Baltic Cinema Hits New York and London Screens

This week, two Baltic film festivals will take place in New York and London, showcasing the latest works by filmmakers from Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. These events, now a tradition, attract a large audience of movie lovers each year, offering a chance to explore the diversity of the region’s creative output and watch films recognized internationally.

“It is a great honor for us to continue the Baltic Film Festivals in New York and London – cities that hold a special place on the world cultural map. These events help introduce our region’s cinema to a wider audience and strengthen the international profile of the Baltic countries. It is exciting to see the growing interest, and even more rewarding that some creators can present their films themselves and share their experiences with the audience,” said Laimonas Ubavičius, Director of the Lithuanian Film Centre.

The 8th New York Baltic Film Festival will feature five Lithuanian films: Gabrielė Urbonaitė’s Renovation, Vytautas Puidokas’ documentary Murmuring Hearts, and the short films Sujip (dir. Gintarė Parulytė) and Left-Handed Pen (dir. Adas Burkšaitis). The festival will conclude with Vytautas Katkus’ The Visitor, which premiered in Lithuanian cinemas in September.

“Since the New York Baltic Film Festival was founded eight years ago, we have seen an exponential growth in the stature and importance of Baltic cinema, with major wins at film festivals including last year’s Oscar for Flow, the first Latvian film to achieve an Academy Award. A new generation of filmmakers is emerging with a distinct, brave and unique voice; meanwhile, older masters of Baltic cinema continue to produce films of the highest caliber. This year’s NYBFF will explore contemporary issues with an outlook to the future – which couldn’t be brighter. Please join us in November to see the world through Baltic eyes,” said Kyle Reinhart, festival programmer.

The Visitor, set at the end of summer, tells the story of Danielius, who returns to his childhood home in a small resort town to sell it. The film had its world premiere in July at the prestigious Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, where Katkus won the Best Director award. In London, the film will be presented by Julija Reklaitė, Director of the Lithuanian Culture Institute.

Renovation, also first shown at Karlovy Vary, explores the life of 29-year-old Ilona, whose routine is disrupted when an unexpected renovation begins in her new apartment. The film will be discussed by lead actress Žygimantė Elena Jakštaitė and editor Armandas Začs. It is set to premiere in Lithuanian cinemas this spring.

Vytautas Puidokas’ documentary Murmuring Hearts, awarded the Silver Crane for Best Documentary this year, takes viewers into a remote community of people recovering from addiction, showing daily life through the eyes of a 14-year-old boy living there. The director will attend the screening.

In the short film program Baltic Shorts, Sujip, which also won a Silver Crane, tells of Aleksandras’ first day at a new job, when he receives a phone call from a man intent on ending his life. Meanwhile, Left-Handed Pen explores a moral dilemma faced by a mathematics teacher after discovering that her son will fail an exam. Following its screening at last year’s Riga International Film Festival, the film was chosen as a candidate for the European Film Awards in the Best Short Film category.

Festival screenings in New York will take place from November 5–9 at the Scandinavia House, and films will be available virtually in the U.S. from November 10–16. Audiences will also be able to see previous festival favorites online: Remember to Blink (dir. Austėja Urbaitė), Summer Survivors (dir. Marija Kavtaradze), and the Lithuanian co-production Oleg (dir. Juris Kursietis, co-prod. Lukas Trimonis).

The New York Baltic Film Festival is organized by the Consulate General of Lithuania in New York, the Embassy of Estonia in Washington D.C., and Daris Delins, Honorary Consul for Latvia in Vermont, with support from the Lithuanian Film Centre, National Film Centre of Latvia and Estonian Film Institute.

Renovation will be the opening film of the 5th London Baltic Film Festival, taking place from November 7–12, where director Urbonaitė will discuss her creative process with audiences.

The London program will also feature one of the most acclaimed recent Lithuanian films, Toxic (dir. Saulė Bliuvaitė), along with two Lithuanian co-productions: Maria’s Silence (dir. Dāvis Sīmanis, co-prod. Justė Michailinaitė, Kęstutis Drazdauskas) and the short film On Weary Wings Go By (dir. Anu-Laura Tuttelberg, co-prod. Agnė Adomėnė).

Toxic, portraying the life of teenagers in a bleak industrial neighborhood, won the main prize at the Locarno Film Festival last year, received a nomination for the European Film Awards, and has screened worldwide. In early summer, it received three Silver Cranes – for Best Actress (Ieva Rupeikaitė), Cinematography (Vytautas Katkus), and Score (Gediminas Jakubka). The film will be presented by lead actresses I. Rupeikaitė and Vesta Matulytė.

The Latvian-Lithuanian film Maria’s Silence is a historical drama based on the life of Latvian actress Marija Leiko (1887–1938), who must choose between fame and love for her granddaughter, between her convictions and a totalitarian regime filled with lies. The film won the Ecumenical Jury Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival.

The Estonian short film program includes On Weary Wings Go By, a winter-themed poem about the Nordic nature, where porcelain animals and insects hide from the cold wind and snow. The film has been shown at over 80 festivals.

The London Baltic Film Festival is organized by the Lithuanian, Latvian, and Estonian embassies in London, together with the Lithuanian Film Centre, National Film Centre of Latvia and Estonian Film Institute.

On the cover – a still from Renovation.