Little Mr Sandman

When eight-year-old Anni's beloved Grandmother dies, she struggles to cope with the loss. Unable to sleep without her Grandma's bedtime stories, Anni invites the Sandman, a character from her tales. A Film about the healing power of imagination.

After the death of their beloved grandmother, Anni, an imaginative little girl, struggles to sleep without her Grandma's enchanting bedtime stories. The mythical Sandman visits Anni one night but his sleeping sand is depleted. They embark on imaginary adventures aboard The Sandman's magical airship to find more sand, travelling to India and the clouds above Svalbard. The father worries about her daughter's tales and drawings. Anni insists she must go to a cave in Tasmania to find sand for The Sandman. Anni also begins to understand its vital importance to The Sandman. Anni's brother Onni realizes that a global pandemic of children's insomnia is widespread. The Sandman's powers start to fade without sand. Onni urges the Sandman to help Anni. The Tasmanian Beast imprisons them in his cave, but Anni conquers her fears. They escape with the sand. The Sandman regains his strength. Anni accepts her Grandma's death but finds comfort in dreaming of her. Children worldwide finally sleep again.

Producer's note:
Little Mr Sandman has a solid production set up in the co-production between delegate producer Inland Film Co of Helsinki, Münchhausen Films of Tallinn and Iris Film of Luleå, Swe. The 2,8M EUR movie will shoot in the late spring/summer of 2026 and will be completed for the festival circuit and for commercial premiering in March 2027. The KEY TO THIS FILM is best described in these words by writer Kati Kaartinen: "Sandman, aimed at the whole family, boldly tackles significant and "real" themes through the means of a live-action film. In the world of animation, it's often easier to deal with loss, grief, and death because the genre "protects" the viewer through detachment. In Sandman, alongside the viewer, freedom granted by imagination and compassion accompanies themes of grief and death. Sandman's story doesn't evade or dilute any emotions. It surprisingly combines everyday life and fantasy, while particularly respecting the perspective of a child..."