Mika Mattila is a Finnish filmmaker specialising in the creative documentary films that explore the boundaries of the genre as an art form. He is the founder of the Helsinki based production company Ideasthetic llc and divides his time between the roles of a producer, director and cinematographer, with his cinematography consistently screening at major international film festivals around the world. Between 2005 and 2012 he lived permanently in Beijing, China, and he continues to work in East Asia on a regular basis. Mattila’s directorial debut, Chimeras (2013) examines the identity crisis in Chinese modern society through the lives of two contemporary artists. This thought-provoking film has toured the festival circuit across the globe, gaining few prizes and a high critical acclaim. Carnival Pilgrims (2020) is his second feature-length documentary.