08/11/2022 - A total of 20 films in production or post-production will be presented at the three sections of the Estonian gathering's Works in Progress sessions in November

Running from 20-25 November, Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event, the summit for film and audiovisual industry professionals, is held during the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. A total of 20 films in production or post-production, that are looking for sales agents or festivals for international premieres, will be presented at three Works In Progress showcases. The projects taking part in Works in Progress will be presented on 22-24 November at the Coca-Cola Plaza cinema hall, the presentations can also be followed on the industry.poff.ee website.

The selection includes new projects from award-winning directors as well as debuts from different genres. The Baltic Event Works in Progress, which is celebrating its 20^th edition, will present eight projects. According to Maria Ulfsak, the Programme Manager of Baltic Event Works in Progress, "the selection gives a good overview of the region's current state of forthcoming films."

Three projects are hailing from Estonia, Rain Rannu’s 'NFT-expanded' comedy drama, Free Money (read the news); Miguel Llanso’s Infinite Summer and the Estonian-Finnish co-production, complex magical-realist ensemble tragedy, 8 Views of Lake Biwa by Marko Raat (read the news). Meanwhile, representing Finland will be the dark comedy Death is a Problem for the Living by Teemu Nikki. The selection also includes three Latvian-Lithuanian co-productions: Black Velvet by Liene Linde, Life Interrupted by Ilze Kunga-Melgaile and Lotus by Signe Birkova which centres on German-Baltic Countess Alice Von Trotta (read the news), while Anna LOL by Ivars Tontegode from Latvia wraps the selection.

The 8^th International Works in Progress section will host six projects, with Spanish debutant Estibaliz Urresola presenting a coming-of-age story exploring the relationship between body, gender, and identity in 20 000 Species of Bees (read the news), while conflict and hope reflect inter-generational cohabitation in Waltzing Matilda by veteran Czech documentary filmmaker Petr Slavík (read the news). Jatla Siddartha returns to Tallinn with his sophomore feature drama In The Belly of the Tiger, co-produced by India, China, the United States, France and Taiwan. Brazilian awarded film director Heitor Dhallia presents the drama The Ballad of a Hustler, while debutant Puerto Rican writer-director Edgar De Luque Jácome is featured with The Fisherman's Daughter. Also, this year’s Industry@Talinn & Baltic Event Focus Country Israel is represented with the family drama Ruth directed by social activist and filmmaker Esty Shushan.

For the fourth time, projects in the children’s and youth film category are featured in the Just Film Works in Progress section, with six selected films. Amongst them are the debut feature film Jonja by Anika Mätzke from Germany and Raw Material by emerging film director Martin Boross from Hungary. Romania is represented with the drama Government of Children, directed by Ioana Mischie, while Finland’s Teemu Nikki has another project, Snot and Splash.

Here is the full list of selected projects:

Baltic Event Works in Progress

8 Views of Lake Biwa - Marko Raat (Estonia/Finland)
Producers: Ivo Felt (Allfilm), Dora Nedeczky (Bufo)

Anna LOL - Ivars Tontegode (Latvia)
Producers: Guna Stahovska (Mojo Raiser Production), SIA KMVKP

Black Velvet - Liene Linde (Latvia/Lithuania)
Producer: Guntis Trekteris (Ego Media)

Death is a Problem for the Living - Teemu Nikki (Finland)
Producer: Jani Pösö (It's Alive Films)

Free Money - Rain Rannu (Estonia)
Producers: Tõnu Hiielaid (Tallifornia), Rain Rannu

Infinite Summer - Miguel Llanso (Estonia)
Producer: Tõnu Hiielaid (Tallifornia)

Life Interrupted - Ilze Kunga- Melgaile (Latvia/Lithuania)
Producers: Aija Bērziņa (Tasse Film), Marija Razgute

Lotus - Signe Birkova (Latvia/Lithuania)
Producers: Dominiks Jarmakovičs, Roberts Viniovskis

International Works in Progress

20 000 Species of Bees - Estibaliz Urresola (Spain)
Producers: Lara Izagirre (Gariza Films), Valérie Delpierre (Inicia Films)

The Ballad of a Hustler - Heitor Dhalia (USA/Brazil)
Producer: Bernardo Barreto (Berny Films)

The Fisherman's Daughter - Edgar De Luque Jácome (Puerto Rico/Colombia/Brazil)
Producer: Annabelle Mullen Pacheco (Belle Films)

In The Belly of A Tiger - Siddhartha Jatla (India/China/USA/France/Taiwan)
Producers: Patrick Mau Huang, Sarada Uma, Bhavana Goparaju, Esther Lee (JATLA PICTURES)

Ruth - Esty Shushan (Israel)
Producers: David Silber, Sivan Cohen (Metro Communications)

Waltzing Matilda - Petr Slavík (Czech Republic/Slovakia)
Producers: Nataša Slavíková (Phoenix Production), Vít Janeček (VIRUSfilm)

Just Film Works in Progress

Empire of The Rabbits - Seyfettin Tokmak (Turkey/Mexico/Lebanon/France)
Producer: Zeynep Koray (ZKF)

Government of Children - Ioana Mischie (Romania)
Producer: Irina Petrescu (Studioset Production)

Jonja - Anika Mätzke (Germany)
Producers: Norman Bernien, Christoph Holthof, Daniel Reich (kurhaus production)

Kissing Bug - Luis Zorraquin (Argentina/Brazil)
Producers: Esteban Lucangioli (Pelicano Cine), Bruno Autran (Labuta Filmes)

Raw Material - Martin Boross (Hungary)
Producer: Gábor Osváth (Filmfabriq)

Snot and Splash - Teemu Nikki (Finland)
Producers: Jani Pösö, Ari Matikainen (It's Alive Films)