17/09/2015 - The film industries from neighbouring countries have partnered up for a Baltic Sea expedition

Together with the Polish Film Institute and Film Commission Poland, the Lithuanian Film Centre has initiated a unique project – an expeditionary workshop for Lithuanian and Polish producers on a route across the Baltic Sea.

Twelve film producers from Lithuania and Poland spent last weekend on the deck of the Brabander and embarked on a voyage from the seaport of the Lithuanian town of Klaipėda. The sailing boat then reached the Polish coastal town of Gdynia just before the opening ceremony of the 40th Gdynia Film Festival.

“The idea was to encourage Lithuanian and Polish filmmakers to create movies together using unusual platforms and to encourage ways of meeting that would lead to co-productions. Lithuania and Poland are connected by the Baltic Sea, while the Brabander connected the filmmakers from the two countries as well as their ideas and plans – co-productions reflecting the common history, culture and events of the two nations are expected to be born from this endeavour in a few years. I strongly hope that this story of the sailing boat will encourage Lithuanian and Polish filmmakers to create great films together,” said Liana Ruokytė-Jonsson, the initiator of the project, and head of the Film Promotion, Information and Heritage Department of the Lithuanian Film Centre.

Film-industry professionals travelling on the boat discussed potential joint projects that covered feature films, documentaries and animations. During the trip, there were also creative workshops. The two-day voyage saw producers become a ship’s crew and work as a team while discussing projects, looking for co-production partners and sharing ideas.