His debut feature, Nobody Meets Your Eyes, had its world premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam 2022 and has been since screened at various international festivals. It was awarded as the Best Film at FILMADRID and with the Memory and Archive Award at Family Film Project. He was named as the Inspirational Director of 2023 by The Association of Finnish Film Directors. His script for Nobody Meets Your Eyes was nominated for the Sylvi Award for the best screenplay of the year.
Jalonen has also written and directed the short films Falling Snow (2019) and Pauli (2014) and holds a Master’s degree in film directing from ELO Film School Finland at the Aalto University. He has also served as a cinematographer on approx. 20 films or installation pieces since 2011, including Family Time, the debut feature by Tia Kouvo (world premiere at Berlinale Encounters 2023). His work on Family Time was nominated for the Jussi Award for Best Cinematography. Family Time is Finland’s official submission for the 2024 Academy Awards for Best International Feature.