The 26^th edition of the Vilnius International Film Festival “Kino Pavasaris” will be running entirely virtually from 18 March-5 April, bringing the Lithuanian audience a selection of 104 feature films and 44 shorts across various sections. It also invites viewers to answer the question “To Act or/and To Be?” in order to “carefully look inwards, and observe global developments and their effect on us as individuals, as a society and as living organisms”, as artistic director Mantė Valiūnaitė explains. The festival will open with the Golden Bear winner There Is No Evil [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Mohammad Rasoulof.

Furthermore, in partnership with the hotel industry, the festival is launching the “Staycation with Kino Pavasaris” experience. Viewers will be able to transport their digital screenings from their sofas to six selected hotels in Vilnius. By checking in for an overnight stay, they can enjoy unlimited access to the festival films and even the red carpet. Algirdas Ramaška, CEO of the Vilnius International Film Festival, explains: “When you cannot go outside and the media is blowing up with negativity, it is hard to stay sane. We help people to redirect their attention to more positive thoughts.”

In the European Debut Competition, ten films will be available for streaming, and the section will be opened by the out-of-competition title Gagarin [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Fanny Liatard e Jérémy Tro…
scheda film] by Fanny Liatard and Jérémy Trouilh (France). The section includes the national premiere of People We Know Are Confused [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Lithuanian filmmaker Tomas Smulkis, which follows the experiences of people living in Vilnius, and the rest of the films in this strand are Bad Roads [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Natalya Vorozhbit
scheda film] by Natalya Vorozhbit (Ukraine), Feast [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Tim Leyendekker
scheda film] by Tim Leyendekker (Netherlands), Gritt [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Itonje Søimer Guttormsen
scheda film] by Itonje Søimer Guttormsen (Norway), Looking for Venera [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Norika Sefa
scheda film] by Norika Sefa (Kosovo), Mighty Flash [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Ainhoa Rodríguez
scheda film] by Ainhoa Rodríguez (Spain), Moon, 66 Questions [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Jacqueline Lentzou
scheda film] by Jacqueline Lentzou (Greece/France), Natural Light [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Dénes Nagy
scheda film] by Dénes Nagy (Latvia/Germany/Hungary/France), Rascal [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Peter Dourountzis
scheda film] by Peter Dourountzis (France) and Why Not You [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Evi Romen (Austria/Belgium). The jury of this section includes Venice Days artistic director Gaia Furrer, Canadian filmmaker Denis Côté, MUBI VP of content Daniel Kasman, Lithuanian producer and M-films founder Marija Razgutė, and Hungarian filmmaker Lili Horvát.

In addition, 33 titles have been selected for the Short Competition, with six of them helmed by Lithuanian filmmakers. The jury of this section comprises film critic and Cannes Critics’ Week programmer Nanako Tsukidate, director and cinematographer Camille Degeye, and filmmaker Ignas Meilūnas.

Some of the standout movies selected in other sections of the Vilnius IFF are Radu Jude’s provocative satire Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Radu Jude
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scheda film]. The festival will close with Apples [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Christos Nikou
scheda film] by first-time Greek filmmaker Christos Nikou.

The whole festival will run on Vinlius IFF’s own virtual cinema platform, which has already been launched, aiming to offer comparable levels of quality and a similar experience to the biggest virtual festivals around the world.