The projects were selected from more than 50 applications from the Baltic States and Eastern Partnership countries – Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. These countries were chosen in order to accelerate the visibility of their films in the international market.
Over 200 film industry professionals from all over Europe will visit the festival, including programmers and artistic directors from such festivals as San Sebastian, Locarno, Tallinn, Transilvania, Sarajevo, Warsaw, Palm Springs, Moscow and the Venice Film Festival’s independently run Venice Days section. They will be joined by sales agents from top European film companies.
Coming Soon session film projects
Winner of multiple documentary awards, Lithuanian director Arūnas Matelis will present his new film GLADIATORS. A DIFFERENT WORLD about the challenging world of cycling races “Giro d'Italia”. Other documentaries include a solo non-stop air balloon trip in AROUND THE WORLD IN 14 DAYS (director Julija Zubavičienė), an ode to the nuclear power station town of Visaginas in BUTTERFLY CITY (director Olga Černovaitė), and Lithuanian-German co-production HELLO, DEAR GRANNY!, directed by sisters Jūratė Samulionytė and Vilma Samulionytė.
Lithuanian feature films include YOU CAN’T ESCAPE LITHUANIA, a new drama from director Romas Zabarauskas, who made his debut at the 2011 Berlin IFF, and historical drama EMILIA from director Donatas Ulvydas, whose previous film TADAS BLINDA is recognised as one of the most popular Lithuanian films ever released.
MEETING POINT – VILNIUS guests will be able to see the first excerpts from the Lithuanian-Romanian co-production EASTERN BUSSINESS, directed by Igor Cobileanski from Moldavia, and produced by Iuliana Tarnovetchi and Dagnė Vildžiūnaitė.
Other notable films are co-produced by the three Baltic States: THE MASTER PLAN, directed by Juris Pakalninš and produced by Gints Grūbe and Jurga Gluskinienė; THE PRETENDERS, directed by Vallo Toomla and produced by Riina Sildos, Uljana Kim and Roberts Vinovskis. The Latvian film EXILED from Dāvis Sīmanis is also co-produced by Studio Uljana Kim.
Two debut films from Belarus will be introduced to an international audience: DEBUT by director Anastasiya Miroshnichenko and producer Volia Chajkouskaya, and HOMEWARD BOUND, directed and produced by Artsiom Lobach.
Latvia will be represented by the debut of WHAT NOBODY CAN SEE, from director Stanislavs Tokalovs and producer Guntis Trekteris. CLOSE RELATIONS. UKRAINE, THE CRISIS, MY FAMILY AND I is a new film by Ukrainian director Vitaly Mansky, and KNUTIFICATION comes from director Ivars Tontegode and producer Guna Stahovska.
Special focus on Poland
This year’s MEETING POINT – VILNIUS focuses on Poland, and special attention will be given to the Lithuanian-Polish co-productions.
THE MAN WHO KNEW 75 LANGUAGES by Anne Magnussen and Pawel Debski is a hybrid film that combines creative animation and acting. It is produced by Živilė Gallego, who also produced SUMMER OF SANGAILE. Other Lithuanian-Polish co-production films: CRISIS – a debut film by Andrius Blaževičius, and historical documentary HABIT AND ARMOUR, directed by Pawel Pitera and produced by Dorota Roszkowska and Kęstutis Drazdauskas.
Poland will have a special guest project – film WILD ROSES, directed by multiple Polish award winner Anna Jadowska, produced by Roman Jarosz and edited by Anna Mass (LEVIATHAN).
Industry screenings
Six films will be shown in the industry screenings: a debut from Belarus THE COUNT IN ORANGES, the third feature film by Lithuanian director Ignas Miškinis KINGS’ SHIFT, soon to be finished feature film by well-known Lithuanian director Kristijonas Vildžiūnas (the title not to be revealed yet), a new short WATERFALL from Laila Pakalnina, THE MASTER PLAN by Latvian Juris Pakalninš, and the already mentioned Latvian and Lithuanian joint project EXILED.
Together with the Coming Soon session and Industry screenings, the three-day long industry event will include a conference for producers, the Film Festival Symposium, organized together with the Independent Cinema Office, and presentations on audio-visual topics. They will be followed by special pitching consultations by Israel Film Fund director Katriel Schory, and an inspiring talk with three-time Academy Award winning sound engineer Christopher Newman.
More information about the MEETING POINT VILNIUS industry event can be found here.
About the festival:
The 21st Vilnius International Film Festival Kino Pavasaris is taking place on March 31 – April 14. It is the largest cinema event in Lithuania and one of the most prominent film festivals in Eastern Europe, having attracted 107 thousand viewers last year. This year, Kino Pavasaris is screening 130 feature films and 70 short films from all over the world with a special focus on Baltic countries and Central Europe. For more information visit www.kinopavasaris.lt/en
