▁five - day ▁film ▁festival ▁in ▁S od ank yl ä , ▁Finland . ▁The ▁festival ▁usually ▁takes ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁second ▁week ▁of ▁June , ▁but ▁from ▁June ▁ 1 4 ▁to ▁ 1 8 ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 7 . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁main ▁characteristics ▁of ▁the ▁festival ▁is ▁to ▁show ▁films ▁without ▁a ▁break ▁around ▁the ▁clock ▁while ▁the ▁sun ▁sh ines ▁around ▁the ▁clock . ▁ ▁The ▁Mid night ▁Sun ▁Film ▁Festival ▁is ▁non - comp et itive . ▁The ▁program ▁consists ▁mostly ▁of ▁films ▁directed ▁by ▁the ▁main ▁guests , ▁ 2 0 – 3 0 ▁modern ▁mov ies ▁from ▁all ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁world , ▁contemporary ▁Finn ish ▁films ▁and ▁cinema ▁class ics , ▁some ▁of ▁which ▁are ▁usually ▁presented ▁as ▁" master ▁classes " ▁by ▁various ▁film ▁theory ▁exper ts . ▁Typ ically , ▁the ▁festival ▁introdu ces ▁ 4 – 5 ▁young ▁direct ors ▁who ▁are ▁also ▁guests ▁of ▁the ▁festival . ▁In ▁recent ▁years , ▁attend ance ▁has ▁been ▁between ▁ 1 5 , 0 0 0 ▁and ▁ 2 5 , 0 0 0 . ▁ ▁The ▁festival ▁was ▁first ▁arranged ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁international ▁director ▁guests ▁were ▁Samuel ▁Full er , ▁Jonathan ▁Dem me , ▁Ber tr and ▁Ta vern ier ▁and ▁Jean - Pierre ▁Gor in . ▁Later ▁on ▁it ▁hosted ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁biggest ▁names ▁in ▁cinema , ▁such ▁as ▁Jim ▁J arm usch , ▁Kr z ysz to f ▁K ie ś