The official selection of the Baltic Event Co-Production Market 2022, taking place on 23-24 November showcases a solid state by mostly award-winning filmmakers on topics ranging from personal tragedies and social issues to past and present military conflicts.

According to Marge Liiske, the head of Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event, the team feels that in times of turmoil and uncertainty it is crucial to provide a platform for some of the most painful issues prevalent in the news feeds today as well as offer a moment of relief with a couple of quirky comedies.

“To kick off with our debuts, they come from Romania with the tragic tale about its orphans – A Flower Is Not A Flower (written and directed by Christian Pascariu), Lithuania with Oblivion (written and directed by Danelius Minkevičius), which deals with revisiting childhood abuse, and Ukraine with the sports drama Blindsight (written and directed by Ruslan Batytskyi)”.

War-torn Ukraine is also depicted in Cherry Blossoms by award-winning writer-director Marysia Nikitiuk.

“We are also proud to present a co-production with Iran dealing with the very timely issue of violence against women in the country – Blue Girl - written and directed by Mahmoud Ghaffari, with Luxembourg,” Liiske commented on the selection.

A project dealing with another very current topic – gender – is the surrealistic allegory Levitating Skin (written and directed by Jonas Kaerup Hjorth), planned as a co-production between Denmark, Estonia, and Finland. Poland and Latvia are represented by two coming-of-age stories, Gen Zers’ Certainly the End of Something (directed by Michal Marczak), and grown-ups’ Impressions (written and directed by Alise Zarina) respectively.

To add a little light to the slate, albeit on dark historic topics, Baltic Event Co-Production market presents black comedies Hilchick (directed by Adam Sanderson, written by Ofri Proshkolnik, Yuval Berger and Noa Lazar) from 2022 Focus Country Israel, and The Kidnapping of a President (directed by Samuli Valkama, written by John Lundsten and Samuli Valkama) from Finland.

And, the last but not least, also highly anticipated adaptation of an award-winning novel from the host country, Serafima & Bogdan (directed by Veiko Õunpuu, written by Olle Mirme) is showcased at the market.

Baltic Event Co-Production market 2022 selection:

• Blindsight, produced by, Olha Beskhmelnitsyna and Natalia Libet, written and directed by Ruslan Batytskyi, Ukraine
• Blue Girl, produced by Elaheh Nobakht and Alexander Dumreicher-Ivanceanu, written and directed by Mahmoud Ghaffari, Iran / Luxembourg
• Certainly the End of Something, produced by Anna Rozalska, directed by Michal Marczak, Poland
• Impressions, produced by Alise Rogule, written and directed by Alise Zarina, Latvia
• Cherry Blossoms, produced by Igor Savychenko, written and directed by Marysia Nikitiuk, Ukraine
• A Flower Is Not A Flower, produced by Adriana Racasan, written and directed by Christian Pascariu, Romania/ Czech Republic
• Hilchick, produced by David Mandil, directed by Adam Sanderson, written by Ofri Proshkolnik, Yuval Berger and Noa Lazar, Israel
• The Kidnapping of a President, produced by John Lundsten, directed by Samuli Valkama, written by John Lundsten and Samuli Valkama, Finland
• Levitating Skin, produced by Rikke Tambo Andersen, Riina Sildos, Pilvi Waltzer, written and directed by Jonas Kaerup Hjorth, Denmark / Estonia / Finland
• Oblivion, produced by Ieva Norviliene, written and directed by Danelius Minkevičius, Lithuania
• Serafima & Bogdan, produced by Andreas Kask, directed by Veiko Õunpuu, written by Olle Mirme, Estonia

Jury:
Katarina Tomkova, producer, Kaleidoskope, Slovakia, Margrit Stärk, Director Feature Films, ZDF Studios, Germany, Sibila Diaz-Plaja, Development Manager, MUBI, UK.

Awards:
Best Project Award: 10 000 euros, consisting of 5000 € cash and 5000 euros service by YAMDU
Best Pitch: Coverage throughout the film’s life-cycle awarded by Screen International
Producers Network Prize for promising young producers. Two free passes to Producers Network 2023 awarded by Cannes Marché du Film