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 fesival programme Alissa Simon – (Palm Springs IFF, Chicago IFF, USA).
Baltic Event Works in Progress
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.
International Works In Progress
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. 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.
Baltic Event Works in Progress 2019 selected projects:
1. Kids of the Night, directed by Priit Pääsuke, produced by Marianne Ostrat, Alexandra Film, Luxfilm, Estonia
2. 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
3. On the Water, directed by Peeter Simm, produced by Marju Lepp, Filmivabrik, Estonia
4. In the Mirror, directed by Laila Pakalniņa, produced by Laila Pakalniņa/Hargla Company, co-produced by Dagnė Vildžiūnaitė/Just a Moment, Latvia/Lithuania
5. The Pit, directed by Dace Pūce, produced by Kristele Pudane, Elīna Zazerska, Marana Productions, Latvia
6. 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
7. People We Know Are Confused, directed by Tomas Smulkis, produced by Dagnė Vildžiūnaitė, Just a Moment, Lithuania
8. Paralysis, directed by Andrius Blaževičius, produced by Marija Razgutė/M-Films, co-produced by Jakub Kostal/Bionaut Films, Lithuania/Czech Republic
9. Eden, directed by Ulla Heikkilä, produced by Miia Haavisto, Tekele Productions, Finland
10. Ladies of Steel, directed by Pamela Tola, produced by Aleksi Bardy, Dome Karukoski, Sirkka Rautiainen, Helsinki-Filmi, Finland
International Works in Progress 2019 selected projects:
1. Deskmate, directed by Ferit Karahan, produced by Kanat Doğramacı, Asteros Film, Turkey/Romania
2. Hungry Saints, directed by Marc Wilkins, produced by Joël Jent, Dschoint, Ventschr Filmproduktion, Switzerland, USA
3. One Thousand and One, directed by Clarisa Navas, produced by Diego Dubcovsky, Lucía Chávarri, Argentina
4. French Braid, directed by Lucas Turturro, produced by Diego Dubcovsky, Lucía Chávarri, Varsovia Films, Argentina/Germany
5. Schoko, directed by Sarah Blaßkiewitz, produced by Milena Klemke, Yvonne Wellie, Jakob D. Weydemann, Jonas Weydemann, Weydemann Bros. GmbH, Germany
6. Hilda, directed by Rishi Pelham, produced by Nassim Mniai, Tomos Roberts, United Kingdom
7. Far Frontiers, directed by Maxim Dashkin, produced by Denis Kovalevsky, Maxim Dashkin, Victoria Films, Russia, Kyrgyzstan
8. Stand Up, directed by Juraj Bohuš, produced by Katarína Krnáčová, Silverart, Slovak Republic
JURY
Dhanushka Gunathilake – Cinematographer, Festival curator (Sri Lanka)
Debra Liang – Level K (Denmark)
Alissa Simon – festival programmer Palm Springs IFF, Chicago IFF (USA), film critic, journalist
AWARDS
Post Production Award (10 000 Euros)
Baltic Event Works in Progress Award (3000 Euros)
PHOTO
Works in Progress session in 2018
Winner of Works in Progress Post Production Award in 2018 - Golden Voices
Winners of Industry@Tallinn &; Baltic Event Awards in 2018
ADDITIONAL INFOMATION
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PRESS ACCREDITATION
Press accreditation for the 23rd Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival and Industry@Tallinn &; Baltic Event is in progress. Please apply by clicking on the link below.