Four film projects win the Baltic Sea Documentary Film Forum / Article

The Baltic Sea Documentary Film Forum organized by the National Film Center, which took place from 1 to 12 September, ended on the weekend. During the forum, two film programs earned the attention of viewers, while documentary film professionals participated in trainings, master classes and the film project market, at the end of which valuable prizes were awarded to four film projects, the organizers informed.

This year, the Baltic Sea Documentary Film Forum celebrated its 25th anniversary. One of the founders of the forum, documentary film consultant Tue Stan Miller (Denmark), who still participates in the forum every year as a lecturer and moderator, received the Order of the Three Stars on September 6 in Riga Castle in recognition of his contribution to the development of Latvian and wider cinema.

The Baltic Sea Documentary Film Forum was held in hybrid format this year. The screenings took place at the K.Suns cinema and on the online platform of the National Cinema Center filmas.lv, the filmmaker training and project market was mainly online, with some participants joining in person. This year, 18 film projects were presented at the forum, in the production of which film studios from 17 countries are involved, including three Latvian projects.

Four film projects have received awards at the forum:

The Baltic Sea Documentary Film Forum Award (editing director’s consultation) was awarded to the project “Dedovshina” (“Dedovshina”, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, director and producer Eliors Nemats), which explores brutality and cruelty to new soldiers in the army. Presenting the award, the jury emphasized the empathy and respectful attitude of the film, addressing the complex topic of violence.

The European Documentary Film Association Award (Consulting and Membership) was presented to The Cello, Finland, for a documentary essay on a historic cello journey from a landfill in Copenhagen to the pre-revolutionary St. Petersburg Concert Hall (directed by Kira Jäskeleinen and producer Ona Sari). “Illume Ltd”).

The project “Stuck” from Latvia received the award of the company “BB Post House” (film post-processing services worth 3000 euros). Director Stanislav Tokalov addresses the Baltic Russian community through the stories of three generations of women in his family. The film is made in the film studio “Ego Media” (producer Guntis Trekteris).

The Current Time TV Prize (€ 2,500 cash prize) was presented to The Manifesto of Tenderness, Russia, for a reflection on St. Petersburg as a symbol of hope for change in Russia and for three artists who have chosen creative methods of resistance. The director and producer of the film is Ksenija Ohapkina (film studio “Flash Doc”), producer – Vlads Ketkovičs (film studio “Etnofund”).

This year, 15 films have been shown at the screenings of the Baltic Sea Documentary Film Forum at the K.Suns Cinema and online on the portal of the National Film Center filmas.lv, which have been watched by more than 2,500 spectators. The films “The Painter and the Thief”, “Courage” and “Charlotte about Jane” have earned the greatest interest in the K.Suns cinema. filmas.lv in the anniversary program of the forum – the film “On the Opposite Shore” and “Roses. Film-cabaret ”. The talks with the filmmakers during the forum will soon be available on the account of the National Film Center “Vimeo”, and the discussion with experts after the film “Online” on child sexual abuse on the Internet is available on the Internet portal Delfi.

The Baltic Sea Documentary Film Forum is organized by the National Film Center with the financial support of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia. The forum is also supported in the target program of the State Cultural Capital Fund “KultūrElpa” and in the target program of Riga City Council festivals, allowing the forum to continue to be the leading international documentary film industry event in the region.

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