Italian-Baltic development award for coproduction goes to 2 projects

The jury of development award for co-productions between Italy and the Baltic States announced the winners of the prize in Trieste Film Festival Co-Production Forum “When East Meets West”.

The award was created in November 2018 on the basis of an agreement between national film institutions of four countries. The purpose of the award is to finance the development of co-production of full-length feature films, full-length animated films, and full-length documentaries between Italy and the Baltic States.

This year 8 applications were submitted. Producers from all the countries – Estonia, Italy, Latvia and Lithuania – expressed their intention to work together in the projects presented.

Evaluation panel consisting of Mariella Troccoli and Chiara Fortuna (Direzione Generale Cinema, Rome), Dita Rietuma (National Film Centre of Latvia), Edith Sepp (Estonian Film Institute), and Rolandas Kvietkauskas (Lithuanian Film Centre), assessed the subject matter, story, topical and artistic intentions and originality of the film, relations to Italy or the Baltic States, the vision of the screenwriter or film director, experience of the creative team, the production and distribution potential of the film decided to award 2 projects.

Fiction film for young audience “ULTRAMONDO” is co-development by SOLARIA FILM (Italy) and FRALITA Films (Lithuania). Experts noted that story of the film is full of morals and high purposes. Another awarded project is a fiction film “Searching for Antigravity” that is inspired by a true story that features a dedicated friendship of three girls – cycling team – their competition and physical and spiritual sacrifices on their way to the highest victories. Project is a co-development by Studio Nominum (Lithuania), Giuma Produzioni (Italy), VFS Films (Latvia), Les Films Figures Libres (France).

The budget of the award fund in 2019 is 30,000 euros.