13/10/2023 - This year’s winning shorts include Lithuania’s Out, Latvia’s Thank You for Your Review and Estonia’s Pulcinella

A moment during the pitch for the short film Thank You for Your Review by directors Marta Šleiere and Līva Polkmane (© Tautvydas Stukas)

The 11th edition of the Baltic Pitching Forum (BPF, 10-13 October) welcomed emerging Baltic and Greek filmmaking talents to Vilnius. Pitching 12 projects to key industry players – as well as taking part in a series of talks, lectures and training sessions – the participants benefited from an event that continues to be regarded as one of the most important industry showcases in the Baltic region.

Greece became the first Baltic Pitching Forum guest country to emanate from outside of the Baltic Sea region, and this is therefore a testament to the international recognition now afforded to the BPF. With filmmakers from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania networking with their colleagues from Greece, new avenues for collaboration and co-production were opened up.

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All of the projects were pitched in front of two panels of international film experts who handed out prizes at an awards ceremony held on Thursday night.

The Lithuanian project Out, directed by Kristijonas Dirsė and produced by Rūta Petronytė, is the winner of participant rights at the European Short Film Co-production Forum Euro Connection 2024, which is part of the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival in France. The award was given to the short for its unique and poignant approach to a challenging subject. The clarity of the pitch, the poetic and absurd tone, and the courage to address such a significant topic all contributed to the project standing out as a unique gem in the selection. It has significant potential for co-production, and will find the right creative and financing partners to accompany the film on its next steps.

Next, the Latvian project Thank You for Your Review, from directors Marta Šleiere and Līva Polkmane, and producer Emīls Alps, received an invitation to the Talents and Short Film Market 2023 and its “You Only Pitch Twice” pitching session. The award was given to the comedy with a light touch that mocks keyboard narcissists and their funny-sad weirdness, masking the tragedy of their loneliness.

A Special Mention went to the Greek project Cuddle Party by director Ioanna Digenaki and producer Manos Tzivakis, for their dynamism and dedication that left a lasting impression, and the captivating energy they provided during their pitch.

The winners were selected by BPF panel members Alessandro Giorgio (Talents and Short Film Market, Italy), Antoine Guillemot (sales agent, oriGine Films, France), Basel Mawlawi (producer, Kinana Films, Sweden), Elise Notseck (distributor/sales agent, Shortcuts, France), Julie Rousson (coordinator of Euro Connection and programmer at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, France), Ben Vandendaele (sales agent, Radiator IP Sales, Belgium) and Sari Volanen (TV commissioning editor, Yle TV, Finland).

The Baltic Producers Jury MEDIA Award – instigated by the Creative Europe offices in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, and coming with a €1,000 cash prize – went to the aforementioned Latvian project Thank You for Your Review. According to the jury, the film reflects the modern reality of living simultaneously in two worlds – the real and the virtual one – and portrays it with healthy humour, which is the only possibility if you want to survive in this cruel world of reviews.

The jury also gave a Special Mention to the Lithuanian project On Conductor Street (directed by Gintė Regina and produced by Akvilė Žilionytė). Travelling through time and realising how everything is in motion and changing constantly, you still need one special place where you belong and can return to any time.

This year’s Baltic Producers Jury was made up of Anu Veermäe-Kaldra (Menufilmid, Estonia), Guntis Trekteris (Ego Media, Latvia) and Klementina Remeikaitė (Afterschool, Lithuania).

The Yle TV Pre-buy Award, worth €2,500, went to the Estonian animation Pulcinella, directed by Hleb Kuftseryn and produced by Kadriann Kibus. The Radiator IP Sales Distribution Consultancy Award, consisting of consultancy and guidance for filmmakers, was given to another Estonian project, Mari, Sweetie, directed by Vivian Säde, and staged by Eve Tisler, Gabrielė Vaičiūnaitė and Vesta Tučkutė. On a heartfelt journey through the process of confronting past traumas with a surreal twist, this captivating project weaves a tale that resonates deeply.

The 12th Baltic Pitching Forum will take place from 8-11 October 2024. The event is organised by the Lithuanian Short Film Agency “Lithuanian Shorts” in partnership with the Riga International Film Festival, Riga International Short Film Festival 2ANNAS and PÖFF Shorts (part of the Tallinn Black Nights International Film Festival). “Lithuanian Shorts” is backed by the Lithuanian Council for Culture.

The project is supported by the Lithuanian Film Centre, the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for Culture, the Audiovisual Works Copyright Association “AVAKA” and Vilnius City Municipality. Other partners include the Creative Europe – MEDIA Desks in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, the Greek Film Centre, the Drama International Short Film Festival, T-port and the Vilnius Film Office.

Here is the full list of this year’s winning projects:

Invitation to Euro Connection
Out - Kristijonas Dirsė (Lithuania)
Producer: Rūta Petronytė

Invitation to Talents and Short Film Market
Thank You for Your Review - Marta Šleiere and Līva Polkmane (Latvia)
Producer: Emīls Alps
Special Mention
Cuddle Party - Ioanna Digenaki (Greece)
Producer: Manos Tzivakis

Baltic Producers MEDIA Award
Thank You for Your Review - Marta Šleiere and Līva Polkmane
Producer: Emīls Alps
Baltic Producers Jury Special Mention
On Conductor Street - Gintė Regina (Lithuania)
Producer: Akvilė Žilionytė

YLE TV Pre-buy Award
Pulcinella - Hleb Kuftseryn (Estonia)
Producer: Kadriann Kibus

Radiator IP Sales Distribution Award
Mari, Sweetie - Vivian Säde (Estonia)
Producers: Eve Tisler, Gabrielė Vaičiūnaitė, Vesta Tučkutė