The Baltic Event Co-Production Market starts on December 1st, and presents a slate of 12 projects chosen from the Baltics, Scandinavia, Central-Eastern Europe, and Russia. The market occurs in the framework of Baltic Event, which takes place in Tallinn, Estonia from November 30-December 3, 2008, and presents a complete package of the latest information about the regional film industry in the Baltics.

The BE Co-Production Market saw a welcome increase in the number of submissions in 2008, which strengthened the pool of selected projects and allowed for diversity in the origin, subject matter, and genre of the selected projects.

The selection committee commented on their decisions: We are particularly happy about the large percentage of first and second features presented among the projects at Baltic Event, as one of the primary goals of the co-production market is to support young, emerging talent from the region. Eight of the selected 12 projects at the market are first or second feature films for the directors.

Noteworthy projects include Russia's Tandem Pictures, who brings together experienced producer and co-production partner Anna Katchko with young talent Elena Hazanov (The Translator, 2006, Locarno IFF) for the EAVE-developed project Illuminated Night. Arto Halonen of Finland's Art Films production Ltd. brings his vast documentary filmmaking experience to his foray into the feature film arena with his new, based-on-a-true-story, film project Princess.

The Baltics also take a strong stand at the market, as usual. Latvian director Viesturs Kairiss (The Dark Deer, 2006, Karlovy Vary IFF) brings his new project, The Enthusiast, to the market, again teaming up with experienced producer Guntis Trekteris but under the young company Ego Media. Experienced Lithuanian director Audrius Juzenas and producer Algis Semeskevicius of the film studio CineMark come to the market with their historical project The Excursionist. And Janis Nords (The Tension, Film Stuido TANKA, Latvia) and Jaak Kilmi (Money First, Eetriüksus, Estonia) round out the Baltic slate, both presenting their second cinema feature projects.

Baltic Event presents a special focus on Ukraine for its 2008 edition, including a presentation of the Ukrainian film industry. This cooperation also procured one of the more unique projects on the slate, Cannes 2006 Prix Regards Jeune winner Kirill Mikhanovsky's new feature Fuga Mortis produced under Olena Yershova and Oleg Kokhan at Sota Cinema Group (Ukraine).

The BE Co-Production Market team is already busy scheduling one-to-one meetings and preparing to welcome our almost 200 international guests from over 20 countries, including sales agents, distributors, festival representatives, press, and foreign producers. Interest among potential co-production and pre-sales partners in attending the event has also increased in 2008.

Selected projects for Baltic Event co-production market 2008:

l Dig Deeper, ZK Studio, Poland,
Prod: Ewa Zukowska, dir: Konrad Szolajski
l Don't Look Back, Filmpartners, Hungary
Prod: Gábor Kovács, dir: Denes Nagy
l Fuga Mortis, Sota Cinema Group, Ukraine
Prod: Oleg Kokhan, Olena Yershova, dir: Kirill Mikhanovsky
l Illuminated Night, Tandem Pictures, Russia
Prod: Anna Katchko, dir: Elena Hazanov
l Money First, Eetriüksus, Estonia
Prod: Artur Talvik, dir: Jaak Kilmi
l One Step Behind the Seraphim, Hifilm, Romania
Prod: Ada Solomon, dir: Daniel Sandu
l Princess, Art Films Production, Finland
Prod & dir: Arto Halonen
l Rundown, Európa Film & Communications, Hungary
Prod: Péter Miklós Tóth, dir: Zsombor Dyga
l The Enthusiast, Ego Media, Latvia
Prod: Guntis Trekteris & Marta Bite, dir: Viesturs Kairiss
l The Excursionist, СineMark, Lithuania
Prod: Algis Semeskevicius, dir: Audrius Juzėnas
l The Tension, Film Studio TANKA, Latvia
Prod: Alise Gelze, dir: Janis Nords
l Young Sophie Bell, Breidablick Film, Sweden
Prod: Sandra Harms, dir: Amanda Adolfsson



Additional information:

www.poff.ee/balticevent

Lili Pilt,
Baltic Event co-production market manager
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+372 533 24 618

Riina Sildos
Baltic Event general manager
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+372 50 48 985

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Lili Pilt
Baltic Event
Co-production market
+372 533 24 618
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.