It is obvious what Baltic Wave audiences love best
Now we know what Baltic Wave audiences love best
Baltic Wave audiences have decided on their favorites
Baltic Wave audience made their favorites clear
The traditional international Baltic Wave film festival in Neringa dedicated to promotion of Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian films ended on Thursday.
For a second summer in the row, the audiences were invited to vote for the films they liked best. This year documentary Acid Forest (dir. Rugilė Barzdžiukaitė) received the most votes and received Vėtrungė (eng. weathervane) prize founded by Neringa Municipality Council. In the centre of director’s attention – an observation area in Juodkrantė for the breeding grounds of cormorants, to which people flood to observe the dead forest. In the meantime, the people are observed by thousands of birds. The film premiered at the Locarno International Film Festival, and the creator was awarded First Feature Swatch Art Peace Hotel Award. At the Zinebi International Festival of Documentary and Short Film in Spain, the film received the main prize for a full-length debut. Acid Forest was shown at the international film festivals in Italy, Iceland, Greece, Czech Republic, Latvia, Georgia, Germany, Finland, Estonia, various states in the USA, Australia, etc.
Two Lithuanian Filmmakers Union diplomas and prizes will be awarded to another two films that gathered many votes from the audiences - feature film Summer Survivors directed by Marija Kavtaradzė and a new documentary Animus animalis (A Story about People, Animals and Things) directed by Aistė Žegulytė which will begin its journey in cinemas from 13th September this year.
The directors will receive their prizes in Vilnius, at the opening of the Lithuanian Filmmakers Union Film Club, in the middle of September at the beginning of the film cycle Echoes of the Baltic Wave. The cycle will be begun by a poetic documentary programme Tiny Masterpieces which garnered much interest and compliments in this year’s festival.
From 25th to 29th August, 26 documentary and feature films of varying lengths from all three Baltic states were shown at the Baltic Wave festival; two short films Two of Us dir. Elena Kairytė and Last Day of School dir. Gabrielė Urbonaitė premiered at the festival.
For a decade the festival took place in Nida, but this year due to closing down of the “Agila” centre building, for the first time it took place in Juodkrantė, a couple of sessions took place at Nida community house.
“The atmosphere of Juodkrantė perfecly matched the spirit of our festival. We rejoice, that we were welcomed here, we could share information about new projects with our festival guests from Latvia, Estonia, as well as our impressions about are collaborative creative projects, the number of which is increasing. We hope to continue the Baltic Wave film festival traditions in Nida and in Juodkrantė in the future“, - spoke the director of the Lithuanian Filmmakers union, producer Ieva Norvilienė.
The organisers of the festival - Lithuanian Filmmakers union, Nida culture and tourism centre Agila, the main sponsors of the festival – Lithuanian Film Centre, Lithuanian Council for Culture, Neriga Municipality Council, Liudvikas Rėza Culture Centre, Švyturys, Rokiškio sūris, “Ąžuolynas“ holiday home.
