18 films in production or post-production looking for sales agents or festivals for international premieres will be presented at the Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event Work in Progress sessions on November the 26 and 27th.
Both the Baltic Event, showcasing Baltic and Finnish projects, as well as International Works in Progress, compete for the same awards this year – the Post Production Award by Post Control, a Helsinki based high-end post-production house, in the amount of 10 000 EUR and the Baltic Event Works in Progress Award in the amount of 3000 EUR.
The jury is comprised of cinematographer and festival curator Dhanushka Gunathilake (Sri Lanka), distributor Debra Liang (Level K, Denmark) and journalist and festival programme Alissa Simon – (Palm Springs IFF, Chicago IFF, USA).
Baltic Event Works in Progress programme, held for the 17th time this year, presents a selection of 10 promising projects from the Baltics and Finland.
“I am very proud of the list of projects we have this year. Baltic Event Works in Progress includes 10 outstanding films in production or post-production from the Baltic states and Finland. The programme gives an excellent overview of the best our region has to offer,” commented Maria Ulfsak, the Project Manager of Baltic Event Works in Progress.
The Baltic Event Works in Progress includes three projects from Estonia – youth comedy Kids of the Night by director Priit Pääsuke that tells the story of three sisters during one fateful night, tragicomical On the Water by veteran director Peeter Simm that focuses on the life of a preadolescent boy growing up with his grandparents in small-town Soviet Estonia and O2 by Margus Paju, a spy thriller set in 1939, co-produced by Estonia, Finland, Latvia and Lithuania.
Latvia is represented with three projects – In the Mirror (Latvia, Lithuania) is a contemporary version of the well known fairy-tale Snow White by renowned director Laila Pakalniņa. The Pit by Dace Pūce follows a boy named Markuss adapting to a new life with his grandmother. Where the Road Leads (Latvia, Sweden) is the first Baltic western, the debut feature by Matiss Kaza.
Lithuanian producer Dagnė Vildžiūnaitė is representing the long-awaited debut by director Tomas Smulkis – a Vilnius-based multiplot People We Know Are Confused. The drama Paralysis (Lithuania, Czech Republic) is the new project by Andrius Blaževičius whose debut feature The Saint (2016) premiered at Busan and Warsaw and received six Lithuanian Film Academy Awards.
Finland brings two projects to Baltic Event Works in Progress – drama/comedy Eden, a coming-of-age film about a Protestant Confirmation camp, written and directed by Ulla Heikkilä; and Ladies of Steel, a comedy by director Pamela Tola about three elderly ladies and their journey through Finland filled with memories and sinful dancing.
The fifth International Works in Progress showcases eight projects from around the world. “A number of them are presenting their first feature, so there is some new promising talent to explore,” Triin Tramberg, Project Manager of International Works in Progress explained.
Hungry Saints is the first feature of award-winning short filmmaker Marc Wilkins, Switzerland, backed by producer Joël Jent (Iraqi Odyssey). After the success of System Crasher by Nora Fingscheidt, the production company Weydemann Brothers, Germany, brings their new project in progress Schoko by debutant Sarah Blaßkiewitz to Tallinn. Yet another first feature is the coming-of-age story Hilda by Rishi Pelham with Tim Roth on board as executive producer. Juraj Bohuš, from Slovak Republic, is also making its debut with Stand Up. The awarded short film maker Ferit Karahan from Turkey presents his second feature Deskmate. Moving to Central Asia, where the International Works in Progress has always included a project from, we welcome yet another debutant, Maxim Dashkin with Far Frontiers, a co-production between Russia and Kyrgyzstan. This years’ summit’s spotlight, Argentina, rounds up the slate with two projects: One Thousand And One by Clarisa Navas and French Braid by Lucas Turturro.
Kids of the Night, directed by Priit Pääsuke, produced by Marianne Ostrat, Alexandra Film, Luxfilm, Estonia
O2, directed by Margus Paju, produced by Esko Rips/Nafta Films, Kristian Taska/Taska Film, co-produced by Jukka Helle/Solar Film, Janis Kalejs/Film Angels, Lukas Trimonis/In Script, Estonia/Finland/Latvia/Lithuania
On the Water, directed by Peeter Simm, produced by Marju Lepp, Filmivabrik, Estonia
In the Mirror, directed by Laila Pakalniņa, produced by Laila Pakalniņa/Hargla Company, co-produced by Dagnė Vildžiūnaitė/Just a Moment, Latvia/Lithuania
The Pit, directed by Dace Pūce, produced by Kristele Pudane, Elīna Zazerska, Marana Productions, Latvia
Where the Road Leads, directed by Matiss Kaza, produced by Una Celma, Dace Siatkovska/Fenixfilm, Matiss Kaza/Deep Sea Studios, co-produced by Zahavi Sanjavi/AVB Production, Latvia/Sweden
People We Know Are Confused, directed by Tomas Smulkis, produced by Dagnė Vildžiūnaitė, Just a Moment, Lithuania
Paralysis, directed by Andrius Blaževičius, produced by Marija Razgutė/M-Films, co-produced by Jakub Kostal/Bionaut Films, Lithuania/Czech Republic
Eden, directed by Ulla Heikkilä, produced by Miia Haavisto, Tekele Productions, Finland
Ladies of Steel, directed by Pamela Tola, produced by Aleksi Bardy, Dome Karukoski, Sirkka Rautiainen, Helsinki-Filmi, Finland
Deskmate, directed by Ferit Karahan, produced by Kanat Doğramacı, Asteros Film, Turkey/Romania
Hungry Saints, directed by Marc Wilkins, produced by Joël Jent, Dschoint, Ventschr Filmproduktion, Switzerland, USA
One Thousand and One, directed by Clarisa Navas, produced by Diego Dubcovsky, Lucía Chávarri, Argentina
French Braid, directed by Lucas Turturro, produced by Victoria Aizenstat, Mauro Guevara, Aleph Cine, Argentina
Schoko, directed by Sarah Blaßkiewitz, produced by Milena Klemke, Yvonne Wellie, Jakob D. Weydemann, Jonas Weydemann, Weydemann Bros. GmbH, Germany
Hilda, directed by Rishi Pelham, produced by Nassim Mniai, Tomos Roberts, United Kingdom
Far Frontiers, directed by Maxim Dashkin, produced by Denis Kovalevsky, Maxim Dashkin, Victoria Films, Russia, Kyrgyzstan
Stand Up, directed by Juraj Bohuš, produced by Katarína Krnáčová, Silverart, Slovak Republic
This year, Works in Progress also launch a new category with Just Film presenting children and young films. Read more about the selected films here.