20/05/2006

Lithuanian filmmaker Kristijonas Vildžiunas’ You Am I, set to have its world premiere in Un Certain Regard on May 25, is heading the Croisette’s rich Baltic programme, which includes another seven feature films screening at the market.

You Am I is the second feature film by Vildžiunas, a former rock musician who turned his attention to film under the influence of his father, a film critic. The Lithuanian/German co-production between Uljana Kim Studio and Pandora Filmproduktion, supported by the MEDIA Programme, is being sold internationally by Pandora Film’s sales arm, The Match Factory.

Another Lithuanian film, Ignas Miškinis’ black comedy Diringas, was produced by this year’s Lithuanian Producer on The Move Ieva Norvilienė (see interview) while last year’s biggest local box office success, Forest of the Gods by Algimantas Puipa, a Lithuanian/German co-production, is being sold by London-based East/West Distribution. On the Estonian front, the animated children’s film Lotte, by Janno Poldma and Heiki Ernits, co-produced with Latvia, is being sold by Germany’s Sola Media, who just inked a deal with MFA Distribution for German and Austrian rights.

Katrin Laur's children’s film Ruudi, an Estonian/German/Finnish co-production that beat Ice Age in its second week of domestic release, is also getting a lot of attention at Cannes. The film is being sold by Germany’s Telepool, as is Peeter Simm’s Estonian/German drama Fed Up!. Peeter Urbla’s Shop Of Dreams, this year’s Estonian entry at the Oscars is being sold by EastWest Distribution. The only (though nevertheless high profile) Latvian film screening at the market is the animated The Three Musketeers by Latvia’s Janis Cimermanis and Denmark’s Gert Fredholm, co-produced in Latvia by Film Studio Aboom and in Denmark by Zentropa Entertainment. Trust Film Sales is handling sales.