Panu Aaltio
Composer · Born January 29, 1982 (44) · Nurmijärvi, Finland
Panu Aaltio (born January 29, 1982) is a Finnish film composer. He was educated at the Sibelius Academy and University of Southern California and established himself as a film composer with The Home of Dark Butterflies (2008). He has received the International Film Music Critics Association Award for Best Original Score for a Documentary three times, for Tale of a Forest (2012), Tale of a Lake (2016) and Tale of the Sleeping Giants (2021). Panu Aaltio was born in Nurmijärvi on 29 January 1982. Wanting to become a film composer, he studied music technology at the Sibelius Academy in Finland, attended the Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television program at the University of Southern California and worked as an intern on film and television productions in Los Angeles. After returning to Finland, he became established there as a composer for feature films, television series and video games. The first feature film he composed a score for was The Home of Dark Butterflies (2008), for which he was nominated for the Jussi Award for Best Music. Aaltio composed the music for a trilogy of nature films produced by MRP Matila Röhr Productions, Tale of a Forest (2012), Tale of a Lake (2016) and Tale of the Sleeping Giants (2021). For both Tale of a Forest and Tale of a Lake he received the International Film Music Critics Association Award for Best Original Score for a Documentary. Tale of a Lake also received the Jussi Award for Best Music.
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Biography from TMDB.
- January 29, 1982 (44)
- Nurmijärvi, Finland
- Composer
- 17 on Motif · 39 credits in all
What are Panu Aaltio's films like?
Across their 16 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Morality.
Genres
Their Motif films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Motif score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 3 · Earnest 11
A split, not a type: Light 8 · Serious 3 · Dark 4
Grounded 7 · Stylized 7 · Heightened 1
Gentle 4 · Charged 7 · Intense 4
Steady 6 · Shifting 7 · Whiplash 2
Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 2
Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 12 · Relentless 1
Casual 10 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 0
A split, not a type: Easy watch 7 · Affecting 4 · Heavy 4
Resolved 12 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 3
Moods and endings
- Happy7
- Bittersweet7
- Ambiguous2
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Panu Aaltio's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 9 of their 17 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (6).
Subscription and free streaming for Panu Aaltio's titles on Motif; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Motif score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
39 credits, 17 with a Motif page.
The Creeps - Behind the Scenes (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2026)
Super Furball and the Lying Squirrel (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2025)
The Creeps(2025)
Motif score: 8th percentile of all films
Little Siberia(2025)
Motif score: 16th percentile of all films
Finders 2: Pharaoh's Ring (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2023)
Codename: Annika(2023)
Motif score: 39th percentile of all shows
Supermarsu 2(2022)
Motif score: 29th percentile of all films
The Twin(2022)
Motif score: 12th percentile of all films
5000 Blankets(2022)
Motif score: 48th percentile of all films
Motif score: 13th percentile of all films
Rabobesto – Or How I Saved a Monster (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2021)
Tale of the Sleeping Giants (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2020)
The Potato Venture (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2020)
Ladies of Steel(2020)
Motif score: 45th percentile of all films
Nature Symphony (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2019)
Super Furball(2018)
Motif score: 8th percentile of all films
95(2017)
Motif score: 16th percentile of all films
Repeater (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2017)
Catcalling Virgin (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2017)
Life in Four Elements (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2017)
The Eternal Road(2017)
Motif score: 80th percentile of all films
Rolli and the Secret of All Time (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2016)
Lake Bodom(2016)
Motif score: 16th percentile of all films
Tale of a Lake (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2016)
The Find (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2015)
The Island of Secrets (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2014)
I Won't Come Back (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2014)
Motif score: 24th percentile of all films
Moomins on the Riviera(2014)
Motif score: 51st percentile of all films
Whisper of Minqin (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2013)
Tale of a Forest (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2012)
Body of Water (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2011)
Dawn of the Dragonslayer(2011)
Motif score: 11th percentile of all films
Orcs!(2011)
Motif score: 3rd percentile of all films
Hella W (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2011)
Sauna(2008)
Motif score: 56th percentile of all films
The Home of Dark Butterflies (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2008)
Mun Lappi (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2005)
Memorial (not in the Motif catalog yet)
Career shape
A full career of 35 titles, 34 of them dated from 2005 to 2026.
How do Panu Aaltio's films land?
Their typical Motif film has a Motif score in the 16th percentile, the median of all 16; across their 15 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 24th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up1
- 50th to 74th2
- 25th to 49th4
- Below 25th10
Shape of the crowd
13 of their 17 titles are Mixed.
- Crowd Pleaser2
- Broadly Agreed2
- Mixed13
Reviewers score the sound and music 51/100 in their films, across 9 reviewed titles; fans 60, detractors 41. The element that speaks to their work as a composer.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on Motif; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Motif score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their Motif titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Who does Panu Aaltio work with?
People who share at least 2 of Panu Aaltio's Motif titles, grouped by what they did on them; Tommi Korpela shares the most, 5.
Directors
- Antti-Jussi AnnilaShared titles: Codename: Annika (2023), The Eternal Road (2017), Sauna (2008)See all 3 shared titles with Antti-Jussi Annila
- Joona TenaShared titles: Supermarsu 2 (2022), Super Furball (2018), 95 (2017)See all 3 shared titles with Joona Tena
- Taneli MustonenShared titles: The Twin (2022), Lake Bodom (2016)See all 2 shared titles with Taneli Mustonen
Writers
- Aleksi BardyShared titles: Codename: Annika (2023), Ladies of Steel (2020)See all 2 shared titles with Aleksi Bardy
- Aleksi HyvärinenShared titles: The Twin (2022), Lake Bodom (2016)See all 2 shared titles with Aleksi Hyvärinen
- Paula NoronenShared titles: Supermarsu 2 (2022), Super Furball (2018)See all 2 shared titles with Paula Noronen
- Anne K. BlackShared titles: Dawn of the Dragonslayer (2011), Orcs! (2011)See all 2 shared titles with Anne K. Black
Actors
- Tommi KorpelaShared titles: Little Siberia (2025), Supermarsu 2 (2022), Super Furball (2018), The Eternal Road (2017), Lake Bodom (2016)See all 5 shared titles with Tommi Korpela
- Eero RitalaShared titles: Little Siberia (2025), Supermarsu 2 (2022), Super Furball (2018)See all 3 shared titles with Eero Ritala
- Essi HellénShared titles: Supermarsu 2 (2022), Super Furball (2018)See all 2 shared titles with Essi Hellén
- Kari HietalahtiShared titles: Supermarsu 2 (2022), Super Furball (2018)See all 2 shared titles with Kari Hietalahti
Cinematographers and editors
- Harri YlönenShared titles: Little Siberia (2025), 95 (2017)See all 2 shared titles with Harri Ylönen
- Tambet TasujaShared titles: Codename: Annika (2023), The Eternal Road (2017)See all 2 shared titles with Tambet Tasuja
- Aleksi RaijShared titles: The Twin (2022), Lake Bodom (2016)See all 2 shared titles with Aleksi Raij
- Daniel LindholmShared titles: The Twin (2022), Lake Bodom (2016)See all 2 shared titles with Daniel Lindholm
Producers
- Marko TalliShared titles: Supermarsu 2 (2022), Super Furball (2018), 95 (2017)See all 3 shared titles with Marko Talli
- Olli HaikkaShared titles: Supermarsu 2 (2022), Super Furball (2018), 95 (2017)See all 3 shared titles with Olli Haikka
- Fabien WesterhoffShared titles: The Twin (2022), Lake Bodom (2016)See all 2 shared titles with Fabien Westerhoff
- Joris van WijkShared titles: The Twin (2022), Lake Bodom (2016)See all 2 shared titles with Joris van Wijk
Mixed roles
- Dome KarukoskiShared titles: Little Siberia (2025), Ladies of Steel (2020)See all 2 shared titles with Dome Karukoski
- Brad JohnsonShared titles: Dawn of the Dragonslayer (2011), Orcs! (2011)See all 2 shared titles with Brad Johnson
