News

This year the Baltic Film festival, again will be held at the Scandinavian House (59 Park Ave.) – November 7-10, twenty-one (21) films will be presented from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

It is our hope that the NYBFF will become an annual event in the NY film calendar promoting Lithuanian, Latvian, and Estonian films in the US.  Emerging young directors find new ways of presenting personal and societal identity weaving a colorful picture of the Baltic States today.  The slogan of NYBFF this year is – “30 Years later: Who we are today”!

“This event was born as a beautiful initiative in 2018 to commemorate the centennial of Lithuania’s independence and has found a great partner - Scandinavia House, the Nordic cultural center. It is our hope that NYBFF will become a fixture on the cultural map of New York.  Films from the Baltic countries are receiving recognition in many European countries. New opportunities are becoming available to emerging filmmakers who hope to succeed in of the most competitive fields in the world cultural scene.  We should exploit this wave, - says Rolandas Kvietkauskas, head of Lithuanian Film Center.

“New York is a melting pot of nationalities, ideas, energy. I hope that in this cauldron the festival will blend in well with what we call “the other cinema of Northern Europe”.  New York audiences are very discerning and used to the best. However, this year’s colorful program will definitely show them something they haven't seen before”, – says Jūle Rozīte, Head of Programs at NYBFF.

NYBFF grand opening on October 7 will feature “Motherland” – a world premiere directed by an American-Lithuanian director Tomas Vengris. This drama will take the audience back to the early years of Lithuanian’s Independence through a glimpse of nostalgia and irony. This film builds a symbolic bridge between two generations, brought up in different parts of the world - Lithuania and USA.

“I am pleased that a Lithuanian film, opens the festival. This is a rare opportunity for me to introduce Lithuania and my film to New Yorkers. I spent a lot of time in New York, finished my studies here, so my connection to this city is very personal. For me, as a filmmaker, it’s a pleasure to have the opportunity to share my movie with New Yorkers. It is a chance to show a bit of Lithuania to friends and non-Lithuanians. I hope that “Motherland” will inspire the viewers to take a closer look at  issue of national identity and to ponder what the homeland means to each of us personally”, - says Tomas Vengris, the director of “Motherland”.

One of NYBFF program highlights is a Latvian film “The Baltic Freedom Way”, based on an inspiring true story that happened 30 years ago. It shows how over 2 million people of 3 Baltic countries were united by making a live chain to peacefully call for their independence from the Soviet Union. The same theme is depicted in a short film “Baltic Way”,  by Lithuanian documentary virtuosi Arūnas Matelis and Andrius Stonys.

One film that stands out in the selected films is – “Animus Animalis”.  The debut of a young Lithuanian female director Aistė Žegulytė is noted as one of the strongest Lithuanian film premiered this year.  This mesmerizing documentary reveals masters of taxidermy, who try to restore life where it no longer exists.

Another Lithuanian premiere in New York is a road movie “Summer Survivors”. This film of a young female director, Marija Kavtaradzė, was named as the best Baltic film.  She has achieved a great deal of success in tackling the problems of mental health.

Meanwhile, “Anthology of the Plot” – a short documentary by a Lithuanian director Arthur Yevdokimov – depicts wild bohemian life of Vilnius at the turn of the 20th-21st centuries.

The festival’s films deal with the aftermath of independence and the affect this had on people’s lives. 

The Estonian movie “Bank” by Eero Epner and Tarm Jurist tells a true story of one of the most successful banks in the Baltics. Meanwhile “My father is a banker” - an autobiographical detective documentary by Latvian female director Ieva Ozoliņa – reveals a fascinating, emotional personal story.

“Little Comrade” by Moonika Siimets (Estonia), “Paradise’89” by Madara Dišlere (Latvia), “Roots” – a collection of short documentaries by six female filmmakers (Estonia) and etc.

The idea of NYBFF was introduced 3 years ago by Daris Delins, Honorary Consul of Latvia in New York. He invited Lithuanians and Estonians to join in this initiative.

The 2019 New York Baltic Film Festival is presented by Scandinavia House and organized by the Consulate General of Estonia, Consulate General of Lithuania and Consulate of Latvia in New York. Programming is supported by Lithuanian Film Center, National Film Center of Latvia and the Estonian Film Institute. Additional support to the festival comes from the Estonian Ministry of Culture, Lithuanian Culture Institute, and the American Scandinavian Foundation.

For programming and tickets, visit www.balticfilmfestival.com