Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event, the industry strand of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, has wrapped its 21^st edition (which ran from 20-25 November both in Tallinn and online) by handing out prizes to the best projects after five days full of networking, presentations, panel discussions and meetings.

A total of 11 projects in development were presented at the 21^st Baltic Event Co-Production Market, including one from the Focus Country, Israel. The jury – comprising Slovak producer Katarina Tomkova (Kaleidoscope); Margrit Stärk, director of Feature Films at ZDF Studios (Germany); and Sibila Diaz-Plaja, development manager at MUBI (UK) – picked Blindsight, written and directed by Ruslan Batytskyi from Ukraine, as the Best Project. The award includes €10,000, consisting of €5,000 in cash and €5,000 in services by YAMDU.

The jury commented: “This project celebrates the power of storytelling as an act of hope and a necessity in order to survive these dark, uncertain times. We were all drawn into the project's ambition to explore complex issues through a story that feels accessible yet personal and focuses on overcoming obstacles.” The film is being produced by Olha Beskhmelnitsyna and Natalia Libet for Ukraine’s 2Brave Productions.

The Screen International Best Pitch Award, which includes coverage of the winning film, was presented to Michał Marczak for Certainly the End of Something; the film’s producer is Anna Rozalska, for Warsaw-based Match&Spark. Two producers pitching their projects received the Producers Network Prize for Promising Young Producers, which entails participation in the 2023 Cannes Marché du Film: they were Elaheh Nobakht (for Blue Girl) and Adriana Răcășan (for A Flower Is Not a Flower).

Works in Progress presented 20 projects in three categories – International, Baltic Event and Just Film Works in Progress. The Best International Project, receiving a €2,500 cash prize from High Voltage, was The Fisherman’s Daughter by Edgar De Luque Jácome, “for the urgency and immediacy of its story, and its call for acceptance”. The film is being produced by Annabelle Mullen Pacheco for Puerto Rico’s Belle Films.

The Best Baltic Project, which will also receive €5,000 worth of services from High Voltage, was Black Velvet, the debut fiction feature by Latvian filmmaker Liene Linde, “for its insightful and never self-indulgent look at our existential anxieties”. The Latvian-Lithuanian co-production is being staged by Guntis Trekteris for Ego Media, and Tremora. As for the Just Film Award, which includes a €1,000 monetary prize, this went to Raw Material by Martin Boross, as it is a “representation of young people who stand up for themselves, but [does not lose] its playfulness. Convincing and believable acting, interesting dialogue. Not a black-and-white story about corruption.”

Finally, at Script Pool, the most promising project received a €2,500 monetary prize – this was And Thus It Will Go On, written and directed by Spanish first-timer Marina Palacio and produced by Lara Izagirre, rewarded for its “unique and adventurous approach to storytelling”.

Here is the full list of the 2022 Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event award winners:

Baltic Event Co-production Market

Best Project Award
Blindsight – Ruslan Batytskyi (Ukraine)
Producers: Olha Beskhmelnitsyna, Natalia Libet (2Brave Productions)

Screen International Best Pitch Award
Certainly the End of Something – Michał Marczak (Poland)
Producer: Anna Rozalska (Match&Spark)

Cannes Marché du Film Producers Network Award
Elaheh Nobakht (ELI Image, Turkey; project: Blue Girl)
Adriana Răcășan (Point Film, Romania; project: A Flower Is Not A Flower)

Works in Progress

Best International Project Award
The Fisherman's Daughter - Edgar De Luque Jácome (Puerto Rico/Colombia/Brazil)
Producer: Annabelle Mullen Pacheco (Belle Films)
Co-producers: Jorge Botero (Septima Films), Tatiana Leite (Bubbles Project), Elsa Turull de Alma (Larimar Films), Rodrigo Letier (Kromaki Films)

Best Baltic Project Award
Black Velvet - Liene Linde (Latvia/Lithuania)
Producers: Guntis Trekteris (Ego Media), Tremora

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

Script Pool Tallinn

Script Pool Award
And Thus It Will Go On – Marina Palacio (Spain)
Producer: Lara Izagirre