The selection was organised by the Lithuanian Film Centre  and the Lithuanian Filmmakers’ Union. The selection committee chose Nova Lituania from among five films.

Set in the late 1930’s and shot in black and white, Nova Lituania follows a Lithuanian geographer Feliksas Gruodis who, foreseeing the upcoming war in Europe, comes up with an idea to save his country by establishing a Lithuanian colony overseas.

The cast includes Aleksas Kazanavicius, Vaidotas Martinaitis, Valentinas Masalskis, Rasa Samuolyte, Eglė Gabrėnaitė and Darius Meškauskas.

The film was produced by M-Films with support from the Lithuanian Film Centre.

Nova Lituania had its world premiere in the Karlovy Vary IFF’s East of the West competition 2019 and received the best film award at the 6th edition of the Riga International Film Festival in 2019, the Golden Athena for the best film at the 25th Athens International Film Festival in 2019, as well as the best director award at the 20th edition of goEast – Festival of Central and Eastern European Cinema in Wiesbaden in 2020.

The Netherlands’ Square Eyes in handling the sales.

The 93rd Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on 25 April 2021.