Over the course of two days, the film projects were pitched to an international panel of decision makers, including representatives from sales and distribution companies, production companies, TV channels, and film festivals. Following the pitching sessions and one-to-one meetings, six projects were selected to receive awards to further their development and production.
Award recipients at Baltic Sea Docs 2024:
- Baltic Sea Docs Consultancy Award: “Acting Classes” (dir., prod. Sasha Shegai, prod. Yevgeniya Moreva, CatNip, Kazakhstan)
– A consultancy session with an industry expert in a field relevant to the project’s development. - BBposthouse Post-Production Award: “Sacred Songs” (dir. Nona Giunashvili, prod., co-author Mariam Bitsadze, 17/07 Productions, Georgia)
– Post-production services valued at 3,000 EUR. - East Doc Platform Award: “Making Friends with the Idea of a Father” (dir. Nikolay Stefanov, prod. Ralitsa Golemanova, Smarty Pants Shooter Ltd., Bulgaria)
– Accreditation and access to one-on-one meetings at the next edition of the East Doc Platform in Prague. - IDFA and Baltic Sea Docs Collaboration Award for Baltic Filmmakers: “Emptiness” (dir. Viesturs Kairišs, prod. Elīna Gediņa-Ducena, Gints Grūbe, Mistrus Media, Latvia, co-production company Dash Film, Romania)
– Accreditation and guidance for the director and producer at the next edition of IDFA in Amsterdam. - Movies That Matter Award: “Leave Easy Come Back Safe” (dir. Sasha Kulak, co-director Masha Maroz, prod. Julia Shaginurova, Einbahnstraße Productions, Germany)
– Accreditation and access to industry events at Movies That Matter. - Sheffield DocFest Award: “Double Self Portrait” (dir. Aistė Stonytė, prod. Giedre Žickytė, Migla Butkutė, Moonmakers, Lithuania, co-proucer Uldis Cekulis, VFS Films, Latvia)
– Accreditation and access to Sheffield DocFest industry events.
In addition to the pitching sessions, the forum featured a range of seminars and workshops for participants, including a session on audience reach strategies led by marketing strategist Paul Rieth (Germany), and a seminar with Sundance Film Institute’s senior programmer Basil Tsiokos.
The forum manager Zane Balčus commented: “We are pleased to say that this year’s Baltic Sea Docs went smoothly, and we’ve received very positive feedback from participants and guests. It’s always rewarding to organize an event that not only maintains its high standards of quality but also serves as a valuable platform for connecting documentary professionals and showcasing their work. The forum continues to hold a special place in the region, playing an important role in supporting documentary filmmakers. The level of the projects presented this year was truly impressive, and we’re proud to be part of their development journey.”
The Baltic Sea Docs film programme also ran in parallel with the industry events, showcasing a variety of international documentaries to local audiences in Riga and across Latvia. The opening film, Ever Since I Knew Myself by Maka Gogaladze, which was originally pitched at Baltic Sea Docs in 2019, was among the highlights of the programme, along with screenings of Agent of Happiness, Life is Beautiful, Hollywoodgate, and Balomania, among others.
More information about the projects and the full programme can be found on the Baltic Sea Docs website: http://balticseadocs.lv/.
Baltic Sea Docs is organized by the National Film Centre of Latvia, with support from the Creative Europe MEDIA programme, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia, and Cēsis municipality.
