07/09/2023 - The short film-focused industry event will run in Vilnius from 10-13 October and will welcome Greece as its guest country

The 11th edition of the Baltic Pitching Forum (BPF) has unveiled the latest slate of short-film projects that will be pitched to a panel of international experts at the event unspooling from 10-13 October in Vilnius. The gathering is known for showcasing emerging and established filmmakers from the Baltic countries and beyond. It is also recognised as one of the most important events of its kind, giving talents the opportunity to learn and network with peers and industry professionals.

This year will mark the first time that the forum has invited a guest country located outside of the Baltic Sea region. With Greece currently a hotbed for the short-film form and home to numerous success stories over the past few years, the BPF will look forward to Greek and Baltic filmmakers coming together with a rich selection of projects, and forming a basis for future collaboration.

The selected projects from Estonia are Hleb Kuftseryn’s Pulcinella (produced by Kadriann Kibus), an allegorical animated film about a concert pianist who picks up a stray cat from the street, and Elisabeth Kužovnik’s Stiina (staged by Andreas Kask), the story of a single mother whose daughter has a very familiar imaginary friend. Also from Estonia is Mari, Sweetie by Vivian Säde (produced by Eve Tisler, Gabrielė Vaičiūnaitė and Vesta Tučkutė), which revolves around a woman affected by a unique problem: whenever she experiences shame about her body, water magically appears around her.

One of the Latvian projects is Monta Gāgane’s Ainas (staged by Katrīna Karple), a dark drama about a woman who begins to realise that the vices of her boyfriend and his family will put them at odds with each other. The other two projects are In Her Locket by Sandija Miglav (produced by Kristiāna Kalniņa), a tale of coming out across generations, and Thank You for Your Review by Līva Polkmane and Marta Šleiere (staged by Emīls Alps), described as “a clever look at the modern obsession for rating life experience”.

Lithuania’s three projects are Out by Kristijonas Dirsė, an examination of sexuality and the intransigence of others; On Conductor Street by Gintė Regina (produced by Akvilė Žilionytė), a poetic view of change and our place in the world; and Drifting Apart by Martynas Kundrotas, a powerful drama about the slow disintegration of a relationship.

The Greek projects taking part in the event include the meta-absurdist drama Cuddle Party by Ioanna Digenaki (produced by Manos Tzivakis) and Tropic of the Mourning Gecko by Stavros Markoulakis (produced by Ioanna Bolomyti), which focuses on small-town life and the desire to escape. The selection is rounded off by Emma Doxiadi’s The Incomplete Truth About Everything (also produced by Ioanna Bolomyti), billed by the creative team as “a multi-layered look at female existence”.

The selected participants and projects will receive personal consultations on their screenplays before flying to Vilnius. During the event, they will take part in a pitching master class as well as several open lectures. They will also pitch their projects to a panel of industry experts, who will provide feedback and confer awards upon selected projects.

In detail, the BPF panel will award two short-film projects (from Estonia, Latvia or Lithuania) with the right to participate in the European short-film co-production forum Euro Connection, which is part of the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, and the Talents and Short Film Market (TSFM) and its pitching session “You Only Pitch Twice”.

The Baltic producers’ jury, consisting of three experienced producers from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, will pick the best short-film project and reward it with the Baltic Producers MEDIA Award, a €1,000 cash prize.

Finally, two more prizes will be handed out. Finnish pubcaster YLE will present one of the BPF’s projects with the YLE TV Pre-buy Award (worth €2,500). Meanwhile, the Radiator IP Sales Distribution Award will consist of consultancy and guidance services for filmmakers aiming to “build a bridge between production and distribution”. Radiator IP Sales has repped, distributed and sold 200 shorts and several features to date.

The forum will be a live event, with pitching sessions available online to accredited industry professionals around the world. More information on the panellists and lectures will be revealed around mid-September.

Rimantė Daugėlaitė, head of the BPF and the Lithuanian Short Film Agency, said: “We had a record number of projects that were submitted this year, and to whittle them down to the final selection of 12 has been a very difficult process. The projects that make up our 11th edition all interrogate various aspects of modern life – from social media to sexuality – and they all have great potential for international recognition for a number of talented directors and producers.”

The BPF is organised by the “Lithuanian Shorts” Lithuanian Short Film Agency in partnership with the Riga International Film Festival, the Riga International Short Film Festival 2ANNAS and PÖFF Shorts.

Lithuanian Shorts is supported by the Lithuanian Council for Culture. The project is backed 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, and the Vilnius Film Office.

You can find out more about the selected projects here. The full list is below:

Estonia

Stiina - Elisabeth Kužovnik
Producer: Andreas Kask
Production company: Nafta Films

Pulcinella - Hleb Kuftseryn
Producer: Kadriann Kibus
Production company: Rebel Frame

Mari, Sweetie - Vivian Säde (Estonia/Lithuania)
Producers: Gabrielė Vaičiūnaitė, Eve Tisler, Vesta Tučkutė
Production companies: Moondustfilms, WHY Films

Latvia

Ainas - Monta Gāgane
Producer: Katrīna Karple
Production company: White Picture

In Her Locket - Sandija Miglava
Producer: Kristiāna Kalniņa

Thank You for Your Review - Līva Polkmane, Marta Šleiere
Producer: Emīls Alps
Production company: Neonorma

Lithuania

Drifting Apart - Martynas Kundrotas
Producer: Martynas Kundrotas

On Conductor Street - Gintė Regina
Producer: Akvilė Žilionytė
Production company: Artišokai

Out - Kristijonas Dirsė
Producer: Kristijonas Dirsė

Greece

Cuddle Party - Ioanna Digenaki
Producer: Manos Tzivakis

The Incomplete Truth About Everything - Emma Doxiadi
Producer: Ioanna Bolomyti
Production company: Atalante Productions

Tropic of the Mourning Gecko - Stavros Markoulakis (Greece/France)
Producer: Ioanna Bolomyti
Production company: Atalante Productions