Butterfly Vision producer Darya Bassel and Call Me By Your Name executive producer Naima Abed are among 17 independent producers selected for Ace Animation Special, the animation business programme of European network Ace Producers.
The 17 producers will take part in the workshop from March 19-24 in Dingle, Ireland, in collaboration with the Animation Dingle festival.
Scroll down for the full list of producers
Now in its fifth edition, the workshop aims to show how to diversify business by developing and producing feature and series animation productions, for theatrical, broadcast and streaming release.
Producers will attend with animated features and series projects in early development,...
The 17 producers will take part in the workshop from March 19-24 in Dingle, Ireland, in collaboration with the Animation Dingle festival.
Scroll down for the full list of producers
Now in its fifth edition, the workshop aims to show how to diversify business by developing and producing feature and series animation productions, for theatrical, broadcast and streaming release.
Producers will attend with animated features and series projects in early development,...
- 2/1/2024
- ScreenDaily
Latvian director Viesturs Kairiss, who won the international narrative competition at the Tribeca Film Festival last year with his coming-of-age drama “January,” is prepping his next feature film.
“Ulya” is based on the real-life story of Ulyana Semjonova, a girl raised in the Latvian countryside who reaches a height of seven feet and would go on to become a famous professional basketball player.
Set in the 1970s in Latvia, which was then part of the Soviet Union, the film follows its titular heroine from the time she leaves the countryside at the age of 14 and travels to Riga to play basketball. Kairiss described that as a “crucial stage” in Semjonova’s life, as her body was undergoing dramatic — and traumatic — changes for a teenage girl, while she also began to learn how to overcome adversity and, through basketball, find her place in life.
Kairiss said the film was an homage...
“Ulya” is based on the real-life story of Ulyana Semjonova, a girl raised in the Latvian countryside who reaches a height of seven feet and would go on to become a famous professional basketball player.
Set in the 1970s in Latvia, which was then part of the Soviet Union, the film follows its titular heroine from the time she leaves the countryside at the age of 14 and travels to Riga to play basketball. Kairiss described that as a “crucial stage” in Semjonova’s life, as her body was undergoing dramatic — and traumatic — changes for a teenage girl, while she also began to learn how to overcome adversity and, through basketball, find her place in life.
Kairiss said the film was an homage...
- 2/17/2023
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
This year, Latvia is sharing a spotlight with neighboring Lithuania and Estonia at the European Film Market, which has dedicated its 2023 Country in Focus Spotlight to the Baltic nations. It’s a sign of the tremendous strides the country has taken to put itself on the world cinema map, with the screen industries both producing more films and TV series than ever before and luring increasingly ambitious international projects to Northeastern Europe.
Here’s a rundown of some of the top Latvian projects in the pipeline that their producers will be pitching in Berlin:
Blue Blood
Director: Juris Kursietis
Producers: White Picture, Stellar Film, Asterisk*
The follow-up to Kursietis’ Cannes Directors’ Fortnight player “Oleg” is the story of a successful couple whose comfortable life is turned upside-down when the husband is implicated in a massive corruption scandal.
Sales: N/A
Soviet Milk
Director: Ināra Kolmane
Producers: Jānis Juhņēvičs, Marta Romanova-Jēkabsone...
Here’s a rundown of some of the top Latvian projects in the pipeline that their producers will be pitching in Berlin:
Blue Blood
Director: Juris Kursietis
Producers: White Picture, Stellar Film, Asterisk*
The follow-up to Kursietis’ Cannes Directors’ Fortnight player “Oleg” is the story of a successful couple whose comfortable life is turned upside-down when the husband is implicated in a massive corruption scandal.
Sales: N/A
Soviet Milk
Director: Ināra Kolmane
Producers: Jānis Juhņēvičs, Marta Romanova-Jēkabsone...
- 2/17/2023
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Titles include magical-realist ensemble tragedy ’8 Views Of Lake Biwa’.
New projects from leading Estonian production firms Tallifornia and Allfilm are among the 20 titles selected for Tallinn Black Nights’ Works in Progress strand.
The 20 projects are split across three strands: eight in the Baltic Event section for titles from the region; six in the International section; and six in the Just Film strand, for emerging filmmakers.
Scroll down for the full list
Tallifornia has two productions in the Baltic Event section: Free Money, written, directed and produced by Rain Rannu; and Miguel Llanso’s Infinite Summer. Both titles are produced by Tonu Hiielaid for Tallifornia,...
New projects from leading Estonian production firms Tallifornia and Allfilm are among the 20 titles selected for Tallinn Black Nights’ Works in Progress strand.
The 20 projects are split across three strands: eight in the Baltic Event section for titles from the region; six in the International section; and six in the Just Film strand, for emerging filmmakers.
Scroll down for the full list
Tallifornia has two productions in the Baltic Event section: Free Money, written, directed and produced by Rain Rannu; and Miguel Llanso’s Infinite Summer. Both titles are produced by Tonu Hiielaid for Tallifornia,...
- 11/1/2022
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Riding the high of a production-servicing boom, Estonia’s domestic industry has likewise shown no signs of slowing down. Here’s a roundup of top local productions in the pipeline, from producers who are searching for international partners in Cannes:
The Invisible Fight
Director: Rainer Sarnet
Producers: Katrin Kissa, Homeless Bob Production (Estonia), Alise Gelze, White Picture (Latvia), Amanda Livanou, Neda Film (Greece), Helen Vinogradov, Helsinki-filmi (Finland)
Sarnet, whose fantasy-drama “November” played at Tribeca in 2017, returns with a ‘70s-set kung-fu comedy about a guard on the Soviet-Chinese border who, after surviving a deadly attack, decides to become a monk but must continually prove along the way that he’s capable of becoming the enlightened man he set out to be.
Lioness
Director: Liina Trishkina-Vanhatalo
Producers: Ivo Felt (Estonia), Guntis Trekteris (Latvia)
The sophomore feature from Trishkina-Vanhatalo, whose debut “Take It or Leave It” was Estonia’s submission for the international feature Oscar,...
The Invisible Fight
Director: Rainer Sarnet
Producers: Katrin Kissa, Homeless Bob Production (Estonia), Alise Gelze, White Picture (Latvia), Amanda Livanou, Neda Film (Greece), Helen Vinogradov, Helsinki-filmi (Finland)
Sarnet, whose fantasy-drama “November” played at Tribeca in 2017, returns with a ‘70s-set kung-fu comedy about a guard on the Soviet-Chinese border who, after surviving a deadly attack, decides to become a monk but must continually prove along the way that he’s capable of becoming the enlightened man he set out to be.
Lioness
Director: Liina Trishkina-Vanhatalo
Producers: Ivo Felt (Estonia), Guntis Trekteris (Latvia)
The sophomore feature from Trishkina-Vanhatalo, whose debut “Take It or Leave It” was Estonia’s submission for the international feature Oscar,...
- 5/21/2022
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Vienna-based sales outfit EastWest Filmdistribution has taken world rights on My Favorite War, the animated feature doc that was an award winner at Annecy last year, where it world premiered. The film is eligible for this year’s Oscars and Annies.
Based on director’s Ilze Burkovska-Jacobsen’s childhood memories of creating her own escape route from the totalitarian regime that was Soviet Latvia, the movie aims its pro-democracy message at a global, adult audience using cut-out animation and doc elements.
The story is as such: On discovering the remains of a German soldier in her sandbox, young Ilze wonders what is buried beneath state propaganda, and sets off on a voyage of discovery.
EastWest’s CEO Sasha Wieser said on the acquisition: “Rarely do we even consider acquiring animated feature films, but My Favorite War is unique in so many ways. It is at once moving and informative,...
Based on director’s Ilze Burkovska-Jacobsen’s childhood memories of creating her own escape route from the totalitarian regime that was Soviet Latvia, the movie aims its pro-democracy message at a global, adult audience using cut-out animation and doc elements.
The story is as such: On discovering the remains of a German soldier in her sandbox, young Ilze wonders what is buried beneath state propaganda, and sets off on a voyage of discovery.
EastWest’s CEO Sasha Wieser said on the acquisition: “Rarely do we even consider acquiring animated feature films, but My Favorite War is unique in so many ways. It is at once moving and informative,...
- 2/23/2021
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Tuesday, Jan. 5 Casting
MTV’s “Awkward” alum Monty Geer is set as the lead opposite Lili Simmons in the feature “Clive Boomer’s Success,” a comedic thriller from Leader Media and written by Charles Lawrence.
“Success” tells the story of intrigue, murder and a five million dollar heist. Geer will play Clive Boomer, a cherubic budding stand-up comedian and bank teller who owes a small fortune to the mob. In a cruel twist of fate, he is forced to turn to murder to pay off his debts.
Directed by Carlo Liconti and cast by Donald Paul Pemrick, “Clive Boomer’s Success” is filming near Toronto.
Geer is repped by Connie Tavel at Forward Entertainment and Mavrick Artists Agency.
Monday, Jan. 4 Animation Acquisition
Animated feature Oscar contender “My Favorite War” has been sold to Spain and France for European distribution. Based on director’s Ilze Burkovska-Jacobsen’s childhood memories, “My Favorite War...
MTV’s “Awkward” alum Monty Geer is set as the lead opposite Lili Simmons in the feature “Clive Boomer’s Success,” a comedic thriller from Leader Media and written by Charles Lawrence.
“Success” tells the story of intrigue, murder and a five million dollar heist. Geer will play Clive Boomer, a cherubic budding stand-up comedian and bank teller who owes a small fortune to the mob. In a cruel twist of fate, he is forced to turn to murder to pay off his debts.
Directed by Carlo Liconti and cast by Donald Paul Pemrick, “Clive Boomer’s Success” is filming near Toronto.
Geer is repped by Connie Tavel at Forward Entertainment and Mavrick Artists Agency.
Monday, Jan. 4 Animation Acquisition
Animated feature Oscar contender “My Favorite War” has been sold to Spain and France for European distribution. Based on director’s Ilze Burkovska-Jacobsen’s childhood memories, “My Favorite War...
- 1/5/2021
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Nineteen new projects will be presented at the Baltic Event Co-Production Market in Tallinn this November. Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event will host a wide selection of film-industry events during the Black Nights Film Festival, between 26 and 29 November. The Baltic Event Co-Production Market will showcase 19 projects from the region, and the market’s 18th edition will welcome promising debutants as well as industry heavyweights. The Baltic countries are represented by three debut film projects by filmmakers who have award-winning shorts under their belts. All of them are backed by experienced producers. A Butterfly’s Heart, a children's film by Inesa Kurklietyte, is being produced by Zivile Gallego, of Lithuania’s Fralita Films; Estonian director Ever Anvelt is bringing Reconstruction, produced by Andreas Kask, of Estonia’s Nafta Films; and Guntis Trekteris, of Latvia’s Ego Media, will be introducing the partly autobiographical The Golden Spot by Liene Linde. For the last two years,...
- 10/23/2019
- Cineuropa - The Best of European Cinema
The festival’s industry event featured 20 work-in-progress projects.
Bulgarian filmmaker Svetla Tsotsorkova’s Thirst and the Czech directorial duo Petr Kazda and Tomás Weinreb’s I, Olga Hepnarova [pictured] were declared joint winners of the Best Film in the New Europe - New Names competition at this year’s Vilnius International Film Festival (March 31 - April 14).
Speaking at the awards ceremony in the Lithuanian capital’s historic National Philharmonic Hall, International Jury member and Chilean film critic Pamela Biénzobas explained that the splitting of the top prize was “to acknowledge the diversity of cinematographic styles.”
Other awards included best acting prizes to Thirst’s Monika Naydenova and Our Everyday Life’s Uliks Fehmiu, and Best Director to Poland’s Agnieszka Smoczynska for her feature debut The Lure.
Meanwhile, the Best Film honour in the Baltic Gaze competition was won this year by Vitaly Mansky’s documentary Under The Sun ahead of such titles as Tomasz Wasilewski’s United...
Bulgarian filmmaker Svetla Tsotsorkova’s Thirst and the Czech directorial duo Petr Kazda and Tomás Weinreb’s I, Olga Hepnarova [pictured] were declared joint winners of the Best Film in the New Europe - New Names competition at this year’s Vilnius International Film Festival (March 31 - April 14).
Speaking at the awards ceremony in the Lithuanian capital’s historic National Philharmonic Hall, International Jury member and Chilean film critic Pamela Biénzobas explained that the splitting of the top prize was “to acknowledge the diversity of cinematographic styles.”
Other awards included best acting prizes to Thirst’s Monika Naydenova and Our Everyday Life’s Uliks Fehmiu, and Best Director to Poland’s Agnieszka Smoczynska for her feature debut The Lure.
Meanwhile, the Best Film honour in the Baltic Gaze competition was won this year by Vitaly Mansky’s documentary Under The Sun ahead of such titles as Tomasz Wasilewski’s United...
- 4/15/2016
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
New Riga Meetings platform welcomes projects including two projects by Finnish film-maker Aku Louhimies.
Janis Nords’ second feature Mother I Love You and Juris Kursietis’ debut Modris were the big winners at the ¨Great Christopher¨ (¨Lielais Kristaps¨) National Film Competition held during the first edition of the Riga International Film Festival (December 2-12).
Nords, who graduated in film directing from the UK’s Nfts, received the top honour of best film as well as the trophy for best feature film director and best actress (for Vita Varpina’s performance as the single mother trying to make ends meet).
On presenting the direction prize to Nords, the competition jury’s chairman, veteran film director Janis Streics, said that he saw “a bright future ahead for Latvian cinema” on the strength of the line-up for this edition of the national film awards.
Mother I Love You, which is handled internationally by New Europe Film Sales, premiered at the...
Janis Nords’ second feature Mother I Love You and Juris Kursietis’ debut Modris were the big winners at the ¨Great Christopher¨ (¨Lielais Kristaps¨) National Film Competition held during the first edition of the Riga International Film Festival (December 2-12).
Nords, who graduated in film directing from the UK’s Nfts, received the top honour of best film as well as the trophy for best feature film director and best actress (for Vita Varpina’s performance as the single mother trying to make ends meet).
On presenting the direction prize to Nords, the competition jury’s chairman, veteran film director Janis Streics, said that he saw “a bright future ahead for Latvian cinema” on the strength of the line-up for this edition of the national film awards.
Mother I Love You, which is handled internationally by New Europe Film Sales, premiered at the...
- 12/12/2014
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
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