Kafka. In Love, the latest animated short film by Latvian director Zane Oborenko, will have its national premiere at the Riga International Film Festival on October 23rd, followed by the international premiere at the POFF in Estonia. Inspired by the famed Letters to Milena by Franz Kafka, the film explores the complex emotional landscape of falling in love,  as revealed through Kafka’s intimate correspondence with Milena Jesenská. Oborenko’s use of sand animation brings a uniquely delicate texture to this portrayal of love, loneliness, and self-discovery.

Edmunds Jansons, the acclaimed Latvian director, has just premiered his latest animated short film, Freeride in C, at the Ottawa International Animation Festival, signalling  a promising start to its festival circuit. This experimental animation explores the world of winter sports, showcasing skiers as they navigate snow-covered mountains. Jansons emphasises the strong interplay between sound and movement, using Terry Riley’s In C as a foundational element to create an engaging and rhythmic experience.

This year, the 12th edition of the Baltic Pitching Forum (BPF) welcomed filmmaking talents from the Baltic countries and Croatia to the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius. Pitching twelve projects to key industry figures, alongside participating in a series of talks, lectures, and training sessions, the attendees benefited from an event that continues to be regarded as one of the most important industry showcases in the Baltic region.

In mid-September, a week-long workshop dedicated to cinematic storytelling took place at Le Groupe Ouest, in Brittany, on the far western edge of Europe. The event brought together six writer-directors, and six film commissioners and producers from Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. This workshop was part of LIM | Less is More, the European feature film development programme, in partnership with Lithuanian Film Centre, Estonian Film Institute and National Film Centre of Latvia.

Oct 15 | 17:00 (CEST) | Online | Free of charge with registration