SIBIU: The 7th edition of the ESTE FILM Festival, which was held in Sibiu, Romania 10 -14 May 2023, launched the first edition of LINE-UP: International Academy & Networking for Festival Managers, an annual meeting for European managers of film and theatre festivals, academic professors and students.

Baltic Sea Forum for Documentaries (BSD) is the most important documentary co-financing pitching event in the Baltic countries, taking place in Riga, Latvia. The 27th edition is scheduled to take place onsite from 3 – 10 September 2023. The call for projects is open now and will close on 12 June.

BRATISLAVA: The young Slovak director/writer Dominik György is in preparation with his debut feature, the historical drama House in the Middle / Dom Uprosted. The Slovak/Czech coproduction is heading for the 76th Cannes’s Marché du Film to look for coproducers and partners.

CLUJ-NAPOCA: Nine long films (feature films and long documentaries) as well as 16 short films have been selected for the Romanian Days competition at the 22nd edition of the Transilvania IFF (TIFF, 9 – 18 June 2023).

Leading industry event, running from 10-13 October, calls for filmmakers from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and - 2023 guest country - Greece to submit projects.

LJUBLJANA: Berlin-based Picture Tree International has picked up the upcoming film by Slovenian director Žiga Virc Shooting Blanks (aka The Last Hero / Poslednji heroj), which is currently in postproduction and will have a private screening at the Marché du Film in Cannes (16 – 24 May 2023).

BUCHAREST: The social Democratic Romanian leader Marcel Ciolacu, who will become Prime Minister at the end of May 2023, has promised that the new Government would re-launch the cash rebate scheme, which halted in 2020. Overdue sums will also be paid, Ciolacu said.

The festival organiser is the Georgian-Lithuanian community “Labas”. The event is funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture, Global Lithuania, Tbilisi City Municipality, Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Georgia, and the Audiovisual Works Copyright Association AVAKA.

CLUJ-NAPOCA: Twelve films directed by first and second-time filmmakers have been selected for the main competition of the 22nd Transilvania International Film Festival (TIFF), which will be held in Cluj-Napoca, Romania 9 – 18 June 2023. The titles for the What's Up, Doc? competition were also announced on 9 May 2023. Geoffrey Rush will receive the Transilvania Lifetime Achievement Award.

BUDAPEST: The historical drama La Chambre de Mariana directed by Emmanuel Finkiel and starring Mélanie Thierry is currently shooting in Hungary.