The 12th edition of the Baltic Pitching Forum (BPF) has revealed its line-up of short-film projects set to be pitched at the event running in Vilnius from 8-11 October. Over the years, BPF has garnered a reputation for showcasing emerging and talented filmmakers from the Baltic region and beyond, giving them valuable industry advice and experience from the industry professionals in attendance. 

This year’s Estonian projects include It is (Not) Yours by Carlos Santiago Ordoñez (produced by Edina Csüllög), a personal and impressionistic animation that explores such issues as emptiness and loneliness. Breadsong by Katariina Aule (staged by Andreas Kask) is a horror film with comedic elements about a peasant family living in the 19th century who encounter a pop song from the future. The third project, titled Saivo and helmed by Alesja Suzdaltseva (produced by Magnus Kristiansen), tells a family story set against the backdrop of Sámi traditions and explores the journey of two characters who deal with loss and grief in different ways. 

Latvian projects on offer include the fiction short film Boy With a Whistle by Jāzeps Podnieks (produced  by Emīlija Mikalauska). With a touch of magical realism, it tells the story of a boy who runs away from home and is soon confronted by life-changing events. The second project, also with some magical realism flair, is Ieva Aleksa’s Fen Fire (produced by Filips Rudolfs Smits). In it, a woman's journey home after a romantic setback becomes a test of integrity as she navigates an enchanting yet treacherous landscape. The third project from Latvia is 11 Ghosts of Fanny (directed and produced by Una Rozenbauma), a comedy about a nun who believes she must get pregnant to cure her cancer.

From Lithuania comes Madonna Terrible by Elžbieta Latėnaitė (staged by Greta Akcijonaitė), a fiction film project in which the main character grapples with the Church’s stance towards LGBTQIA+ individuals and faces the prospect of being an apostate. Meanwhile, Martynas Norvaišas' Suez (produced by Ieva Černiauskaitė) is an experimental affair which explores the state of being stuck and notions of escapism by combining a fictional, character-driven story with found footage. The third project is the animated film Tears of Stardust. Helmed by Vilma Razmutė and produced by Giedrė Burokaitė, it promises to be a powerful and personal story of a woman who deals with the death of her father. She then falls through the multiverse and touches other people who also need to undergo a journey of healing. 

This year's guest country is Croatia. The Croatian line-up is made up of Endless Summer by Paula Skelin (produced by Draško Ivezić), which explores generational conflict whilst delving into themes of belonging and detachment. Coming up next is Boiling Frog by Sara Alavanić (staged by Lucija Perić). The short tells the story of Kiki, who unpacks memories of a seemingly idyllic trip that ends in tragedy. The third project, Daria Stilin’s Just One Thing, is produced by Maja Gros and follows an ambitious small-town girl who accompanies her stubborn Grandpa on a trip during which both will learn more about each other. 

You can find out more about the selected projects here.

BPF kicks off in September for all the teams visiting the gathering with their own projects. They will take part in individual online consultations on their short-film scripts with Polish scriptwriting consultant Anna Bielak. During the main event in October, participants will engage in pitching training and attend open lectures by industry representatives. They will also present their projects to a panel of industry experts, who will provide feedback and select the winning projects. Further details on the panellists and lectures will be announced in mid-September.

The BPF Panel will award two Baltic short-film projects with participant rights to the European Short Film Co-production Forum Euro Connection, ​​which is a part of the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, and the ShorTO Film Market and its Pitching Session “You Only Pitch Twice.”

Moreover, the Baltic Producers Jury, consisting of three experienced producers from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, will pick the Best Short Film Project and award it with the Baltic Producers MEDIA Award (a €1,000 cash prize). ​​This award is open to all projects presented at the BPF.

The Baltic Pitching Forum is organised by the Lithuanian short film agency Lithuanian Shorts, which is financed by the Lithuanian Council for Culture, in association with the Riga International Short Film Festival 2ANNAS, the Riga International Film Festival and the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival’s PÖFF Shorts. The project is backed by the Lithuanian Film Centre, the Audiovisual Works Copyright Association AVAKA and the Vilnius City Municipality. Other partners include Creative Europe MEDIA Desks in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Croatia, the Italian Short Film Center and the Vilnius Film Office.

Here is the full list of this year’s selected projects:

Estonia

It is (Not) Yours - Carlos Santiago Ordoñez
Producer: Edina Csüllög

Breadsong - Katariina Aule 
Producer: Andreas Kask

Saivo - Alesja Suzdaltseva 
Producer: Magnus Kristiansen

Latvia

Boy With a Whistle - Jāzeps Podnieks 
Producer: Emīlija Mikalauska

Fen Fire - Ieva Aleksa
Producer: Filips Rudolfs Smits

11 Ghosts of Fanny - Una Rozenbauma (also producer)

Lithuania

Madonna Terrible - Elžbieta Latėnaitė 
Producer: Greta Akcijonaitė

Suez - Martynas Norvaišas
Producer: Ieva Černiauskaitė

Tears of Stardust - Vilma Razmutė 
Producer: Giedrė Burokaitė

Croatia

Endless Summer - Paula Skelin 
Producer: Draško Ivezić

Boiling Frog - Sara Alavanić
Producer: Lucija Perić

Just One Thing - Daria Stilin
Producer: Maja Gros