22-11-2025

Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event 2025 revealed the winners!

    Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event 2025 revealed the winners! source: POFF

    On November 21, the 24th Industry@Tallinn &; Baltic Event presented its awards at a joint closing ceremony with the Black Nights Film Festival. In total, 15 awards were given to film projects in various stages of scriptwriting, development, or post-production, along with two additional awards recognizing promising producers. Awards were also presented to the talents participating in Discovery Campus.

    Discovery Campus

    Music Meets Film "Director-Composer Lab: Composing the Cut" Workshop Award. The award includes a two-hours career mentoring session by Miriam Cutler.

    Winner: Nicolò Braghiroli

    The jury included: George Christopoulos, Miriam Cutler

    The jury commented: “The Music Meets Film Award, presented by OTICONS Film Music Agency, is given to an emerging composer who demonstrates outstanding creative skills and artistic promise during the workshop with Baltic Film, Media and Arts School “Director-Composer Lab: Composing the Cut”, led by renowned film composer Miriam Cutler. The combined skillset of a great film composer at work was showcased during the creative process, and that is how efficiently they collaborated with the director and how effectively they converted that collaboration into a score that worked with the narrative. That rare skillset is what makes this talent one to keep an eye on for the future. The award is presented by George Christopoulos, founder of OTICONS.”

    Best upcoming cinematographer of Frame Within a Frame 2025  

    The winner is awarded a Golden Ticket to the ‘Cinematography lab’ workshop on Focus pulling by Team 4 Set.

    Winners: 

    • Gemma De Miguel Morell from Spain for the film Cura Sana.
    • Tanel Topaasia from Estonia for In Between

    The jury commented: “The Frame Within a Frame Golden Tickets for the cinematography film; lab by Team4Set are awarded to two films celebrating visual mastery: one for its vibrant, raw aesthetic and dynamic camerawork, and the other for its masterful use of lenses and contrast, painting with light.”

    The jury included: Steve Calavitis, Ville Penttilä, Rauno Ronkainen, John-Christian Rosenlund, Philippe Ros.

    Frame Within a Frame Lens Award by ARRI is an award for the best cinematographer, celebrating their profound contribution to the art and techniques of cinematography.

    Winner: Jolinna Ang from Singapore for the film I’ll Leave You Words .

    The jury commented: “For a work of striking visual poetry, this beautifully shot film captivates with magical colours, fluid compositions, and a rhythmic harmony of movement and montage. A film whose cinematography not only supports its story, but seems to breathe it into being.”

    The jury included: Steve Calavitis (ARRI / Camera Nordic), Philippe Ros (Co-Chair IMAGO Technical Committee), Ville Penttilä (Member - International Cinema Lighting Society)

    The Black Nights Stars 

    The actors and actresses attending the Black Nights Stars 2025 received The Black Nights Film Festival and International Casting Directors Association Awards.

    The awards were presented to Freddie Mosten Jacob, Karolina Bruchnicka, Kasparas Varanavičius, Kristiin Räägel, Saku Taittonen, Samirah Breuer, Tessa Hoder and Ursel Tilk.  

    Script Pool

    Script Pool Award was given to the most promising project receiving an exclusive opportunity to attend The Write Retreat in Mallorca, presented by TEGOS Legal.

    Winner: White Ship
    Writer and Director: Teresa Väli
    Producer: Inger Põder
    Production company: Homeless Bob Production, Estonia

    The jury commented: “Thank you to all five teams for sharing their promising projects with us. It’s a privilege to have had access to your work. One project has stood out as the winner today for its bold, emotionally resonant, and universally relevant story that has the potential to speak powerfully to audiences of every generation. The director’s short films and strong cinematic ambition for her first feature has convinced us to grant White Ship the opportunity of making the most out of the writing retreat.”

    The jury included: Yana Georgieva, Head of Sales at Bankside, UK; Camille Segura consultant, France and Per Damgaard Hansen, producers at Paloma Productions, Denmark.

    Script Pool Public Favourite Award: 
    Winner: Apoteos
    Written and directed by: Christofer Nilsson
    Producer: Annegret Kunath
    Production company: Råttunge Produktion, Sweden 

    The winner will receive two free accreditations for Industry@Tallinn @ Baltic Event 2026. 

     

    European Genre Forum

    The European Genre Forum was given to the most promising project receiving a 25,000 euro award by a virtual production studio ATM Virtual consisting of one day rental of an LED stage, preceded by one day of pre-lighting for the production of a selected film.

    Winner: Little Bird
    Writer and Director: Faye Jackson
    Producer: Carley Armstrong
    Production company: True Moon Pictures (United Kingdom)

    The jury commented: “Little Bird is an ideal candidate for an ATM Virtual award because it perfectly demonstrates the creative potential and technical necessity of Virtual Production.

    • High-Impact Visuals: The project requires complex supernatural environments (Hell's portal, the Devil's domain) and demanding flying sequences, which are precisely what VP stages excel at producing efficiently and realistically.
    • Demonstrates VP Value: The story's core need for accurate interactive lighting (infernal glow, high altitude light) and immersive real-time environments makes it a powerful showcase for the superior quality and efficiency of in-camera VFX.
    • Unique Storytelling: Awarding this project helps ATM Virtual support innovative, ambitious genre filmmaking and allows filmmakers to execute grand visual ideas that might otherwise be budget-prohibitive.

    The one day of VP stage time would allow the team to capture a crucial, visually challenging scene (like the initial portal opening or a key flying moment) with professional-grade, high-fidelity backgrounds and lighting.”

    Works in Progress

    Special Award by TRT. The winner will be granted 5000 euros (by TRT - The Turkish Radio and Television Corporation).

    Winner: Dice-Cing-o-Mat
    Writer and director: Kristijonas Vildziunas
    Producer: Uljana Kim
    Production company: Studio Uljana Kim, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia

    The jury commented: “Based on the emotions experienced during the pandemic period, which affected the entire world and physically distanced us from one another, and through a father’s quest for identity and the rebuilding of family bonds, enriched with fantastical elements and presented with a strong directorial style and a nuanced narrative approach, the Lithuania–Estonia–Latvia co-production Dice-Cing-o-Mat has been awarded the TRT Award.”

    The jury included: TRT representatives Esra Demirkiran, Faruk Güven.

     

    Best International Project winner will be granted 7000 euros, consisting of 6000 euros worth of services by Studio Beep, together with 1000 euros travel allowance.

    Winner: Prince
    Writer and director: Federico Borgia
    Producer: Francisco Magnou, Isabel Garcia, Pancho Magnou
    Production company: Montelona, Argentina, Uruguay

    The jury commented: “For its evocative, visually rich imagery and the sense that this is a story we genuinely want to see unfold — a work that lingered with us long after viewing.”

    The jury included: Zadig Paloyan, International Sales Executive, Le Pacte, France; Arnon Manor, Vice President of Visual Effects at Sony Pictures; independent filmmaker, writer, producer, and director, USA; Amaia Serrulla, Head of Films and Documentation Department, San Sebastián International Film Festival, Spain.


    International Works in Progress Public Favourite Award: 

    Winner: The Convulsions
    Writer and director: Blanca Camell Galí, Anna Zisman, David Gutiérrez Camps
    Producer: Joan Carles Martorell, Iréna Lopez, Luis Ortas, Alice Baldo, Miguel Ángel Abuja, Pablo Gregorio Venegas
    Production company: Auca Films, Bapla Films, Timber Films, Cinetica Produccions, IMY Productions, France, Spain

    The winner will receive two free accreditations for Industry@Tallinn @ Baltic Event 2026. 

    Best Baltic Project winner will be granted 7000 euros, consisting of 6000 euros worth of services by Studio Beep, together with 1000 euros travel allowance.

    Winner: Dice-Ching-O-Mat
    Writer and director: Kristijonas Vildziunas
    Producer: Uljana Kim
    Production company: Studio Uljana Kim, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia

    The jury commented: “For the compelling blend of a fantasy-leaning proposal with the emotional challenge faced by the protagonist, and for making us eager to see how this takes shape both visually and narratively.” 

    The jury included: Zadig Paloyan, International Sales Executive, Le Pacte, France; Arnon Manor, Vice President of Visual Effects at Sony Pictures; independent filmmaker, writer, producer, and director, USA; Amaia Serrulla, Head of Films and Documentation Department; San Sebastián International Film Festival, Spain

    Baltic Event Works in Progress Public Favourite Award: 

    Winner: Lex Julia
    Writer and director: Laura Hyppönen
    Producer: Merja Ritola, Co-produced by Magdalena Zimecka, Marianne Ostrat, Marta Krzeptowska, Daniel Lägersten
    Production company: Greenlit Productions Oy, Finland, Estonia, Sweden, Poland

    The winner will receive two free accreditations for Industry@Tallinn @ Baltic Event 2026. 

    The Best Just Film Project received a 1000 euro monetary prize to help the film gain visibility by covering promotion and publicity costs.

    Winner: Suiza
    Writer and director: Maria Fernanda Gonzales
    Producer: Norma Velásquez
    Production company: Lucuma Salvaje, Suena Peru, Argentina, Peru

    The jury commented: Suiza impresses with a strong and striking visual style that grabs you right away. The three young protagonists bring a bold, dynamic energy to the film and the rough, unpolished feel makes the story even more authentic. The themes of growing up are very relatable, they allow a young audience to easily identify with the film. And the city of Lima really becomes a character of its own, adding depth and atmosphere to the film.

    The jury included: Marjo Kovanen, PhD, Head of the Unit for the Promotion of Audiovisual Culture at KAVI, National Audiovisual Institute, Finland; Meel Paliale, Director (“Rolling Papers”); Veerle Snijders Head of Netwerk Filmeducatie at the Eye Film Museum in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

    Just Film Works in Progress Public Favourite Award: 
    Winner: Suiza
    Writer and director: Maria Fernanda Gonzales
    Producer: Norma Velásquez
    Production company: Lucuma Salvaje, Suena Peru, Argentina, Peru

    The winner will receive two free accreditations for Industry@Tallinn @ Baltic Event 2026. 

    Baltic Event Co-Production Market

    Baltic Event Co-Production Best Project was handed the Eurimages Co-Production Development Award of €20 000.

    Winner: The Well
    Writer and director: Petra Koivula, Siiri Halko
    Producer: Jenni Jauri
    Production company: Silmu Films, Finland

    The jury commented: The Well offers a nuanced and emotionally perceptive portrait of a sisterly relationship destabilized by changing roles in a family. The film’s blend of social and quiet magical realism promises a distinctive, atmospheric aesthetic. The story’s thematic resonance around identity, foster care, and emotional dependency gives it substantial artistic weight while at the same time allowing it to relate to relational shifts occurring in many families. The jury believes that this promising debut of young director Siiri Halko, produced by Jenni Jauri has the potential to be deeply affecting and cinematic."

    The jury included: Els Hendrix, Senior Adviser at the Federal Commssioner for Culture and the Media (BKM) and German representative to Eurimages; Katrin Pors, producer at Snowglobe, Denmark; Jörg Schneider, commissioning editor at ZDF, Germany.

     

    The jury also handed out the Eurimages Special Co-Production Development Award to an Ukrainian project of €20 000.

    Winner: Alice wants to live
    Writer and director: Denys Sabolev, Vitaliy Dokalenko
    Producer: Andrejs Ekis, Vitaliy Dokalenko
    Production company: Ganzafilm

    The jury commented: “Alice wants to live allows for a deeply atmospheric and emotionally truthful depiction of post-traumatic intimacy. Sadly enough, we all know that the trauma still continues. Kyiv is portrayed not as a battlefield but as a lived-in, wounded landscape, giving the film a quietly resonant authenticity that distinguishes it from more conventional war dramas.”

    Producers Network Prize for two promising young producers. The award was one free pass to Producers’ Network 2026 awarded by Cannes Marché du Film.

    Winner: No salvation coming
    Writer and director: Vojtěch Strakatý
    Producer: Jan Čadek
    Production company: Beginner's Mind, Czechia

    The jury commented: “This project offers a grounded, socially conscious heist narrative that compellingly reflects the precarity of young adults trapped by debt, underpaid work, and housing insecurity.” 

    Winner: Vesna
    Writer and Director: Rostislav Kirpicenko
    Producer: Stasys Baltakis, Vitalii Sheremetiev, Helena Pokorny, Oleksii Zgonik
    Production company: Film Jam, Matka Films, Ukraine, France, Lithuania

    The jury commented: “Vesna is an authentic drama with emotional depth exploring the challenge to survive under Russian occupation.” 

    Baltic Event Co-Production Market Public Favourite Award: 

    Winner: The Queen of England Stole My Parents
    Writer: Aleksandra Chmielewska 
    Director: Ernestas Jankauskas
    Writer-Producer: Gabija Siurbytė
    Producer: Viktorija Rimkute
    Production company: Dansu Films, Lithuania, Poland

    The public favourite award winner in the Baltic Event Co-Production Market category will receive an award worth 4500 euros from Gorodenkoff Productions that consists of using their virtual production studio for one day.

    PHOTOS of the award ceremony