# Jussi Award for Best Director

Jussi Award for Best Director is an award presented annually at the Jussi Awards by Filmiaura, a Finnish film organization founded in 1962. The Jussi Awards were created by Elokuvajournalistit ry in 1944 and the first ceremony was held the same year, honoring Finnish films released between 1942 and 1944.

## Winners

Table key :
| ‡ | Indicates the winner |
| ^ | Indicates posthumous winner |
| Year | Director(s) | Film | English title |
| 1942/43/44 (1st) | Hannu Leminen ‡ | Valkoiset ruusut | White Roses |
| 1944/45 (2nd) | Valentin Vaala ‡ | Dynamiittityttö Linnaisten vihreä kamari | The Girl and the Gangsters The Green Chamber of Linnais |
| 1945/46 (3rd) | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1946/47 (4th) | Valentin Vaala ‡ | Loviisa – Niskavuoren nuori emäntä | Lovisa, the Young Mistress of Niskavuori |
| 1947/48 (5th) | Roland af Hällström ‡ | Pikajuna pohjoiseen | North Express |
| 1948/49 (6th) | Valentin Vaala ‡ Lea Joutseno ‡ | Ihmiset suviyössä | People in the Summer Night |
| 1949/50 (7th) | Toivo Särkkä ‡ | Katupeilin takana | Behind the Mirror in the Window |
| 1950/51 (8th) | Matti Kassila ‡ | Radio tekee murron | The Radio Commits a Burglary |
| 1951/52 (9th) | Valentin Vaala ‡ | Omena putoaa | The Apple Falls |
| 1952/53 (10th) | Edvin Laine ‡ | Niskavuoren Heta | Heta from Niskavuori |
| 1953/54 (11th) | Matti Kassila ‡ | Sininen viikko Tyttö kuunsillalta | Blue Week The Girl from Moon Bridge |
| 1954/55 (12th) | Matti Kassila ‡ | Isän vanha ja uusi Hilmanpäivät | Father's New and Ex Hilma's Name Day |
| 1955/56 (13th) | Edvin Laine ‡ | Tuntematon sotilas | The Unknown Soldier |
| 1956/57 (14th) | Matti Kassila ‡ | Elokuu | The Harvest Month |
| 1957/58 (15th) | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1958/59 (16th) | Jack Witikka ‡ | Mies tältä tähdeltä | A Man from This Planet |
| 1959/60 not held | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1960/61 not held | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1961 (17th) | Maunu Kurkvaara ‡ | Rakas... | Darling |
| 1962 (18th) | Mikko Niskanen ‡ | Pojat | The Boys |
| 1963 (19th) | Mikko Niskanen ‡ | Sissit | The Partisans |
| 1964/65 (20th) | Risto Jarva ‡ | Onnenpeli | – |
| 1966 (21st) | Mikko Niskanen ‡ | Käpy selän alla | Skin, Skin |
| 1967 (22nd) | Risto Jarva ‡ Mikko Niskanen ‡ | Työmiehen päiväkirja Lapualaismorsian | The Diary of a Worker Girl of Finland |
| 1968 (23rd) | Jörn Donner ‡ Edvin Laine ‡ Timo Bergholm ‡ | Mustaa valkoisella Täällä Pohjantähden alla Punahilkka | Black on White Here, Beneath the North Star Little Red Riding Hood |
| 1969 (24th) | Erkko Kivikoski ‡ | Kesyttömät veljekset | The Brothers |
| 1970 (25th) | Risto Jarva ‡ | Bensaa suonissa | Rally (Gas in the Veins) |
| 1971/72 (26th) | Mikko Niskanen ‡ | Kahdeksan surmanluotia | Eight Deadly Shots |
| 1972/73 (27th) | Erkko Kivikoski ‡ Rauni Mollberg ‡ Veikko Kerttula ‡ | Laukaus tehtaalla Sotaerakko (TV movie) Se tavallinen tarina (TV movie) | A Shot in the Factory Hermit of War The Usual Story |
| 1973/74 (28th) | Rauni Mollberg ‡ | Maa on syntinen laulu | The Earth Is a Sinful Song |
| 1974/75 (29th) | Jaakko Pakkasvirta ‡ Veikko Kerttula ‡ | Jouluksi kotiin Simpauttaja (TV movie) | Home for Christmas – |
| 1975/76 (30th) | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1976/77 (31st) | Heikki Partanen ‡ Katariina Lahti ‡ Riitta Rautoma ‡ | Antti Puuhaara | Antti the Treebranch |
| 1977/78 (32nd) | Rauni Mollberg ‡ Risto Jarva ^ | Aika hyvä ihmiseksi Jäniksen vuosi | People Not as Bad as They Seem The Year of the Hare |
| 1978/79 (33rd) | Timo Linnasalo ‡ | Vartioitu kylä 1944 | The Guarded Village 1944 |
| 1979/80 (34th) | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1980/81 (35th) | Erkko Kivikoski ‡ Pirjo Honkasalo ‡ Pekka Lehto ‡ | Yö meren rannalla Tulipää Tulipää | Night by the Seashore Flame Top Flame Top |
| 1981/82 (36th) | Mikko Niskanen ‡ | Ajolähtö | Gotta Run! |
| 1982/83 (37th) | Mika Kaurismäki ‡ | Arvottomat | The Worthless |
| 1983/84 (38th) | Tapio Suominen ‡ Heikki Partanen ‡ | Musta hurmio (TV movie) Pessi ja Illusia | – Pessi and Illusia |
| 1984/85 (39th) | Timo Humaloja ‡ | 8. päivä (TV movie) Yksinpuhelu (TV movie) | – – |
| 1985 (40th) | Rauni Mollberg ‡ | Tuntematon sotilas | The Unknown Soldier |
| 1986 (41st) | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1987 (42nd) | Åke Lindman ‡ | Den förtollade vägen (TV movie) | – |
| 1988 (43rd) | Pekka Parikka ‡ | Pohjanmaa | Plainlands |
| 1989 (44th) | Pekka Parikka ‡ | Talvisota | The Winter War |
| 1990 (45th) | Aki Kaurismäki ‡ | Tulitikkutehtaan tyttö | The Match Factory Girl |
| 1991 (46th) | Mika Kaurismäki ‡ | Zombie ja Kummitusjuna | Zombie and the Ghost Train |
| 1992 (47th) | Aki Kaurismäki ‡ | Boheemielämää | The Bohemian Life |
| 1993 (48th) | Veikko Aaltonen ‡ | Isä meidän | Pater Noster |
| 1994 (49th) | Aleksi Mäkelä ‡ | Esa ja Vesa – auringonlaskun ratsastajat | Sunset Riders |
| 1995 (50th) | Markku Pölönen ‡ | Kivenpyörittäjän kylä | The Last Wedding |
| 1996 (51st) | Aki Kaurismäki ‡ | Kauas pilvet karkaavat | Drifting Clouds |
| 1997 (52nd) | Olli Saarela ‡ | Lunastus | The Redemption |
| 1998 (53rd) | Markku Pölönen ‡ | Kuningasjätkä | A Summer by the River |
| 1999 (54th) | Olli Saarela ‡ | Rukajärven tie | Ambush |
| 2000 (55th) | Olli Saarela ‡ | Bad Luck Love | Bad Luck Love |
| 2001 (56th) | Jarmo Lampela ‡ | Joki | The River |
| 2002 (57th) | Aki Kaurismäki ‡ | Mies vailla menneisyyttä | The Man Without a Past |
| 2003 (58th) | Jarmo Lampela ‡ | Eila | Eila |
| 2004 (59th) | Markku Pölönen ‡ | Koirankynnen leikkaaja | Dog Nail Clipper |
| 2005 (60th) | Aku Louhimies ‡ | Paha maa | Frozen Land |
| 2006 (61st) | Aku Louhimies ‡ | Valkoinen kaupunki | Frozen City |
| 2007 (62nd) | Petri Kotwica ‡ | Musta jää | Black Ice |
| 2008 (63rd) | Dome Karukoski ‡ | Tummien perhosten koti | The Home of Dark Butterflies |
| 2009 (64th) | Klaus Härö ‡ | Postia pappi Jaakobille | Letters to Father Jacob |
| 2010 (65th) | Dome Karukoski ‡ | Napapiirin sankarit | Lapland Odyssey |
| 2011 (66th) | Aki Kaurismäki ‡ | Le Havre | Le Havre |
| 2012 (67th) | Maarit Lalli ‡ | Kohta 18 | Almost 18 |
| 2013 (68th) | Pirjo Honkasalo ‡ | Betoniyö | Concrete Night |
| 2014 (69th) | J.-P. Valkeapää ‡ | He ovat paenneet | They Have Escaped |
| 2015 (70th) | Aleksi Salmenperä ‡ | Häiriötekijä | Distractions |
| 2016 (71st) | Juho Kuosmanen ‡ | Hymyilevä mies | The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki |
| 2017 (72nd) | Antti-Jussi Annila ‡ | Ikitie | The Eternal Road |
| 2018 (73rd) | Aleksi Salmenperä ‡ | Tyhjiö | Void |
| 2019 (74th) | Miia Tervo ‡ | Aurora | Aurora |

## Multiple winners

| Wins | Director |
| 6 | Mikko Niskanen |
| 5 | Aki Kaurismäki |
| 4 | Risto Jarva |
| 4 | Matti Kassila |
| 4 | Rauni Mollberg |
| 4 | Valentin Vaala |
| 3 | Erkko Kivikoski |
| 3 | Edvin Laine |
| 3 | Markku Pölönen |
| 3 | Olli Saarela |
| 2 | Dome Karukoski |
| 2 | Mika Kaurismäki |
| 2 | Jarmo Lampela |
| 2 | Aku Louhimies |
| 2 | Pekka Parikka |
| 2 | Aleksi Salmenperä |