When I started Toisto five years ago, it was out of frustration and spite.
I had moved back to Finland a year earlier to discover all my old contacts retired or working in different fields entirely. My entire network had disappeared along with the newspapers and radio channels I had previously worked at.
As an outlet, I began writing reviews on Facebook. A couple of snarky sentences here and there, then a few paragraphs, and eventually hundreds of words on whatever took my fancy. After a few months of screaming into the void, I figured it was time to start a real blog.
Today, I'm the only Nordic critic listed on Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic, and OpenCritic as a solo writer without a major team or publisher behind them.
Critic’s Website
I've been welcomed to cover Cannes, Toronto International Film Festival, and the BFI London Film Festival alongside major gaming events like Gamescom and Dreamhack.
I'm now a full member of FIPRESCI, the International Federation of Film Critics. I also proudly belong to the ranks of The Online Film and Television Critics and International Film Society Critics Associations.
This year, I was awarded a grant by Rotten Tomatoes and the Chicago Film Critics Assocation to attend the Toronto Film Festival and meet other North American journalists in their element. I regularly appear in the Rotten Tomatoes review collections highlighting the consensus of film journalists around the world.
I served as a voting member for the Grand Game Awards for the first time alongside a growing roster of impressive and talented independent critics around Europe.
The Arts Promotion Centre of Finland awarded me the hugely competitive Artist Grant to work on my craft for 2026.
I started to cover technology and physical media and contributed to the comic book anthology Wish Upon a Star published by Limit Break Comics.
All of this is to say that it's been quite a ride and that it wouldn't have been possible without you.
But it's also time for a change. Toisto was the first step and now it's time for the next big one. For years, I've been told by local distributors that I'm not considered Finnish media. Internationally, the name has been a source of amusement and curiosity, but rarely instant recognition.
My goal was to create a place for my work that didn't stop at the borders of this small country. Since this site began, I've traveled across Europe and North America to cover things that interest me, and I've barely dipped my toes in the water.
Which is why from today onwards, Toisto will go by the name Region Free.
It is a mission statement of things to come. Same insight, same reviews, but on a grander scale than before.
The site has a new look and some new features. There's a brand new subscription model for those that want it, Ko-Fi still exists for donations, and there will be on occasion sponsored posts to keep the lights on.
Everything else remains the same.
I'm so thankful to everyone that has stuck with me for the ride so far. I hope you'll stay for another five years and beyond.
Here we go.
