Five Lithuanian Films to Compete at the Warsaw Film Festival

At the 41st edition of the Warsaw International Film Festival, five Lithuanian films have been selected for the competition programs. The lineup includes works by both debuting filmmakers and internationally acclaimed directors.

In the competition program dedicated to first and second features, two films will represent Lithuania: Karolis Kaupinis’ latest work Hunger Strike Breakfast, which will have its world premiere at the festival, and the Lithuanian co-produced film Solomamma.

Hunger Strike Breakfast is set in the early 1990’s and tells the story of Daiva, a television news anchor who loses her job as TV studios are taken over by Russian soldiers. Unable to chase the armed men away, Daiva decides to declare a hunger strike in a small trailer facing the occupied TV station. Only a handful of people join her, and the soldiers couldn’t care less. As hunger grows, the strikers realize what they are truly starving for: confession and human warmth.

The film is produced by Marija Razgutė (M-Films), with co-producers Mikuláš Novotny (Background Films, Czech Republic) and Aija Berzina (Tasse Film, Latvia). The film will reach Lithuanian cinemas at the end of January.

The other selected film, Solomamma (dir. Janicke Askevold), follows Edith, is a curiosity-driven journalist and single mother. Solo parenting proves to be complicated, but when the identity of the man who donated the sperm that got her pregnant surfaces, Edith seeks him out under the false pretext of interviewing him about his company. Their encounter gradually deepens into a genuine connection, and Edith sinks deeper into lies, endangering the fragile life she has built.

Solomamma is a Norwegian-Latvian-Lithuanian co-production, co-produced by Gabija Siurbytė and Viktorija Rimkutė (Dansu). The film competed in the main program of the Locarno Film Festival this summer, where it received the Ecumenical Jury’s Prize for raising important ethical questions about origin, identity and belonging.

In the Documentary Competition program, Warsaw audiences will see the premieres of Joris Skudra’s Under the Red Light (prod. Justė Michailinaitė, Broom Films) and the Lithuanian co-production War on Art.

Under the Red Light portrays the life and work of one of Lithuania’s most prominent photographers, Romualdas Požerskis. The film explores his journey and transformation from artist to human being, revealing the highs and lows behind the awards, titles, and public image. The film is scheduled for release in Lithuania in the spring.

Also featured in the same program is War on Art (dir. Andrzej Miękus), an Estonian-Polish-Lithuanian co-production (co-prod. Teresa Rožanovska, Ketvirta versija).

The film tells the story of volunteers who, from the first day of Russia’s invasion, rise to protect Ukraine‘s artistic heritage from annihilation. Lacking official guidance, armed only with determination, they embark to safeguard artefacts, risking their lives to preserve Ukraine‘s cultural identity. War on Art is a story of resilience in the face of destruction, where the struggle to save art is a battle to save a nation.

War on Art will be presented in Lithuania at the European Film Forum Scanorama in November.

Another competition section, featuring films that have already premiered at major festivals, includes the French-German-Dutch-Latvian-Romanian-Lithuanian co-production Two Prosecutors (dir. Sergei Loznitsa, co-prod. Uljana Kim).

Having premiered in May at one of the world’s leading film events – the Cannes Film Festival – Two Prosecutors examines human helplessness in the face of a relentless totalitarian system.

Alongside the Warsaw Film Festival, industry events are also taking place. This year’s Works in Progress section, showcasing projects in production or post-production, includes the Lithuanian-Latvian-Italian co-production Barracuda (dir. Tomas Vengris, prod. Emilija Sluškonytė, Austrè Studio).

This is the first Lithuanian true crime film, telling the story of mobster’s wife Loreta Gedvilaitė. It is set to hit cinemas in autumn 2026.

The Warsaw International Film Festival will take place from October 10 to 19.

On the cover – a still from Hunger Strike Breakfast.