14-07-2021

FESTIVALS: Baltic Sea Forum Announces 2021 Programme

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    RIGA: The Baltic Sea Forum for Documentaries (Baltic Sea Docs) has concluded the project selection for its 25th edition that will run 1 - 12 September. The most important documentary training and pitching event in the Baltic countries, Baltic Sea Docs is focused on projects from the wider Baltic Sea region, Eastern Europe and the Caucasus region. The 18 selected projects represent film studios in 17 countries including Poland, Armenia, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Georgia, Russia, among others.

    baltic sea docs logoEstablished in 1997 in Denmark, Baltic Sea Docs will celebrate its 25th edition this year. For 17 years the event has been taking place in Riga, where each September it gathers around 150 documentary film professionals for a preparatory workshop, public pitching sessions, individual meetings, and seminars. This year the forum will be organised in a hybrid format.

    The film projects to be presented at Baltic Sea Docs 2021:

    9-Month Contract (Georgia)
    Directed by Ketevan Vashagashvili
    Produced by Nino Chichua, Anna Khazaradze / 1991 Productions

    The Cello (Finland)
    Directed by Kira Jääskeläinen
    Produced by Oona Saari / Illume Ltd

    Dedovshina (Uzbekistan, Tajikistan)
    Directed and produced by Elyor Nemat

    Exchange (Armenia)
    Directed by Aren Malakyan
    Produced by Vahagn Khachatryan, Sona Karapoghosyan / Ulik film production

    Father’s Children (Latvia)
    Directed by Karlis Lesins
    Produced by Dominiks Jarmakovics / Woodpecker Pictures

    Girls’ Stories (Poland)
    Directed by Aga Borzym
    Produced by Agnieszka Rostropowicz-Rutkowska, Marta Duzbabel / Pinot Films

    Happiness (Estonia, Russia)
    Directed by Dmitry Kubasov, Anastasia Murashkina
    Produced by Max Tuula, Maria Gavrilova / Marx Film

    The Invisibles (Poland)
    Directed by Piotr Bernaś
    Produced by Aleksandra Szczesna / Hasko Film

    Irena (Lithuania, Estonia, Bulgaria)
    Directed and produced by Giedre Zickyte / Moonmakers

    Machina Faust (Estonia)
    Directed and produced by Kaupo Kruusiauk / Flo Film OÜ

    The Manifesto of Tenderness (Russia)
    Directed by Ksenia Okhapkina
    Produced by Vlad Ketkovich / Etnofund

    Mara (France)
    Directed by Sasha Kulak
    Produced by Louis Beaudemont / Les Steppes Productions

    Moscow Nights (Ireland, Germany, Romania)
    Directed by Irina Maldea
    Produced by Brendan Culleton / akajava films

    Scarecrows (Latvia)
    Directed by Laila Pakalnina
    Produced by Uldis Cekulis / VFS FILMS

    Searching for the Goddess (Lithuania)
    Directed by Lina Lytė Plioplytė
    Produced by Andrėja Čebatavičiūtė / Moonmakers

    Stranded (Latvia)
    Directed by Stanislavs Tokalovs
    Produced by Guntis Trekteris / Ego Media

    Up in the Air (Ukraine)
    Directed by Oksana Syhareva
    Produced by Anna Kapustina / ALBATROS COMMUNICOS UKRAINE

    Upper Tensta, Stay or Go? (Sweden)
    Directed by Karin Wegsjö, Nazira Abzalova
    Produced by Karin Wegsjö / KW produktion ab

    Prior to the public pitching sessions, project teams will be provided with training opportunities to enhance their project presentations. The tutors of Baltic Sea Docs this year will be the documentary film consultants Tue Steen Müller and Mikael Opstrup (Denmark), Salomé Jashi (Georgia), director of Taming the Garden (2021) and The Dazzling Light of Sunset (2016), sales and acquisition expert Gitte Hansen (Switzerland), film editor Phil Jandaly (Sweden), and others.

    Film project pitching sessions will take place on 8-9 September. The projects will be presented to a panel of decision makers representing TV channels, sales and distribution companies such as MDR (Germany), YLE (Finland), Cats and Docs (France), BBC (UK), Al Jazeera (Qatar), TVP (Poland), LTV (Latvia). 

    In parallel to industry events, a film programme of international documentaries will be presented to the wider public, as well as an anniversary programme of films presented at Baltic Sea Docs at a project stage over the years. The screenings will be held in the cinema and online.

    Baltic Sea Docs is organised by the National Film Centre of Latvia and supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia, State Culture Capital Foundation (special programme “KultūrElpa”) and the Riga Municipality. More information about the selected film projects and the event is available on Baltic Sea Docs homepage: http://balticseadocs.lv/industry/