10/03/2026 - The Lithuanian producer sees documentary filmmaking as a way to bring people together and inspire them to actually do something about the issues they care about

Ringailė Leščinskienė has been a film producer since 2008 and is the CEO of three companies in film, TV, and advertising, including Zero Copy Reel, which specializes in documentaries. She holds an MA in Arts Management in Cinema from LMTA. Her films have been presented at festivals such as CPH:DOX, Tallinn Black Nights, EFM Berlinale, IDFA, and others. She mentors in the Lithuanian Shorts Mentorship Program, participates in the EsoDoc programme, and lectures at Vilnius Tech University’s Faculty of Creative Industries. An interview with her, now selected for the 2026 Emerging Producers programme (read her EP profile here).

Why do you produce documentaries? Do you see documentary cinema as an instrument of social and political change?
Ringailė Leščinskienė: I believe documentaries have this unique ability to show the messy, complicated parts of life and actually get people thinking about change. Documentaries give a voice to stuff that usually gets ignored.

I'm particularly into social docs that use irony and humor – because if everything is too heavy and serious, people just tune out. When you can make someone laugh while also making them think, that's when real connection happens. It brings people together and gets conversations started.

I see documentary filmmaking as more than just making films – it’s a social movement. A way to bring people together and maybe inspire them to actually do something about the issues we care about.

How do you achieve and maintain work-life balance and foster overall well-being?
Work-life balance is definitely something I'm always working on. For me, it helps that I'm genuinely passionate about the social documentary work I do – so it doesn't always feel like "work".

I try to set boundaries, making sure I have time to just think and reflect, and also time to chill and take care of myself. Hanging out with people in my community who care about similar things really helps me recharge. Whether it’s having deep conversations, doing volunteer stuff, or just watching films that inspire me – all of that feeds my creativity.

One thing I've started doing is immersing myself in the topics we work on. Right now, we're focusing on the deaf community, so I'm learning sign language. It helps me understand their world better and make more authentic connections.

The balance for me is about living in a way that’s aligned with what I actually care about – staying connected to people, advocating for important issues, and taking care of myself so I don't burn out. That way I can keep making docs that will hopefully make a difference!

Where do you find audiences for your films?
Finding audiences is all about going where the communities are. I connect with groups and organizations that already care about the topics in my films. So if I'm making something about the deaf community, I'll reach out to their local organizations and try to participate in their events – connecting with people who actually have a stake in these stories.

Social media has also been huge. Sharing clips and behind-the-scenes stuff helps start conversations and attract people who care. Plus film festivals and screenings are great for meeting other filmmakers and audience members who appreciate this kind of storytelling.

It’s about building genuine relationships with people who share your passion for meaningful stories and social change. It's not just about promoting your film – you’re building a community around the issues that matter to everyone involved.

What projects do you have underway?
Currently, I’m working on a total of seven films in development and production: See What I Say (by Arturas Jevdokimovas, doc & XR immersive, 2028, Lithuania/Italy/Ukraine); DNA of a Nation (by Ivan Sautkin, doc, 2027, Lithuania/Ukraine); And Then They Came (by Benas Gerdžiūnas, debut doc, 2027, Lithuania); The Real Story of Anthology (by Julius Ziz and Arturas Jevdokimovas, doc 2028, Lithuania/USA); Hermann (by Šarūnas Mikulskis, doc 2027, Lithuania/Italy/Germany); Los Gigantes (by Gabriele Vaicekauskaitė, debut short film 2028, Lithuania/Spain); The Shadow (by Polina Kelm, doc, 2029, Lithuania/Ukraine).

In addition, we have two films in distribution: Life and Death of a Christmas Tree (by Arturas Jevdokimovas, doc, 2023, Lithuania/Denmark/Georgia); and A Poem for Little People (by Ivan Sautkin, doc, 2023, Ukraine/Lithuania/UK).

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EMERGING PRODUCERS is a leading promotional and educational project, which brings together talented European documentary film producers. The programme is organised and curated by the Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival.

Deadline for applications to the EMERGING PRODUCERS 2027 edition is 31st March 2026.