media. This spare time hobby paid off when she discovered the clout phenomenon on Jodel (Finland’s most popular communication platform) in 2020. In her first feature documentary she wants to help people understand what Gen Z is all about. Finnish teens have felt neglected in the public eye, it seems like nobody truly understands their needs. The film Clout Chasers tells their story. Clout chasing isn’t just about fame or impact on social media, it’s a modern way to be accepted by others.

Producers’s profile:

Oskar Forstén was born in Helsinki in February 1981. He studied all aspects of filmmaking in a wide range of schools between the years 1998 and 2009 in Finland, Sweden and the UK. He founded the production company ”4KRS Films  » together with Arthur Franck back in 2007 for the love of creative documentaries. During the past 10+ years the name of the company has changed regularly (now Polygraf), but the objective is still the same: to produce engaging documentary content. As a producer Oskar focuses on non-fiction projects with a strong visual and narrative approach. He’s looking for stories with a universal appeal and his films have been competing and screened at festivals around the world. Oskar lives in Helsinki with his small family of three. When not working, he spends his time in the Finnish archipelago and Scandinavian mountains.