The Finnish Movie Awards of 2018 was a night of big celebration for Rabbit Films. The company was awarded the Hulda, an annual recognition awarded for a significant international breakthrough in the audiovisual sector. The jury was particularly impressed by the work of Rabbit Films in the US as a growth story like no other, which works as an inspirational door opener for others in the industry.

In recent years, Rabbit Films has focused heavily in domestic product development and international format sales, while simultaneously building a strategy with determination to reach the US market. The adventure reality show Ultimate Expedition on YouTube Red is the first ever series produced by a Finnish production company to the US market. The show has already attracted 7 million viewers and is also financially the largest non-fiction commission of YouTube so far. The series is based on the Rabbit original format, which first aired on MTV3 Finland in 2016.

“We started with Finnish madness a few years ago to build the Rabbit Films US office in order to spread our Positive Anarchy around the world. With the joint spirit of the great team and the whole company, hard work has begun to produce results,“ says the head of Rabbit Films US operations and The Dudesons member Jukka Hildén . “Ultimate Expedition was an incredible experience both as a production and on a personal level”

> Check out the trailer for the U.S. version of Ultimate Expedition

Rabbit Films has sold its original tv-series format Haggle Battle to Germany. A German version of Haggle Battle will be produced by Bavaria Entertainment.

Haggle Battle is a ”bargain battle meets comedy panel” studio entertainment show, where three passionate celebrity hagglers are prepared to buy anything if they can get the best bargain for it. Anyone can try to sell anything ranging from a second-hand dog toy to a vintage war ship. All items come with a story and all purchases are done live in the studio, with cash. The Hagglers compete against each other to see who can get the best deal.

The German version of the format will be produced by Bavaria Entertainment.

– We are very proud to be producing this extremely funny and exceptional format for Germany. Haggle Battle will have a unique take when it airs this summer, says Ina Eck, Creative Producer of Bavaria Entertainment.

Haggle Battle is an original format created by Rabbit Films, an independent Finnish tv-production company known for several successful original tv formats created and produced in Finland, such as Posse, King and The Ultimate Expedition. The company is also the home of the Dudesons franchise.

– We are extremely happy that Haggle Battle will have an international start from Germany. The format is exceptionally flexible – it works both in weekly prime time and as a daily, stripped version. Ultimately, Haggle Battle is a positive and uplifting show for the whole family, says Olli Suominen, the CEO of Rabbit Films.

In Finland the one hour Haggle Battle premiered in spring 2016 on Nelonen (Channel 4) and 10 episodes were broadcast on Saturday prime time.

Rabbit Films will be attending MIPTV in Cannes in April 2017 with several formats and ready-mades. The most recent formats alongside Haggle Battle are City vs Country, Battle of the Hits, Once upon a Life and Should I Be Worried?

Rabbit Films’ production The Ultimate Expedition has won the award of Best Competition Reality Series at Kultainen Venla – the Finnish TV Awards in Finland, January 13.

The Ultimate Expedition is a breathtaking show where eight celebrities are given a challenge to conquer a 6 000 metre high mountain. Producer Heidi Hakkarainen describes the Ultimate Expedition as the most unique experience she has ever had on her professional career.

–  I couldn’t be more proud of the whole group; eight unbelievably courageus climbers and the host with the biggest heart, Jukka Hildén. A big thank you goes also to Mikko Vermas, the leader of the mountaineering professional group, the trainers from the Paratrooper Guild and Galaxia Expedition guides. This was an unforgettable adventure and we tried to transmit everything to the viewers as authentically as possible. We had an amazing production crew both in Peru as in post-production in Finland. With their uncompromising work and attitude it was possible to make an epic series out of this epic journey.

Ultimate Expedition’s first season was broadcast in spring 2016 on MTV3 in Finland. The participating celebrities were Cristal Snow, Tuija Pehkonen, Lola Odusoga, Janne Niinimaa, Antti Reini, Antti Luusuaniemi, Minna Parikka and – ultimately the last one standing on the mountain – Leena Harkimo. The show was hosted by Jukka Hilden.