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DEAR FRIENDS!
For the 24th time, we have the pleasure of welcoming you to Tallinn – to celebrate black nights, bright ideas, and the colourful magic of film and collaboration.
To first-timers, a warm welcome to the family! Please reach out to our team and fellow professionals – we’re here to help you find your way. To our returning guests, we can’t wait to catch up, hear your news, and continue the conversations we started last year.
Over the past twelve months, many of our alumni projects have reached audiences worldwide. Among them, “The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo” by Diego Céspedes and “Mama” by Or Sinai (both Script Pool projects) premiered in Cannes; “Father” by Tereza Nvotová and “Milk Teeth” by Mihai Mincan (both Co-Production Market titles) in Venice; and “Dog of God” (EGF) by Lauris and Raitis Ābele at Tribeca.
This year, we’re proud to screen five more films that began their journey in Tallinn: “The Moon Is a Father of Mine” by George Ovashvili, “Elena’s Shift” by Stefanos Tsivopoulos, “Interior” by Pascal Schuh, “Red Code Blue” by Oskars Rupenheits, and “Renovation” by Gabriele Urbonaite. Their success reminds us what courage, collaboration, and persistence can create.
Looking ahead, our 2025 edition presents a record 79 projects in various stages of development and production – 31 series and 48 films.
The TV Beats section continues to grow, now including two new showcases: Serial Bridges Baltics and Coming Soon from the Baltics, strengthening our mission to champion regional storytelling with global reach. On the film side, we present 15 Co-Production Market titles, 5 Script Pool projects, 8 European Genre Forum works, and 19 Works in Progress – distinctive and daring voices from across Europe and beyond, including projects by and for the next generation of filmmakers.
We’re also joining forces with the Technopol Film and Multimedia Accelerator, introducing four forward-thinking teams – StudioStack, SyncHub, FinMind, and FilmLink – developing digital tools that automate production workflows, connect artists and rights-holders, teach creative professionals financial literacy, and streamline crew coordination across borders.
In Focus: Catalonia, presented with the Ramon Llull Institute and Catalan Films, brings over 70 professionals, 30 films, and 7 projects to Tallinn. Together, they showcase one of Europe’s most vibrant creative regions through screenings, presentations, and inspiring events that capture Catalonia’s diversity, vision, and openness to collaboration.
The Spotlight Austria programme highlights cinematic craftsmanship and creative identity with 15 festival films, a presentation
of the Austrian funding landscape, a new Co-Production Market project, and a masterclass by Jessica Hausner.
Since 2022, we have stood with Ukraine and continue to do so. This year, six Ukrainian projects are presented across the Co-Production Market, Works in Progress, and Market Screenings. Come, stand, and stay with Ukraine!
The Discovery Campus keeps expanding, connecting emerging talents with renowned mentors – Thomas Foldberg, Debra McGuire, Nina Paskowitz, Philippe Ros, John Christian Rosenlund, among others. It’s a place where the next generation meets those who’ve paved the way –proof that learning, creativity, and generosity can truly coexist.
Throughout the week, our discussions, case studies, and labs address some of the most urgent questions shaping our industry today: What are the new frontiers of serialised storytelling? How do we finance stories amid rising costs and shrinking public funds? What does private investment mean for creative freedom? How can sustainability be built into every stage of production? How do intimacy coordinators bring structure, artistry, and safety to emotionally and physically vulnerable scenes? What can we learn from the Oscarwinning “Flow” team about creative risk, resilience, and the power of a singular vision to travel from a small idea to the global stage? How can film education change the world – and how do we ensure that children’s and youth content are valued equally in the age of screens? And perhaps most importantly, the question that drives both our stories and our choices as creators: how do we stay human in an increasingly automated world?
Our AI session offers both a reality check and an invitation to action. Together, we’ll explore practical tools already transforming production and reflect on the kind of future we want to build. Technology is not destiny – our community can, and must, shape its direction.
As always, the full programme, project and event details, meeting schedules, screenings, and updates can be found at industry.poff. ee. Explore, bookmark, and plan your days with ease.
In uncertain times, when production realities shift faster than ever, it’s tempting to hold on to the familiar. But the real challenge – and the joy – lies in shaping what’s next. Let’s use these days in Tallinn to share ideas, exchange energy, and rediscover why we make films in the first place: because stories connect us, inspire us, and remind us that the future is ours to build – not to repeat, but to reimagine.
Enjoy, connect, and let inspiration lead the way.
Warm regards,
Marge Liiske Head of Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event
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SUSTAINABILTY
For the second year in a row, Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event is certified according to Greentime’s Certified Sustainable Event standard.
This achievement marks a significant milestone for us, reaffirming our ongoing commitment to sustainability. The certification takes a holistic approach, integrating the three key pillars of sustainability –ecological, social, and economic – covering areas such as transport, food and beverages, working conditions, accessibility, safety, and sound financial management. This aligns with our long-standing values of promoting a welcoming environment through inclusivity and diversity, while actively working to reduce our environmental footprint.
The certification confirms that we have met 41 mandatory requirements, achieved at least 69% of the available points, and undergone an independent third-party audit. The review was conducted both digitally and on-site during last year’s event, with a follow-up assessment planned for this year.
In line with these efforts, and like last year, we remain committed to maximising waste reduction, ensuring efficient sorting, improving accessibility for all attendees where possible, and prioritising certi-
fied eco-friendly products, among many other sustainability initiatives.
Looking ahead to 21 November, Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event is bringing the spotlight to some of the most pressing conversations in film today – from climate change and sustainable production to inclusion and social responsibility. It’s a day to explore how the industry can not only tell stories but also make a real-world impact.
Highlights include the Sustainable Filmmaking Workshop with Zsófia Szemerédy, where you’ll learn how to embed environmental and social values into every stage of your film and how to showcase these efforts in funding applications. Next up is Behind the Scenes of Intimacy with Pia Rickman, a conversation on creating safe, respectful, and inclusive environments on set.
Adding to the line-up, New Statistics Out – Ecological Content in Finnish Film and TV, presented by Audiovisual Producers Finland (APFI), will reveal fresh data on how ecological themes are appearing in Finnish screen storytelling and how audiovisual storytelling can inspire awareness and everyday action.
Together, these sessions show that Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event isn’t just talking about sustainability – it’s actively shaping the way the industry works, creates, and thinks.
TV BEATS CO-FINANCING MARKET
TV Beats Co-Financing Market, held at Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event since 2021, is dedicated to presenting high-quality drama series projects in development. The eight projects, selected for their international distribution potential, are pitched to potential partners, financiers, and broadcasters, and will have the opportunity to hold one-on-one meetings following the public presentation.
The Council of Europe Series Co-Production Development Award of 50,000 euros aims to foster creative collaborations in series co-productions and to empower independent producers. This award is part of the Pilot Programme for Series Co-Productions, a funding initiative by the Council of Europe, which also hosts Eurimages. It is open to independent producers from all Eurimages member states.
JURY
Cia Edström, Head of TV Drama Vision, Sweden
Marc Lorber, Founder and Consultant at The Art of Coproduction, UK Clémentine Trolong-Bailly, Representative of the Pilot Programme for Series Co-Productions of the Council of Europe, France
TV DRAMA VISION SELECT AWARD
Market partner of TV Beats, TV Drama Vision, will award one project that will receive access to and visibility at Gothenburg in January 2026. The selection will be made from all the pitches in Tallinn, including TV Beats Co-Financing Market, Serial Bridges Baltics, and Midpoint Series Launch. Cia Edström, Head of TV Drama Vision, will select the winner.
SERIENCAMP EXCHANGE AWARD
Market partner of TV Beats, Seriencamp Conference, will award one project that will receive access to and visibility at Cologne’s Seriencamp Exchange in June 2026. The selection will be made from all the pitches in Tallinn, including TV Beats Co-Financing Market, Serial Bridges Baltics, and Midpoint Series Launch. Gerhard Maier, Co-Founder and Artistic Director, and Helena Reiche, Head of Story Exchange at Seriencamp, will select the winner.
THE ABDUCTION OF YOSSELE SCHUMACHER
TV BEATS Co-Financing Market 2025 ISRAEL
Original title: The Abduction of Yossele Schumacher
The abduction of Yossele Schumacher by his ultra-Orthodox grandfather and his subsequent disappearance without a trace sends three women on a chase across the continents in search of the missing child. The boy's mother, Ida, a graceful woman lost in a battle with her father over her own son; the kidnapper, French-born Madeleine Feraille (aka Ruth Ben David, since she converted to Judaism after WW2); and a tough, emotionally damaged Mossad agent, Judith Avrahami, find themselves locked in a bitter struggle over motherhood, faith, fate, and loss. The search leads to an all-out war
between the powerful Mossad and the anti-Zionist ultra-Orthodox worldwide web of believers and supporters.
DIRECTOR-PRODUCER
Eran Riklis is one of Israel’s most acclaimed filmmakers, working as a director, writer, and producer for over 45 years. Born in Jerusalem in 1954, he was raised in Montreal, New York, New Haven, Rio de Janeiro, and Be’er Sheva in the south of Israel. He studied in the Film Department at Tel Aviv University (1975–77) and graduated from the National Film and Television School in Beaconsfield, England, in 1982. Riklis’s award-winning films have been released worldwide to both critical acclaim and commercial success. Riklis has been a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since 2017, the European Film Academy since 2007, and the Israeli Film Academy since 1991.
Representative in Tallinn Eran Riklis, director-producer
CONTACT
Eran Riklis
Eran Riklis Productions (1997) Ltd eranriklis@gmail.com
In 1990s Estonia, Artur, a restless kid from a Soviet-style housing block, dreams of escaping poverty. Guided by his idol Oliver, a charismatic banker, he is swept into the wild new world of finance where lavish orgies, cash-stuffed bags, and bear hunts with dignitaries become routine. But behind all the glamour, Artur is laundering billions for Russian oligarchs. As the stakes rise, relationships fracture and bodies surface, Artur must decide whether to protect himself or blow the whistle on the very system that built him.
"Business as Usual" is a darkly comic six-part thriller, inspired by
the Danske Bank scandal - a world where capitalism has no rules and money covers all sins.
DIRECTOR
Screenwriter, producer, and director Ove Musting graduated in 2002 from Tallinn University with a degree in Audiovisual Arts. He is the director and format creator of numerous television shows and has worked as a multi-camera director for major broadcasts such as "Eesti Laul," the Song Celebration, and Republic Day performances, among others. Musting received several festival awards for his first student work, "Suicide" (1997). In 2022, he made his feature film debut with "Kalev," for which he received the Cultural Endowment’s Annual Award for Audiovisual Arts Debut, followed in 2023 by six EFTA awards.
PRODUCER
Evelin Penttilä is an Estonian film producer and founder of Stellar Film. Her debut feature “Zero Point” (2014) was awarded Debut of the Year and became the first Baltic film sold to Netflix. Stellar Film’s works have screened at Cannes Critics’ Week, Sundance, TIFF, Hot Docs and more. The company focuses on inspiring, characterdriven stories and is currently developing projects by Vallo Toomla, German Golub, Carlos Lesmes and Oskar Lehemaa. Evelin is an EFA member, ACE and EAVE alumna, and a Producer on the Move 2022.
Representatives in Tallinn Ove Musting, director Evelin Penttilä, producer
Everything starts at a teenage party and the death of Luka. The lives of six teenagers are irrevocably changed, and they are faced with consequences. Through the series of six episodes, and through six different perspectives on one incident, we gradually discover what happened and whether the tragedy could have been prevented. And how our young characters deal with guilt. Luka is dead, but his story begins, and reveals other characters and their own secrets: Sanda, Zrinka, Lucija, Ružica, and Leon. The masks they wear start to crack, revealing who they really are beneath the surface.
"Spin the Bottle Truth or Dare" went terribly wrong. Luka's death at the party reveals layers of relationships, rivalries, betrayals, and moments that led them to that fateful day. Each of them hides secrets; each fears the truth.
DIRECTOR-PRODUCER
Karla Lulić is a Croatian screenwriter, director, and producer with an MA in Cinema and TV Production from the Sorbonne. Founder of Dobar Film, she has directed and produced three award-winning shorts. Her debut feature “Mirror of Nightingales” is in pre-production. She is also developing “Chasing the Clouds” and “Dear Insects and Other Creepy Stories,” winner of TorinoFilmLab’s IEFTA Award.
PRODUCER
Jelena Mađarić is a Croatian producer with degrees in Public Relations and Communications. She is producing the debut feature “Mirror of Nightingales” by Karla Lulić, supported by Creative Europe MEDIA, HAVC, and the City of Koprivnica, and developed through labs including Sam Spiegel, Script Pool Tallinn, Ekran+, MFI, and EGF. She also produces the darkly humorous series “Dear Insects and Other Creepy Stories” (TorinoFilmLab IEFTA Award) and develops “Chasing the Clouds” and “She-Butterfly.”
Representatives in Tallinn
Karla Lulić, director-producer Jelena Mađarić, producer
CONTACT
Karla Lulic Dobar film karla@dobarfilm.hr
FATA MORGANA DARK WATERS
Original title: Aigües de Foscor
Languages: Catalan, Spanish, English
Genres: mystery, drama, fantasy
Screenwriters: Amèlia Mora, Héctor Manteca
Director: Víctor Garcia
Producers: Juan Solá, Mark Abela, Tono Folguera, Maria Rocher
Arnau, a forest ranger in Spain's Ebro Delta, finds the corpse of an Icelandic woman bearing the same birthmark that he and his daughter share. As he investigates, he discovers the existence of mythological creatures threatening to destroy humankind to save the environment.
During this process, he will confront his past, reconnect with his father, and mend his relationship with his daughter, who holds the key to ending or saving it all. On his journey, he will team up with a group of teen climate activists and other unexpected partners.
Driven by the danger threatening their loved ones, they must all summon their courage and work as a team to stop the dark forces plotting humanity's downfall.
DIRECTOR
Víctor García, a Catalan director born in Barcelona in 1974, studied directing at CECC and began his career in special effects on films such as “Talk to Her”, “Hellboy”, and “Romasanta.” His short “The Cycle” (2003) launched his directing career in the US with genre sequels including “Return to House on Haunted Hill” and “Mirrors 2.” He later directed “Gallows Hill” (Sitges Official Selection) and “The Communion Girl” (Warner Bros Spain hit). Recent credits include second unit work on “Bird Box: Barcelona”, “The Innocent”, and “The Last Night at Tremore Beach.”
PRODUCER
Maria Rocher holds a degree in Audiovisual Communication from Ramon Llull University and a Master’s in Scriptwriting for Film and TV. She began her career in communications at Notro Films, Manga Films, and Vértice Cine. Later, at Fasten Films, she worked as Grants Executive on titles such as “Entre la Vie et la Mort” and “Mediterr áneo,”securing funding from ICAA, ICEC, Eurimages, and MEDIA. Since 2022, she has been Head of Grants and Co-Productions at Federation Spain and Executive Producer of “Dark Waters,” “My Stalker,” and “Who Knows?”
Representatives in Tallinn Maria Rocher, producer Marina Aparicio Arribas, analyst
CONTACT
Maria Rocher
Federation Spain maria.rocher@fedent.com
IN FOCUS: CATALONIA.
TV BEATS Co-Financing Market 2025 SLOVAKIA, CZECHIA
FRONTWARDS
Original title: Postup
Languages: Czech, Slovak
Genres: family film, crime film, mystery, deconstruction, post modern
Screenwriter: Lukáš Sigmund
Director: Michal Kollár
Producer: Jana Kluková
Production company: KFS production
Project status: development
Budget: 3 732 878 EUR
Financed: 2 678 992 EUR
Number of episodes: 6
Episode duration: 52
Looking for: broadcasters, co-producers, streamers, public funds (national, regional, international)
SHORT SYNOPSIS
A rational homicide detective Kamila keeps finding the body of the same person over and over again – a young man named Richard. Only Kamila sees the repetition and the more she’s finding out who Richard is, the more connections between Richard and her family resurface. In order to protect her loved ones and her sanity, Kamila must dwell deeper into the mystery. Against her will, the series of
uncanny murders become an investigation into Kamila’s own consciousness, own memory and her own soul.
DIRECTOR
Michal Kollár is a director, producer, and screenwriter, born on 4 April 1978 in Bratislava, then Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia). He is the founder of Fog’n’Desire Films, established in Prague in 2006, and the co-founder of KFS Production, launched in Slovakia in 2017. Michal is a member of ACE Producers and EAVE, and was selected as a Producer on the Move by European Film Promotion.
PRODUCER
Jana Kluková is a film and television producer and Executive Director of KFS Production in Bratislava, Slovakia. She studied English and French language, culture, and history at Matej Bel University. In 2017, she co-founded KFS Production, focusing on feature films, series, and cross-border collaborations across the EU. Previously, she worked with Fog’n’Desire Films, Sokol Kollár, and Trigon Production, gaining experience across all stages of development and production.
Representatives in Tallinn
Michal Kollar, director
Jana Klukova, producer
CONTACT
Jana Kluková KFS production jana@kfsproduction.com
FATA HELSINKIMORGANA 1939
Original title: Helsinki 1939
Languages: English, Finnish, German, Swedish
Genre: historical drama
Screenwriter: AJ Annila
Director: AJ Annila
Producers: Sara Norberg, Eero Hietala
Production company: Take Two Studios
Project status: development
Budget: 6 000 000 EUR
Financed: 70 000 EUR
Number of episodes: 6
Episode duration: 45
Looking for: foreign broadcasters, co-producers
SHORT SYNOPSIS
"Helsinki 1939" is the true story of war correspondents who lived in the sumptuous Hotel Kämp as Soviet planes bombarded the city. Despite the constant threat, they pursued life and sought the truth at any cost. Meanwhile, the Finnish Propaganda Unit tried to control the truth by any means necessary. The nation’s best storytellers and spies operated at Hotel Kämp. In a cat-and-mouse game, they hid the truth about Finnish casualties, created legends, framed false war pictures, and even staged war fronts for the correspondents to visit.
For 105 days, Hotel Kämp stood as the city burned around it. Truth was sought, bent, and sometimes saved.
DIRECTOR
Finnish filmmaker AJ Annila is best known for his striking visuals and unconventional subject choices. His feature films "Jade Warrior," "Sauna," and "Eternal Road" have won multiple international awards and premiered at A-list festivals.
PRODUCER
Eero Hietala is the co-founder and CEO of Take Two Studios. He specialises in storytelling and the international content business. Prior to founding Take Two, Hietala co-founded the production company Aito Media, which he led together with Ilkka Hynninen for 19 years. Before the founders’ successful exit, Aito Media had become an award-winning Nordic production company involved in all television genres. Hietala was involved in every chapter of the company’s story as it grew to become one of Finland’s largest production houses. He has acted as an executive producer across all genres – fiction, factual, entertainment, documentaries, and studio shows – and has served as executive producer on nearly 200 seasons or one-off titles.
Representatives in Tallinn AJ Annila, director Eero Hietala, producer
CONTACT
Eero Hietala
Take Two Studios eero@taketwo.fi
TV BEATS Co-Financing Market 2025 GERMANY, SPAIN, ESTONIA, LITHUANIA, LATVIA
October 1962: The MS Völkerfreundschaft, East Germany’s first cruise ship, sets sail for Cuba – right into the heart of the Cuban Missile Crisis. While the world teeters on the brink of nuclear war, 500 clueless passengers enjoy buffets, cocktails, and fierce deckchair battles. But as they near Cuba, some realise their dream cruise may end in disaster. When a U.S. destroyer aims its guns at the ship, chaos erupts on board. Turn back – or push through? A darkly funny
Cold War adventure about love, politics, and the world’s most dangerous vacation.
DIRECTOR
Florian Gallenberger (born 1972 in Munich) is an Oscar-winning German filmmaker. After studying at the University of Television and Film Munich, he gained acclaim for “Quiero Ser” (2000). His works include “John Rabe,” “Colonia Dignidad,” “Grüner wird’s nicht,” and “Es ist nur eine Phase, Hase.” Since 2022, he has co-led the German Film Academy.
PRODUCER
Philipp Goeser (born 1989 in Mannheim) is a Berlin-based film producer at Schiwago Film. After studying philosophy and film studies, he gained hands-on experience across music videos, commercials, and film. Since 2018, he has developed and produced a range of projects for cinema, television, and streaming.
Representatives in Tallinn
Florian Gallenberger, director Philipp Goeser, producer
CONTACT
Philipp Goeser Schiwago Film pgoeser@schiwagofilm.de
This series follows Anka, a city girl sent to the remote Yugoslav village of Sirogojno in the 1960s. Discovering local knitting talents, she transforms sceptical village women into an international fashion collective, exporting unique sweaters to Paris runways. As women earn income, village life turns upside down - husbands cook while wives knit, bringing prosperity. When a Parisian designer offers to buy their collection under his brand, Anka must choose between lucrative fame and the collective spirit that built their success. Set against a
changing Yugoslavia (1960s-1980), the series shows how a fashion revolution began in village courtyards, with the season ending at Tito's death in 1980.
PRODUCER
Milena Dzambasovic graduated from the Film Academy in Belgrade, specialising in film, TV, theatre, and radio production. Since 2007, she has worked in various film production roles on both domestic and international projects. Her professional development includes the Sarajevo Talent Campus, Sarajevo City of Film (producing two short films), EAVE Graduate 2014, EURODOC 2017, and the EAVE Marketing Workshop 2024. In 2016, she founded Film Road Production to develop local stories with international appeal. She also provides producing, executive production, and line producing services to other production companies. Milena is the producer of the second season of the regionally acclaimed TV series “Besa.” Her latest venture, “Wool,” represents her vision as both creator and producer.
Representatives in Tallinn
Milena Dzambasovic, producer
Danna Stern, co-producer
CONTACT
Milena Dzambasovic
Film Road Production, ACT 4, In transit Productions milenadz@gmail.com
TV BEATS SCREENINGS
The TV Beats Screenings is the festival’s new initiative, started in 2024 and aimed at showcasing high-quality, fresh series from the region on the big screen, along with the presence of key creative talent.
Toomas Ili Screenings Curator / Head Of Content, Elisa Estonia
Rambo, Napoleon and Pippi Longstocking - all rolled into one - and she lives next door.
When Ditte Jensen retires with honours from the Danish Secret Service, she moves into an apartment block in Reykjavik, planning to tend her garden and live out her life in anonymity.
But Ditte cannot stop being who she is: an elite soldier and a warrior. Soon, the apartment building becomes a battlefield for a better world. With her deep-rooted sense of justice, she sees her neighbours' problems and feels compelled to intervene - whether they
TV BEATS Screenings
Duration and number of episodes: 51min x 6
want her help or not. And in her world, the end justifies the means. Always.
DIRECTOR
Benedikt Erlingsson is an Icelandic director, writer, and actor. His first feature film as writer-director, "Of Horses and Men," won over 20 international awards, including the New Directors Prize at the 2013 San Sebastián Film Festival and the 2014 Nordic Council Film Prize. His second feature, "Woman at War," received more than 36 international awards, including the SACD Award at the 57th Semaine de la Critique in Cannes (2018), the LUX Prize of the European Parliament, and the Nordic Council Film Prize the same year.
PRODUCTION COMPANY
Slot Machine is a feature film production company focused on international auteur cinema. Founded 24 years ago by Marianne Slot and based in Paris, it has enabled major filmmakers such as Lars Von Trier, Marian Crisan, Thomas Vinterberg, Bent Hamer, Lucrecia Martel, Lisandro Alonso, Paz Encina, and Malgoska Szumowska to bring some of their most remarkable works to life.
Representatives in Tallinn Olafur Egill Egilsson, screenwriter
Trine Dyrholm, actress
CONTACT
Estelle de Araujo sales@thepartysales.com
PUBERTAT - SECRETS, LIES, AND HUMAN CASTLES
Original title: Pubertat
Languages: Catalan, Spanish
Genre: drama
Screenwriters: Leticia Dolera, Almudena Monzú, David Gallart
Director: Leticia Dolera
Cinematographer: Marc Gómez del Moral
Editors: Ana Charte Isa, David Gallart, Martí Roca
Main cast: Leticia Dolera, Xavi Saez, Betsy Turnez, Carla Quilez, Aina Martinez
Producers: Oriol Maymó, Miriam Porté, Arnauld de Battice
Production companies: Corte y Confección de Péliculas, Distinto Films, Uri Films, AT-Prod, Altres Films
The harmony of a community is disrupted when, through a social media post, three young teenage boys are accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl, who is also their best friend. Not just the youngsters must come to terms with the claims, but also their families. Who are the actual aggressors (if any) and who the victims? In a small town in full preparation for the traditional Castells festival, where young and old stack on top of each other to build an intricate human castle, the tension becomes unbearable. That is, until everyone's own personal castle of secrets, lies and insecurities might
Duration and number of episodes: 50min x 6
collapse and bring down the whole town. In the end, could it be that not only traditions are passed on from generation to generation, but all our taboos, too?
DIRECTOR
Leticia Dolera is a Spanish actress, writer, and director from Barcelona, known for her sharp wit, social awareness, and feminist insight. She gained recognition for roles in "REC 3: Genesis," "Imagining Argentina," and "Mad Dogs." Her feature debut, "Requirements to Be a Normal Person," won three Málaga Film Festival awards and received three Goya nominations. She co-created, directed, and starred in the acclaimed series "Vida perfecta," winner of Best Series and Best Female Performance at Canneseries. A leading feminist voice, Dolera is also the author of "Morder la manzana" and an advocate for gender equality in the arts.
PRODUCTION COMPANY
Founded in 2006 and based in Barcelona, Corte y Confección de Películas is one of Spain’s most dynamic independent production companies. Led by producer Oriol Maymó, it has become a trusted creative partner in international co-productions, blending cinematic vision with strong storytelling craft. Its credits include acclaimed titles such as "Vida Perfecta" (Leticia Dolera), "La proper pell" (Isaki Lacuesta, Isa Campo), "El cadàver d’Anna Fritz" (Héctor Hernández Vicens), "Caída Libre" (Laura Jou), and "Muyeres" (Marta Lallana). Active across film and television, the company continues to develop innovative projects that showcase Spanish and Catalan talent for global audiences.
Representatives in Tallinn Oriol Maymó, producer Ofelya Tovmasyan, sales agent
CONTACT
Beta Film beta@betafilm.com
IN FOCUS: CATALONIA.
MOLOCH FILES
DIRECTOR
TV BEATS Screenings
CZECHIA, SLOVAKIA, UKRAINE
Duration and number of episodes: 184min x 3
Original title: Moloch
Languages: Czech, Ukrainian, Polish, Slovak
Genres: thriller, drama
Screenwriter: Štefan Titka
Director: Lukáš Hanulák
Cinematographer: Veronika Donutková
Editor: Tomas Holocsy
Main cast: Miroslav Donutil, Eliza Rycembel, Jan Révai
Production companies: Bionaut s.r.o., Raketa s.r.o., Canal+
Release: 2025
Looking for: festivals
SYNOPSIS
After the attack on the President of the Czech Republic, investigative journalist Martin Braun teams up with the young online sleuth Julia to uncover what exactly happened - and why. In the course of their investigation, they become entangled in a dangerous game of secret services, international politics and forces determined to keep the truth hidden. People are dying in the pursuit of truth, and Julia and Martin's only hope of avoiding the same fate is to uncover what happened before it is too late.
Lukáš Hanulák is a Slovak-Canadian film and television director and producer. He has helmed acclaimed series for Czech and Slovak broadcasters, including "Odsúdené," "Specialisté," and "Dáma a Král." His recent work includes the political thriller "Moloch" (Canal+ Original, 2025), filmed across the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Ukraine. His English-language debut, the short drama "Empty Spaces" (2022), screened at the 29th Victoria International Film Festival, while his writing credits include the award-winning documentary "Good Death" (2019). A member of the Directors Guild of Canada, Hanulák divides his time between Montreal and Prague.
PRODUCTION COMPANY
Bionaut produces fiction, documentary, and animated films, as well as TV series. Since 2015, it has expanded with Bionaut Animation, Bionaut Docs, and Bionaut Dark, alongside its service arm, Bionaut Works, operating in the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovakia. Other labels include Audionaut for audio content and Zero Gravity for marketing and merchandising. Joint ventures in Poland, Slovakia, and Serbia further strengthen its international reach. Bionaut’s productions have earned major honours, including an International Emmy, a Czech Lion, and Czech Film Critics Awards.
Representatives in Tallinn
Miroslav Donutil, actor
Lada Dobrkovská, producer
CONTACT
Bionaut info@bionaut.cz
TV BEATS Screenings
ICEBREAKER
DIRECTOR
Duration and number of episodes: 45min x 6
Original title: Jään vangit
Language: Finnish
Genre: thriller
Screenwriters: Mia Ylönen, Tuuli Kanervankallio, Nuutti Sihvonen
Director: Pete Riski
Cinematographer: Daniel Lindholm
Editor: Tambet Tasuja
Main cast: Jessica Grabowsky, Johannes Holopainen, Eero Milonoff, Riitta Havukainen, Roderick Kabanga, Seidi Haarla, Karim Rapatti, Mikko Leppilampi
An icebreaker is stranded in a winter storm during the longest, darkest night of the year. Coast Guard officer Sanna Tanner (Jessica Grabowsky) leads the rescue team, haunted by disturbing events. She must solve the mystery... before she becomes the next target. "Icebreaker" is created by Mia Ylönen and directed by Pete Riski.
The mystery series won the 2024 MIPDrama Coup de Coeur Award in Cannes.
Born in Lapland, Pete Riski is a Finnish director known for his cinematic storytelling across film, television, and advertising. He gained fame with music videos and his feature debut “Dark Floors” (2008). A versatile visualist, Riski blends Nordic atmosphere, dark humour, and emotional depth in his works, including “Bullets” (Elisa Viihde, 2018), which won the Coup de Cœur award at the MIPDrama summit in Cannes. Based in Helsinki, he is represented by RSA Films (UK), Wild Gift (USA) and Independent Artist Group, and continues to bridge emotion and style regardless of genre.
PRODUCER
Mia Ylönen is the Head of Drama at Helsinki-filmi, a long-running production company based in Helsinki. She is an executive producer, creator, and showrunner behind several acclaimed series, including the psychological drama “Bad Apples” (Elisa Viihde, 2020) and the undercover thriller “Codename: Annika” (2023), the very first SkyShowtime original from Finland. In 2023 she was awarded the Screenwriter of the Year Guild Award for “Codename: Annika.” Ylönen’s work is recognised for its strong female perspectives and genre ambition. Based in Helsinki, she continues to drive high-end Nordic drama with international appeal.
Representatives in Tallinn
Mia Ylönen, producer
Sari Lempiäinen, executive producer
CONTACT
Mia Ylönen mia.ylonen@helsinkifilmi.fi
IN DARKNESS
Original title: Pimeduses
Language: Estonian
Genres: drama, mystery, fantasy
Screenwriters: Ove Musting, Marian Vridolin
Director: Ove Musting
Cinematographer: Tanel Topaasia
Producer: Jaan Laugamõts
Production company: Downtown Pictures
Release: 2025
Looking for: foreign broadcasters
SYNOPSIS
"In Darkness" is a tense and emotionally charged drama series that delves into the struggle for survival of an Estonian family after a sudden societal and infrastructural collapse. When the city goes dark - literally - newly divorced Andres is faced with painful choices: whether to let his children see their mother, who has built a new life in another city, or to keep them away from a world that is unravelling by the hour. Teenage daughter Adeele longs for contact with her mother, while young son Jako seeks a sense of security. But their father, Andres, deeply depressed by the divorce, does not want to let go of his children. There is no electricity. Food and water are running out. Rumours spread that the Russians have sabotaged the main power lines. People are becoming increasingly dangerous. Andres decides to take the children to the countryside, away from society's collapse - but also away from the truth. What starts as a de -
TV BEATS Screenings
Duration and number of episodes: 40min x 6
sire to protect soon turns into an obsession. And common sense... begins to crumble.
DIRECTOR
Ove Musting (b. 1977, Sõmerpalu) is an Estonian screenwriter, producer, and director. A graduate of Tallinn University’s Audiovisual Arts programme, he has directed major television productions such as "Eesti Laul," the Song Celebration, and Republic Day broadcasts. A founding member of the bands Winny Puhh and Aednikud, he is also co-founder of the circular economy platform Smartswap.com. His feature debut "Kalev" (2022) earned the Cultural Endowment’s Annual Award for Audiovisual Arts Debut and six EFTA awards in 2023.
PRODUCTION COMPANY
Downtown Pictures Ltd, founded in 2003 in Tallinn, Estonia, is one of the country’s most experienced audiovisual production service companies. Specialising in feature and documentary films, commercials, music videos, and branded content, the company provides full production services for international clients. Its team has worked across Europe, Afghanistan, and Nicaragua with partners such as Harpo Studios, Rick Owens, and Molycorp/Neo. Downtown Pictures’ work has earned multiple awards for Best Commercial, Best Film, and Best Music Video, reflecting its commitment to highquality, tailor-made production.
Representatives in Tallinn Ove Musting, director Jaan Laugamõts, producer
CONTACT
Jaan Laugamõts jaan@downtown.ee
MIDPOINT SERIES LAUNCH 2025
WORKS IN DEVELOPMENT
Nine promising European series projects refined within the MIDPOINT Series Launch 2025 program, showcased alongside three up-and-coming development executives who actively supported and shaped the process.
CORE TUTORS
Gabor Krigler Head of Studies, Group Leader
Sasha Vyshnevska Development Executive Mentor
Agathe Berman Pitching Tutor
Tatjana Samopjan Group Leader
Steve Matthews Group Leader
Nebojsa Taraba Producer Tutor
Marike Muselaers Financing Tutor
25 PERCENT
WRITER
Matěj Randár is a Czech screenwriter, dramaturg, and playwright, trained in screenwriting and dramaturgy at the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Brno. He is the coauthor and screenwriter of the series Sex O’Clock (VOYO/Nova), a twenty-episode drama exploring family breakdown. Additionally, Randár works as the dramaturg for the Czech version of Dancing with the Stars (Czech Television). He is also an award winning author of successful theatrical plays. His preferred genre is comedy, especially those driven by strong, memorable characters.
PRODUCER
Original title: 25%
Language: Czech
Genres: comedy, tragicomedy
Writer: Matěj Randár
Producers: Lukáš Gargulák, Karolina Zalabáková
Production company: Cinebonbon
Project status: script
Production budget per season (in EUR): 1 900 000 EUR
There is an easy way to own your own home. Unfortunately, it’s illegal.
SHORT SYNOPSIS
Matyáš just wants a home for himself and his pregnant girlfriend. When hard work isn’t enough, he pulls his flatmates into clumsy heists – an unlikely rebellion against a corrupt housing market that leads to unexpected friendship.
Karolína Zalabáková is a Czech director, screenwriter, creative producer, and co-founder of the production company Cinebonbon, alongside producer and artist Lukáš Gargulák. She holds a Ph.D. in Audiovisual Studies, with her dissertation focusing on the integration of fictional techniques into the non-fiction genre. She specializes in content for young audiences and is the creative force behind the series Sex O’Clock (2023 - 2024) or the documentary Batalives (2017), among others. She also serves as an external lecturer at the CME Television Institute. Passionate about storytelling, she explores new narrative forms and worlds while maintaining a playful approach and a keen eye for detail.
Representatives in Tallinn
Matěj Randár, screenwriter
Karolína Gary Zalabáková, producer
CONTACT
Karolína Zalabáková karolina@cinebonbon.com
MIDPOINT Series Launch 2025
UNITED KINGDOM, FRANCE, GREECE
BLOODY BAY
WRITER
Olga’s career evolved from hand-drawn animation to award-winning international campaigns at Saatchi & Saatchi. This led to a commissioned documentary exploring the craft itself – and a pivot towards narrative storytelling. Her debut short won multiple awards, including BAFTA LA.
Since 2011, she has run a commercial production company. After studying screenwriting at UCLA and NFTS, Olga focused on developing an original slate designed for co-production. Her BAFTARocliffe winner "The Trouble with Martha" (writer/producer) is in development with Helen Blakeman (BAFTA/EMMY) as co-executive producer. "Hope" (TFL Extended) was shortlisted for the Sundance Development Track, and "Goldmine" was selected for TFL Series Next.
The drama "Alone in the Ocean," co-produced by MetraFilms/ Lazy Sunday and Panache Productions, is set to shoot in 2026. She is currently developing "The Last Symphony," a 360° immersive film with Avocado360, funded by Swiss BAK and Bloody Bay through MIDPOINT Series Launch.
Olga’s work has a sharp eye for dark humour and emotional truth. She lives in London and is a member of BAFTA and WGGB.
One secret, one baby, one boat, four 50-somethings, competing agendas: a perfect trap – no refunds.
SHORT SYNOPSIS
Kate secretly uses best friend Marta's eggs for IVF. Husband Greg (Marta's ex) sells all for boat – oblivious. Nine months on – two couples on 48-foot boat trap: clashing needs, explosive secret and –baby Zeus. Coming of age at 50: spectacularly undignified.
Representative in Tallinn
Olga Rozanova, screenwriter
CONTACT
Olga Rozanova olga@elcolony.tv
THE GENESIS PROJECT
WRITER
Daniela Esposito (b. 1995, London) graduated in Law in 2018 and worked for the UK government investigating the contaminated blood scandal. In 2023, she completed a one-year Screenwriting course at FAMU, co-writing "Žebra“ (2Annas Festival, Riga) and "The Care You Give“ (Lift-Off Festival, Tokyo). That year, she joined MIDPOINT’s Writers’ Room, and her series concept co-written with Melita was shortlisted for the NEM Contest in Zagreb. In 2024, her short "The World Is Too Much with Us“ (dir. Esben Sloth) received the London Help to Roll Film Fund and Filmværkstedet support. Daniela’s short fiction has appeared in literary journals; she was longlisted for the 2024 Desperate Literature Prize and is developing a collection with The Literary Consultancy.
PRODUCER
Original title: The Genesis Project
Language: English
Genres: drama, science fiction, dark comedy, psychological drama
Writer: Daniela Esposito
Producer: Melita Mukavec
Project status: script
Production budget per season (in EUR): 3 000 000 EUR
Five women enter a reality show to win a genetically engineered baby.
SHORT SYNOPSIS
After losing her first child to a genetic illness, Nora joins a reality show by billionaire biohacker Magron, where five women compete for a perfect engineered baby. As the show goes on, Nora will cross any line to win the child she was once denied.
Melita Mukavec (b. 2000, Zagreb) holds a BA in Film and TV Directing from the Academy of Dramatic Arts, Zagreb, with an exchange year at FAMU in Prague. Her debut short "Cinderella“ (2019) won the Grand Prix at Dubrovnik Film Festival. During the pandemic, she directed the autobiographical doc "Unbearable Lightness of Staying“ (Motovun CDFG Campus), followed by "Too Soon“ (Croatian Filmmaking Revue, 2021) and "States“ (First Frame Student Festival, Leicester, 2022). She has worked as a production assistant and currently serves as assistant producer for Zagreb Film Festival’s industry sector, while freelancing on film and TV projects. Melita is developing "Turning Point,“ a short doc web series on young people’s struggles with decision-making.
Representatives in Tallinn
Daniela Esposito, screenwriter
Melita Mukavec, director, producer
CONTACT
Melita Mukavec melita.mukavec@outlook.com
MIDPOINT
SAFE HOUSE
WRITER
Vicky Van Hemelrijck is a screenwriter with a passion for international co-productions and stories that transcend borders. With an English Master’s degree and a Screenwriting Diploma from the Vancouver Film School, she has worked on both fiction and animation projects. Her work centres on themes such as identity, relational dynamics, and societal issues, with the goal of telling impactful stories that raise awareness and change the global narrative for the better. Her credits include five episodes for "De Buurtpolitie: De Klok Tikt,“ and she is currently writing a new animated series for Creative Conspiracy. With "Casus,“ she has participated in Torino’s TFL Next TV Series and MIDPOINT’s Series Launch. She is also an alumna of Series Mania’s Eureka Series, where she developed a television series in an international writers’ room.
PRODUCER
Original title: Safe House
Language: Dutch
Genres: dark comedy, dramedy
Writer: Vicky Van Hemelrijck
Producers: Lieselotte Belon, Sofie Peeters
Production company: le bon film
Project status: development
Production budget per season (in EUR): 8 000 000 EUR
A criminology intern confronts her own past while helping families affected by domestic violence.
SHORT SYNOPSIS
Manu Baetens, 25, interns at the Family Justice Centre, where justice, police, and social services unite against domestic violence. When a sealed file from her childhood resurfaces, her mission becomes a personal search for justice.
Lieselotte Belon, a Brussels-based film producer, transitioned from a career in Environmental, Health, and Safety Management to film production, combining her analytical skills, problem-solving expertise, and passion for storytelling. Her background in managing systems, fostering collaboration, and navigating human dynamics laid the foundation for her success as a producer. In 2024, she worked as a line producer for "Patsers,“ a feature film by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, which reinforced her ability to manage complex productions. She further expanded her portfolio by producing short films and documentaries, showcasing her dedication to compelling storytelling. Lieselotte founded le bon film, a production company focused on crafting meaningful stories with heart. Built on principles of collaboration, powerful narratives, open communication, and diversity, the company champions inclusivity both on and off-screen.
Representatives in Tallinn Vicky Van Hemelrijck, screenwriter
Lieselotte Belon, producer
CONTACT
Lieselotte Belon lieselotte@lebonfilm.be
MIDPOINT Series Launch 2025 CZECHIA, SLOVAKIA
KAFKA
WRITER
Jakub Režný (1981) holds an MA in dramaturgy from the Janáček Academy of Arts Brno and works as a screenwriter, story editor and director. He is an experienced writer and story editor of scripted as well as documentary formats for cinema and television. In his work, he specialises in projects, which draw on historical facts and research. In theatre, he has worked on many experimental stagings between the visual arts and theatre, amongst others as a dramaturgical advisor with director Robert Wilson at the NaNonal Theatre in Prague. He lives in Prague.
PRODUCER
Original title: Kafka
Languages: Czech, German
Genres: mystery, thriller, crime series
Writer: Jakub Režný
Producer: Rastislav Šesták
Production company: DNA Production
Project status: development
Production budget per season (in EUR): 3 600 000 EUR
Kafka must prove his innocence of ritual murder as anti-Semitic hysteria grips 1908 Prague.
SHORT SYNOPSIS
Kafka wakes with no memory and bloodstains. Two children missing, one ritually murdered. As Prague's prime suspect amid anti-Semitic riots, he must navigate the underground to prove his innocence and save the surviving girl.
Rasťo Šesták (1975) studied theatre directing and has been working as a producer since the founding of DNA Production. He is also a member of the respected European Producers Club. The first production that opened doors for the company to Slovak and Czech television networks was the documentary series "The Greatest Criminal Cases of Slovakia.“ This was followed by series such as "City of Shadows,“ whose Czech version, "Kriminálka Anděl,“ launched the phenomenon of crime series on Czech television.
As a producer, Rasťo Šesták has several awards to his name, including three Czech Lions, two Sun in the Net awards, and a special jury recognition from Igric for his creative and exceptionally demanding contribution to the production of the film "The Report,“ taking into account the mini-series "The Actor.“
Representatives in Tallinn
Jakub Režný, screenwriter
Rastislav Šesták, producer
CONTACT
Rastislav Šesták rs@dnaproduction.sk
MIDPOINT
ISLE OF REF
WRITER
Martin Horvat graduated with degrees in Philosophy and Ancient Greek. He studied screenwriting at the AFI Conservatory and received a Student Academy Award for the short film "All These Voices."
His writing credits include TV: "Talking Tom & Friends," "V Imenu Ljudstva," "Primeri Inšpektorja Vrenka," "Skrito v Raju," and films: "Catch," "Preboj," and "Dejan Zavec – 13. Runda."
Martin has worked as a 1st AD, script supervisor, and production manager, as well as a director – he has directed music videos for some of the most prominent artists in Slovenia, most notably twotime Grammy nominee Mak Grgić for his song "Macedonian Girl." He recently completed the Showrunner Training Programme organised by Internationale Filmschule Köln.
Representative in Tallinn Martin Horvat, screenwriter
Original title: Isle of Ref
Language: Slovenian
Genres: drama, youth series, war series
Writers: Martin Horvat, Gregor Fon
Project status: development
Production budget per season (in EUR): 3 500 000 EUR
At a girls’ reformatory, newcomers and war spark revolt as the students overthrow their rulers.
SHORT SYNOPSIS
New headmaster Lev Richter takes over The Ref, a harsh island reformatory for girls. His reforms spark conflict with stern matron Agatha. As war erupts, control collapses and the girls revolt – only to face the danger of repeating old cycles of power.
CONTACT
Martin Horvat msgr.martin.horvat@gmail.com
MIDPOINT Series Launch 2025
ANN WAS HERE
WRITER
Vivian Säde is an Estonian screenwriter, director, and producer. She founded Moondustfilms in 2018 to produce her film and TV projects. Säde wrote, directed, and co-produced Estonia's first queer comingof-age comedy-drama series "Kalamaja Blues“ for Yle. Premiering in 2023 and set in Tallinn’s Kalamaja district, its second season will be released in 2025 in collaboration with Yle and ERR. The project began after Säde participated in MIDPOINT Institute’s Smash Cut workshop in 2022. Her short film "Mari, Sweetie,“ produced by Volia Chajkouskaya at Allfilm, won the F-Weird Pitch at the Finnish Film Affair 2024 and the Radiator IP Sales Award at the Baltic Pitching Forum 2023. Filming begins in August 2025. Säde graduated cum laude with a BA in Audiovisual Media from Tallinn University’s Baltic Film and Media School and earned an MA in Screenwriting, also cum laude, from Screen Academy Scotland. She is a member of the Estonian Association of Audiovisual Authors.
Original title: Ann Kees
Language: Estonian
Genres: adaptation, dramedy, youth series, fantasy
Writer: Vivian Säde
Producers: Volia Chajkouskaya, Kristofer Piir
Production company: Allfilm
Project status: development
Production budget per season (in EUR): 1 200 000 EUR
After finding her mother’s teenage diary, 15-year-old Ann’s world is turned upside down.
SHORT SYNOPSIS
In 2001 Estonia, 15-year-old Ann discovers her strict mother’s wild punk past from an old diary and runs away to taste that freedom for herself. Guiding her along the way is Mürts, an imaginary friend Ann conjures from the diary’s pages.
PRODUCER
Kristofer Piir joined Allfilm in early 2019 after years of freelancing as a producer and location/production manager. Since then, Kristofer has been developing and producing shorts, features, and documentaries – the latest including "3rd Octave F“ (short) and "Who Am I Smiling For?“ (feature documentary) by writer-director Eeva Mägi, and "Fränk,“ a debut feature by director Tõnis Pill. Kristofer also manages international features and scripted TV dramas as a service producer. "Ann Was Here“ would be Kristofer's first official collaboration with writer-director Vivian Säde, though Vivian is no stranger to Allfilm, as her short "Mari, Sweetie“ is commencing development with producer Volia Chajkouskaya.
Representatives in Tallinn Vivian Säde, screenwriter Kristofer Piir, producer
CONTACT
Kristofer Piir kristofer@allfilm.ee
MIDPOINT
LITHUANIA, CROATIA, IRELAND
THE MAN BEHIND A MASK
WRITER
Anna Kalniņa is a Latvian screenwriter with a Master’s in Audiovisual and Performing Arts from the Latvian Academy of Culture. Since 2016, she has been writing scripts, consulting on screenplays, and localising scripts for international projects. Her work spans original films and series, including the feature film "Mana brīvība" (2023) and the localisation of "Tiger Martindale’s Survival Experts," which has secured Eurimages funding. Anna has trained with leading industry professionals and is known for character-driven stories and complex narrative structures.
PRODUCER
Original title: Cilvēks Maskā
Languages: English, Latvian, Russian
Genre: thriller
Writer: Anna Kalniņa
Producer: Serge Serpuhov
Production company: Baltic Pine Films
Project status: development
Production budget per season (in EUR): 5 614 070 EUR
A Soviet surgeon turned KGB spy faces the price of love, loyalty, and identity in a divided world.
SHORT SYNOPSIS
A Soviet surgeon turned reluctant KGB spy is torn between duty, love, and conscience. As his double life unravels, he must face the cost of loyalty and identity in a divided world. Inspired by true events.
Sergei Serpuhov is a Latvian producer with almost 25 years of industry experience. Having worked in the UK film industry, Sergei returned to Latvia in the early 2000s, becoming one of the first producers to attract foreign productions to the country. In 2008, he founded Baltic Pine Films, focusing on production services, co-productions, and later producing its own IP. Among the company’s flagship projects are the family film "Tiger Martindale’s Survival Experts," a Latvian-British co-production supported by Eurimages and currently in pre-production, and the TV series "The Man Behind a Mask," in development. Sergei has extensive experience in attracting Latvian cash rebates, national development and production funds, Creative Europe MEDIA, and Eurimages. He is a member of the Latvian Producers’ and Service Producers’ Associations and the European Film Academy.
Representatives in Tallinn
Anna Kalniņa, screenwriter
Sergei Serpuhov, producer
CONTACT
Sergei Serpuhov sergei@balticfilms.com
MIDPOINT
WE ARE STILL HERE
Original title: Wciąż tu jesteśmy
Language: Polish
Genres: dark comedy, dramedy
Writer: Aleksandra Hulbój
Producer: Piotr Śmiechowski
Production company: Telemark
Project status: development
Production budget per season (in EUR): 4 800 000 EUR
Two lives collide at support group for accidental killers – she seeks meaning, he seeks a victim.
SHORT SYNOPSIS
At APWAKS, a support group for accidental killers, Uber driver Tola pretends to belong to find her mother’s killer – but when postman Błażej plans to kill again, this time on purpose, the group becomes a chaotic hunt for truth, guilt and connection.
WRITER
Aleksandra Hulbój (born 10 July 1997 in Zakopane, Poland) is a screenwriter and director. She graduated from the National Film,
Television and Theatre School in Łódź, specialising in Screenwriting, and from the Andrzej Wajda Film School in Warsaw, majoring in Directing. She also studied Experimental Film and Animation at the Szczecin Academy of Art.
She is the author of the screenplay for the award-winning short film "Dead Marriage," which received Best Student Film at the Palm Springs Festival 2023 and Best Short Film at the Oscar-qualifying Kraków Film Festival, among others. She also wrote the short film "Last Film Before the End of the World," screened at the New Horizons International Film Festival and the Polish Film Festival in Gdynia. Aleksandra has participated in numerous screenwriting and directing courses and workshops. In 2021, she received an Honourable Mention for Best Direction in the international Papaya Young Directors competition.
PRODUCER
Piotr Śmiechowski is a producer and production manager working across feature and short films, music videos, and commercial productions. A graduate of the Film School in Łódź, his projects have won awards and received honourable mentions at Polish and European festivals, including the Silver Hobby-Horse for Best Short Film at the Kraków Film Festival for "Bitten." His most recent short, "A cappella," is currently touring the festival circuit with great success, collecting numerous international and domestic awards.
With Telemark, a Warsaw-based boutique production company, he worked on the acclaimed Netflix drama series "High Water." He is currently developing several projects, including premium drama series, feature-length fiction films, and creative documentaries.
Representatives in Tallinn Aleksandra Hulbój, screenwriter
Piotr Śmiechowski, producer
CONTACT
Piotr Śmiechowski piotr.smiechowski@telemark.com.pl
MIDPOINT SERIES LAUNCH 2025 DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVES
INJA KORAC
inja@cobrachicks.com
+385917678826
FOW: Production Company,
Series, Film Festival
Profession: Producer
Company: Cobra Chicks Zagreb
Country: Croatia
BIOGRAPHY
Graduated in Political Science and Journalism, holds an MA in Audiovisual Management from the Media Business School, Spain. Worked as a producer and programmer for Croatian and regional film festivals (Zagreb FF, Motovun FF, IDFF Beldocs) as well as a programmer for the Croatian EFA qualifying programme. Her projects were supported by Creative Europe and Eurimages and she works as a consultant. In 2022 launched a production company. Member of Croatian producers association, Film Artists' Association
MERT DILEK
mertdilekk@gmail.com
+447444014350
FOW: Development, Series
Profession: Consultant
Country: United Kingdom
BIOGRAPHY
Mert is a dramaturg and script editor with extensive experience in major theatres in Turkey and the UK, including as a Script Reader for the National Theatre in London. For screen, he has led the development of three film projects at Slovak Pop Up 2025 and co-developed a series for the Netflix Adaptation Lab in Turkey. Alongside his work supporting writers and consulting for producers internationally, Mert teaches at the University of Cambridge, where he also received his PhD in dramaturgy.
ELENA TARASHCHANSKAYA
elena.tarashchanskaya@gmail.com +358469411253
FOW: Development, Film Industry, Series Profession: Screenwriter
Country: Finland
BIOGRAPHY
Freelance screenwriter, script consultant and creative producer, member of the Writers Guild of Finland and Nordic Script lab alumna. Elena is a seasoned professional who has worked for Sony Pictures Television in Russia, created comedy series Ei Haukku haavaa tee for Elisa Viihde Originals in Finland, and organized travel reality shootings in 9 different countries. With expertise in development and production, she rocks both creative and practical skills, and thrives in international teams.
2026
Training Programmes
Training and connecting European film, TV and media professionals.
Applications for 2026 Programmes open in December 2025!
SERIAL BRIDGES BALTICS
Series Mania Institute, Europe's leading institution entirely dedicated to series, is continuing the international development of its Serial Bridges workshop under the leadership of Pierre Ziemniak, Director of Programmes at the institute.
Organised from 13 to 17 November 2025 in Tallinn, the new session will bring together six screenwriter-producer duos from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, each with a series project with strong international potential in several genres: espionage, thriller, horror, and comedy.
Serial Bridges Baltics is organised in partnership with the Institut Français and Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event, with the support of the Estonian Ministry of Culture, Elisa Eesti, Latvian Television, LRT, and the Estonian Film Institute. This project is supported by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.
A professional jury will award the best project, which will receive an invitation to participate in the Series Mania Forum 2026 in Lille.
JURY
Dominika Erhart-Braná, Industry Programme Coordinator at Serial Killer Festival, Czechia Erik Pack, SVP of Global Co-Productions at Boat Rocker Studios, UK
Anna Ruohonen, Screenwriter of the 2025 Co-Production Development Award-winning project “The Women That I Think of at Night,” Finland
AURORA. NEWSROOM.
Original title: Aurora. Redakcija.
Languages: Latvian, Estonian, Finnish, English
Genres: drama, thriller
Screenwriter: Juris Kursietis
Director: Juris Kursietis
Producers: Gints Grube, Elīna Gedina-Ducena
Production company: Mistrus Media
Project status: development
Budget: 3 072 669 EUR
Financed: 959 669 EUR
Number of episodes: 6
Episode duration: 52
Looking for: international distributors, sales agents, broadcasters, platforms, national and/or regional fund
SHORT SYNOPSIS
Guna Vilka, a journalist for Latvia’s leading online news outlet who goes by the undercover name Lynx and works for Aurora, an international network of investigative journalists, investigates an explosion at a newly opened wind farm in Latvia, where an Estonian teenager from a nearby youth camp has died. Together with her Aurora colleagues, she discovers that the accident was a Russian sabotage operation: a network of spies connected to the “self-improvement” youth camp, local politicians, and businessmen is preparing a series of attacks to paralyse the Baltic and Nordic countries’ power supply and sow chaos. The closer Guna gets to the truth, the more she is threatened by deep cover-ups, the risk of losing custody of her chil-
dren, and betrayal within the editorial team – and not only her career, but the security of NATO’s eastern border, is at stake.
DIRECTOR
Juris Kursietis is a Latvian film director and screenwriter. His debut feature "Modris" (2014) premiered at Toronto, and his second film "Oļegs" (2019) at Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, winning multiple awards. He co-directed the TV series "Soviet Jeans" (2023), winner of Best Series at the Latvian National Film Award and the Audience Award at Series Mania.
PRODUCTION COMPANY
Founded in 2000, Mistrus Media is a leading Latvian production company known for films with strong historical and socio-political themes. Its recent works include “Maria’s Silence” (Berlinale 2024), “January” (Tribeca 2022), “Samuel’s Travels” (Fantastic Fest 2021), the series “Pansion in the Mansion” (2024), and documentaries such as “Patrīcija” (DOK.fest München 2024) and “To Be Continued. Teenhood” (IDFA 2024).
Representatives in Tallinn Osvalds Zebris, writer Gints Grube, producer
CONTACT
Gints Grube gints.grube@mistrusmedia.lv
CODENAME: LIGHTHOUSE
Original title: Salasõna: majakas
Languages: English, Estonian, Russian
Genres: comedy, thriller
Screenwriter: Raoul Suvi
Producer: Jaan Laugamõts
Production companies: Downtown Pictures, Elisa Estonia
Project status: development
Budget: 1 500 000 EUR
Financed: 500 000 EUR
Number of episodes: 6
Episode duration: 42
Looking for: international distributors, sales agents, co-producers, finance partners
SHORT SYNOPSIS
When life hands you a portable tactical nuclear device in a briefcase, and you survive the KGB, the CIA, and the Russian mob, you’re probably the John McClane of mind-boggling post-Soviet Estonia.
WRITER
With an academic background spanning the University of Oslo, the University of Copenhagen, and Columbia College Hollywood, Raoul Suvi has built a career at the intersection of journalism, film, and television. Holding master’s degrees in Journalism and in Film and Media Studies with a focus on Film and Audiovisual Aesthetics, he has honed his skills in screenwriting, directing, and cinematogra-
phy. Over the years, his creative path has evolved towards television, where he has made significant contributions as a scriptwriter and developer.
PRODUCER
Jaan Laugamõts is an experienced producer with a proven track record in delivering content across television, film, and other media. He focuses on high-quality, end-to-end productions – from concept and crew planning to final delivery and marketing. He is known as the producer of the award-winning TV series “Traitor” and the upcoming series “In Darkness.”
PRODUCTION COMPANY
Downtown Pictures was founded in 2003. Over more than 20 years of operation, the company has produced numerous award-winning original formats – television series, short films, documentaries, music videos, and commercials. As one of the oldest and most reliable providers of audiovisual services in the Estonian production market, Downtown Pictures offers full production services across all stages of filmmaking.
Beneath the serene façade of a seemingly idyllic scout camp in the Švarbūdos Forest lies a dark underbelly, where local legends intertwine with the scouts’ deepest fears, blurring the line between reality and nightmare.
WRITER
Gabija Siurbytė is a producer, screenwriter, and co-owner of Dansu, one of Lithuania’s leading studios. Her first series as showrunner, “Troll Farm,” was selected for Berlinale Series Market Selects, Transilvania IFF, and Killer Series. She co-produced the Netflix series “Clark” and the Swedish series “Moscow Noir” (“Dirigenten”) and “Hamilton.” A board member of the Independent Producers
Association of Lithuania, Gabija has participated in Inside Pictures, EAVE+, Producers Network, and Berlinale Talents, and was featured as a promising TV writer at Berlinale’s “Only Writers in the Building” event.
PRODUCER
Viktorija Rimkutė is a film and television producer at Dansu Films. A Vilnius University graduate, she co-produced the Norwegian feature “Solomamma” by Janicke Askvold (Les Arcs, Göteborg Works in Progress) and produced “Troll Farm” – the first Lithuanian series selected for Berlinale Series Market Selects. She is developing several international co-productions supported by Creative Europe MEDIA and has completed the Series’ Women (EPI) and Market Ready (International Screen Institute) programmes.
PRODUCTION COMPANY
Founded in 2008, Dansu Films is one of Lithuania’s leading production houses. Its credits include the TV series “Moscow Noir” (dir. Mikael Håfström), “Agent Hamilton” (dir. Erik Leijonborg), “Troll Farm”, and the feature films “Sasha Was Here” and “I Am Fine, Thanks”. The company has also provided services for “The Crown Jewels” (Berlinale Generation 14+), “Gentlemen” (TIFF), and Netflix’s “Clark” (dir. Jonas Åkerlund), and continues to develop a diverse slate of feature films and television series.
Representatives in Tallinn Ernestas Jankauskas, writer Viktorija Rimkute, producer
Family head Patrick and his family arrive at a very isolated hotel in the woods together with other visitors, giving the impression that everything is perfect. However, none of them suspect that the idyllic location offers not only one service – checkout – but also no possibility of leaving.
WRITER-PRODUCER
Lelde Kovaļova is a film producer, novelist, and lecturer with a master’s degree in Audiovisual Media Arts. She has published six bestselling thrillers in Latvia, two of which became national bestsellers. Her debut novel “The Missing”(“Bezvēsts pazudušās”) was adapted into a television series that became one of the most-watched pro -
ductions in Latvia. As a producer, all her original series have premiered as ratings leaders on Tet.tv. She is dedicated to developing internationally competitive dramas and thrillers with strong psychological depth.
Representatives in Tallinn Lelde Kovalova, writer-producer Vladislavs Kovalovs, writer
CONTACT
Lelde Kovalova lpodniece@gmail.com
SHADOWS OF THE SWAMP
Original title: Purva ēnas
Language: Latvian
Genres: crime, baltic noirc, myster, folk horror
Screenwriters: Raitis Abele, Zanda Zeidaka
Directors: Raitis Abele, Lauris Abele
Producers: Sebastian Weyland, Raitis Abele
Production companies: Tritone Studio, Heimathafen Film
Project status: pre-production
Budget: 1 050 000 EUR
Financed: 763 000 EUR
Number of episodes: 6
Episode duration: 52
Looking for: international distributors, sales agents, co-producers
SHORT SYNOPSIS
In a misty Latvian village, people begin to vanish into the swamp –fishermen, hikers, even a millionaire. A detective and a psychic uncover a WWII Nazi atrocity, when meth-fuelled soldiers massacred the locals. The villagers harbour dark secrets, and something ancient and unseen still pulls the living into the bog.
WRITER
Zanda Zeidaka is a production designer, producer, writer, and art director. Her work includes “Baltic Tribes,” “Troubled Minds,” and script consultancy for “Dog of God.” She collaborates closely with the Ābele brothers and other filmmakers.
DIRECTORS
Brothers Lauris and Raitis Ābele are Latvian filmmakers, often collaborating with their DoP brother Mārcis. Their works include “Castratus the Boar” (Grand Prix, Tampere 2015), “Baltic Tribes,” and “Troubled Minds” (Tallinn Black Nights). Their latest film, the animated “Dog of God,” premiered at Tribeca, screened at Fantasia, FrightFest, and Sitges, and is Latvia’s Oscar submission for Best International Feature 2025.
PRODUCERS
Sebastian Weyland is a German producer and co-founder of Heimathafen Film & Media in Hamburg, known for European co-productions such as “Lioness,” “Motherland,” and “Teenland.”
Raitis Ābele is a Latvian director, producer, and visual artist, cofounder of Tritone Studio with his brother Lauris. Their award-winning films, including “Baltic Tribes,” “Troubled Minds,” and “Dog of God,” have screened at Tribeca and Tallinn Black Nights, blending myth, philosophy, and surreal visual storytelling.
PRODUCTION COMPANY
Established in 2009, Tritone Studio began as an artist collective. Initially experimenting with short films, animation, and innovative concepts, the studio soon expanded into feature film and documentary production, including international co-productions. It is run by the Ābele brothers and an ever-growing group of like-minded creative collaborators.
Looking for: international distributors, co-producers, broadcasters, platforms
SHORT SYNOPSIS
When a sharp-tongued professor checks into a remote hospital expecting peace and privacy during chemo, she ends up in a six-bed cancer ward full of loud, impossible-to-ignore women, including her old college nemesis. Beating cancer might be the goal, but first, they’ll have to survive each other.
WRITER-DIRECTOR
Birutė Kapustinskaitė is a Lithuanian screenwriter, director, and playwright. Her upcoming projects include the mini-series “Cold,”
as well as the feature-length films “Beginners,” “Hold Me Closer,” and “Bijouterie,” all set for release in 2026.
PRODUCER
Dagnė Vildžiūnaitė is a Lithuanian producer who has worked in the film and television industry for more than 15 years, producing both feature-length and short films, documentary and fiction alike. Her recent works include the documentary “December” (international premiere at Sheffield DocFest 2025) and the short dance and architecture film collection “Dance Plus City” (2024). She is a member of the European Film Academy, the European Producers Club, and the Lithuanian Film Culture Association.
PRODUCTION COMPANY
Just a Moment is a Vilnius-based independent production company focusing on the auteur films, quality TV projects and moving images with high artistic value, daring analytic work and experimental aesthetics.
Representatives in Tallinn
Birutė Kapustinskaitė, writer-director Dagnė Vildžiūnaitė, producer
CONTACT
Dagnė Vildžiūnaitė dagne@justamoment.lt
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TV BEATS Coming Soon from the Baltics ESTONIA
CROSSING THE LINE
Original title: Viimasel piiril
Language: Estonian
Genre: crime series, psychological drama
Screenwriters: Marian Vridolin, Mart-Matteus Kampus
Director: Franz Malmsten
Cinematographer: Tanel Topaasia
Editor: Sander Somma
Main cast: Alden Kirss, Mauri Liiv, Saara Pius, Natalja Murina Puustusmaa
“Crossing the Line” is a realistic crime drama set in the border town of Narva, where cross-border smuggling is still part of everyday life. Recently returned to his hometown, patrol officer Paul Kriisa finds both his professional and personal life beginning to unravel after the sudden return of his teenage daughter, Emilia. Hoping to gain custody, Paul turns to his former classmate Maria, now working in
the city administration. What starts as an innocent favour soon pulls him into an illegal network – one that becomes increasingly difficult to escape.
A story about people standing at the final border – geographical, moral, and emotional.
DIRECTOR
Franz Malmsten is an Estonian actor and director who, despite his young age, has already made his mark in film and television. He began his studies in London, focusing on film acting, but after returning to Estonia, shifted his passion to directing and graduated from the Baltic Film and Media School. He has directed two seasons of the comedy series “Alo,” showcasing his versatility and talent for creating engaging, relatable stories. Franz is currently in preproduction with Apollo Productions on his debut feature film, set to shoot in summer 2026.
Representative in Tallinn Franz Malmsten, director Anatoli Tafitšuk, producer
Screening of the 1st episode NOVEMBER 18, 15:45 - 16.30
Apollo Kino Plaza, 4. lukssaal
CONTACT
Anatoli Tafitšuk anatoli@ulm.ee
“Crossing the Line” is a Go3 Original Series co-funded by the Viru Film Fund.
TV BEATS Coming Soon from the Baltics LITHUANIA, ESTONIA
It was the first successful plane hijacking in the Soviet Union – and the beginning of a twisted father-son odyssey. In 1970, a father hijacks a Soviet jet with his fifteen-year-old son. A stewardess dies, Cold War powers clash, and in 1976 the pair escapes west to the United States. But America isn’t freedom – it’s just another cockpit, with Dad still at the controls. In 2002, the son snaps, kills him, and serves twenty years. Released in 2023 and homeless in Los Angeles, he asks: what is freedom worth when the cost is everything?
On an ordinary weekday, a group of strangers stops at a remote roadside café, unaware that this quiet place will soon become their prison. Moments later, armed men storm in and take everyone hostage. The captors contact only one man – the detective who once led the case that sent their leader’s younger brother to life imprisonment. Now he faces an impossible ultimatum: within hours, he must prove the young man was wrongly convicted. If he contacts the police, the hostages – including the detective’s pregnant wife – will be killed one by one.
Forced to work alone, the detective reopens the case he believed was long closed. But the deeper he digs, the more he realises the truth is not what it seemed, and that the younger brother’s convic -
tion may be far more complicated than he ever imagined. Every minute counts in the race to uncover the truth – and to save the hostages, he must cross lines he once swore he never would.
Representative in Tallinn Ilze Korjusa, co-producer
CONTACT
Ilze Korjusa Ilze.Korjusa@tet.lv
CATALONIA IN FOCUS
Catalonia stands today as one of Southern Europe’s most dynamic and internationally connected audiovisual hubs. Behind this vitality lies a robust professional ecosystem where creativity and strategy meet, supported by a strong public framework that accompanies the entire value chain, from training and development to financing, production, international promotion and exhibition. With initiatives such as dedicated co-production funds and schemes for high-end TV series, Catalonia has become a reliable partner for global collaboration, a place where artistic ambition aligns with market opportunity.
The Catalonia in Focus at Tallinn Black Nights celebrates this maturity, showcasing an industry that operates with a clear international vocation, a collaborative mindset, and a commitment to building long-term creative and professional alliances across borders.
OFFICIAL SELECTION COMPETITION
The Good Daughter / Júlia de Paz Solvas
CATALAN PROJECTS at Industry @Tallinn & Baltic Event
BALTIC EVENT CO-PRODUCTION MARKET
CLIMACTERIC by Liliana Torres
Produced by Edna Cinema, Distinto Films
CONTACT: Edna Cinema: carla@ednacinema.com
THE KING OF AIR by Laura Ferrés
Produced by Materia Cinema, La Fábrica Nocturna Cine
CONTACT: Materia Cinema: nadine@materiacinema.es
TV BEATS CO-FINANCING MARKET
Produced by Cataluña Federation Studios, Federation Spain, Lastor Media, New Media
PUBERTAT Secrets, Lies, and Human Castles by Leticia Dolera
Produced by Distinto Films, Corte y Confección de Películas, Uri Films, AT-Prod, with the collaboration of 3CAT, HBO MAX
CONTACT: Beta Film: beta@betafilm.com
DARK WATERS by Víctor Garcia
CATALAN PROJECTS at Industry @Tallinn & Baltic Event
INTERNATIONAL WORKS IN PROGRESS
WOLF GRRRLS! by Clàudia Estrada
Produced by Alba Sotorra Cinema Productions, Paloma Productions, Novak Prod, Vampire Films
CONTACT: Alba Sotorra Cinema Productions: alba@albasotorra.com
THE CONVULSIONS by David Gutiérrez Camps
Produced by Auca Films, Cinètica Produccions, Timber Films, IMY Prod
CONTACT: Auca Films: info@aucafilms.com
JUST FILM WORKS IN PROGRESS
TANIT by Pep Garrido
Produced by Atiende Films, Dacsa Produccions
CONTACT: Atiende Films: atiendefilms@gmail.com
CATALAN ACTIVITIES at Industry @Tallinn & Baltic Event
FOCUS COUNTRY PRESENTATION
Catalonia in Focus: A Leading Hub for International Co-Production
Thursday 20
14:30 Nordic Hotel Forum - Capella Hall
This session will present the strength and dynamism of the Catalan audiovisual ecosystem, one of the most vibrant hubs in Southern Europe. Attendees will discover the opportunities for international co-productions, the diversity and quality of filming locations and services, and the funding schemes and market strategies that make Catalonia a competitive and attractive player in the global audiovisual landscape.
TV BEATS CO-FINANCING MARKET
Catalonia’s High-End TV Fund: Driving Global Co-Production Opportunities
Tuesday 18
12:00 Nordic Hotel Forum - Capella Hall
Catalonia has launched the High-End TV Production Fund, a pioneering public financing scheme that marks a turning point for series production in Southern Europe. This unique initiative strengthens Catalonia’s position as a strategic partner for international co-productions, offering a competitive edge for producers seeking ambitious, high-quality projects. Success stories such as This Is Not Sweden – a co-production bridging Northern and Southern Europe – demonstrate how public-private alliances can deliver world-class drama with international reach.
MATCHMAKING SESSION BY CATALAN FILMS
Meet the Catalan Delegation: One-to-One Meetings
Thursday 20
16:00 Nordic Hotel Forum - Nomel Restaurant
This session offers international professionals the opportunity to connect directly with the Catalan companies attending Tallinn Black Nights. The delegation represents a wide range of profiles—from established production houses to emerging players—bringing experience in international markets and a clear focus on building new partnerships, exploring co-productions, and expanding professional networks.
Nurturing Talent & Navigating Markets: Strategies from Development Labs to International Releases
Friday 21
14:00 Nordic Hotel Forum - Altair Hall
This roundtable will bring together filmmakers, producers, and emerging talents whose projects have journeyed through script labs, co-production forums, development programs, works-inprogress platforms, and international markets. Together, they will discuss the challenges and opportunities of moving from creative development to market visibility, addressing how to balance artistic integrity with industry impact. The session will also explore how production companies design strategies to guide and support their talents in navigating professional platforms, building sustainable careers, and ensuring their projects reach international audiences.
INFO & CONTACTS
SPOTLIGHT AUSTRIA
Black Nights. What better opportunity than the darkness of early winter, of a warm theatre to shine a powerful light on current filmmaking in Austria: The Austrian spotlight at this 29th PÖFF Festival brings together Austrian creatives and players from production, funding, and distribution for international networking and to pitch and promote their new projects. Only this engine of combined forces allows a smaller film country flourishing in the arthouse sector to create the necessary radius of action to compete in the global race for audiences.
The film selection by the PÖFF curators presents a well-balanced picture of the artistically and thematically diverse output of Austria’s dynamic film landscape, reflecting major festival successes in 2025 and key trends that explain the prominent international presence of Austrian films and co-productions in recent years.
MOTHER’S BABY by Johanna Moder competed for the Golden Bear as one of ten Austrian entries celebrating their world premiere at the Berlinale. Moder stands for self-confident female filmmaking, consistently fostered in recent years. She has earned her place in a major competition by daring to break a taboo and demystify motherhood. With powerful stories marked by diver-
sity, inclusion, and feminism, women filmmakers such as Sudabeh Mortezai and Marie Kreutzer also made their breakthrough at the Berlinale competition in earlier years. With CORSAGE (2022) in Cannes and on the Oscar shortlist, Marie Kreutzer took an important step toward her current project GENTLE MONSTER, now shooting with Léa Seydoux and Catherine Deneuve. Kurdwin Ayub, winner of top prizes in Berlin and Locarno for SONNE and MOON, Sandra Wollner, winner of the Encounters Prize for THE TROUBLE WITH BEING BORN, or Marie Luise Lehner, winner of the Teddy Jury Award for IF YOU ARE AFRAID YOU PUT YOUR HEART INTO YOUR MOUTH AND SMILE have demonstrated their strong signature style with their first appearances at top festivals.
They are joined by a number of exciting first-time directors such as Mo Harawe, acclaimed at the Cannes festival for THE VILLAGE NEXT TO PARADISE and The Résidence-alumnus Bernhard Wenger, awarded at Venice for PEACOCK.
Marie Kreutzer’s eagerly awaited new film is produced by Vienna-based Film AG, also majority co-producer of THE STORIES The tragicomedy by Austro-Egyptian filmmaker Abu Bakr Shawky celebrates its world premiere in PÖFF’s International Competition.
Mother's Baby
The Stories
To finance projects of international scope, both established and emerging companies have positioned themselves in the field of co-productions. MILITANTROPOS (with Ukraine) and THE SOUFFLEUR (with Argentina) achieved high visibility at Cannes and Venice this year. Young talents in Austria's up-andcoming production scene are regularly part of the handpicked circle of the efp platform Producers on the Move. Ambitious projects from Schubert (ROSE by Markus Schleinzer) and Panama Film (EVERYTIME by Sandra Wollner) already promise exciting festival prospects.
One peculiarity of Austrian filmmaking is the high density of distinctive directing duos. In 2024, eight of them were represented at major festivals. The 2025 most successful four-handed production can be seen in Tallinn: double Locarno winner WHITE SNAIL by Elsa Kremser and Levin Peter. They work in the blurred zone between fictional and documentary work, similar to Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel, who stood out with VERA at Venice Orizzonti in 2022 and who are currently putting the finishing touches to their new film expected for festival take-off in 2026. In stark contrast, Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala, who subtly reinterpret the horror genre, work in both the US and Europe, and created with the Silver Bear winner THE DEVIL'S BATH one of the most beautiful and haunting stories in recent years.
Austrian documentary filmmaking reveals its wide range, visual power, and political relevance – from the global perspective of Nikolaus Geyrhalter’s MELT to Natalie Halla’s courageous portrait THE LAST AMBASSADOR
JESSICA HAUSNER, guest of honor and host of a masterclass, is the filmmaker who perhaps best embodies the continuity between the early success stories of Austrian filmmaking shaped by radical pioneers such as Michael Haneke and Ulrich Seidl and the present phase of unfolding diversity and polyphony, which keeps bringing forth new voices and surprises.
The Souffleur
Jessica Hausner
White Snail Melt
AI R FOR ART
Baltic Event Co-Production Market
COPRODUCTION MARKET
BEST PROJECT AWARD
The Best project will be handed The Eurimages Co-Production Development Award that includes a non-reimbursable subsidy of €20,000 for feature-length fiction, animation, and documentary films, which must be used exclusively to cover the development expenses of the co-production project.
PRODUCERS NETWORK PRIZE FOR PROMISING YOUNG PRODUCERS
Two free passes to Producers’ Network 2026 awarded by Cannes Marché du Film
The Marché du Film is the business counterpart of the Cannes Film Festival and one of the largest film markets in the world. Established in 1959, it is held annually in conjunction with the Festival de Cannes. The Producers’ Network hosts 550 producers from around the world in a series of meetings and events. Created to stimulate international co-production and project financing, this event is specially designed for producers. Events include Breakfast Meetings, gathering some 200 industry professionals and producers for roundtable discussions. In order to be eligible for the Producers Network award, the producer has to have produced one feature film that has been theatrically released within the past three years. The award cannot be given to the producer who has won the same award with the same project from another international film market.
THE PUBLIC FAVOURITE PITCH AWARD
one shooting day at Gorodenkoff Studios, valued at €4,500.
JURY
All the projects will be presented to the audience in a conversation with communication skills trainer Sibylle Kurz and creative consultant Márk Szilágyi
This year’s jury includes: Els Hendrix, Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM), and German representative to Eurimages; Katrin Pors, producer at Snowglobe, Denmark; Jörg Schneider, commissioning editor at ZDF, Germany.
Co-Production Market 2025 UKRAINE, LATVIA
ALICE WANTS TO LIVE
Original title:
Languages: Ukrainian, Russian Genre: drama
Written by: Vitaliy Dokalenko
Directed by: Denys Sobolev
Produced by: Vitaliy Dokalenko, Andrejs Ekis
Production companies: Ganzafilm, Cinevilla Films LLC
Estimated budget in EUR: 190 000 EUR
Financing in place in EUR: 5000 EUR
Looking for: public funds (national, regional, international), co-producers, distributors
SYNOPSIS
"Alice Wants to Live" is an intimate drama set in Kyiv, where war has become part of daily life. After a drone strike destroys her home, Alice – a graphic designer in her thirties – finds an unexpected connection with Vadym, a soldier briefly on leave. What begins as shared silence turns into cautious intimacy, as two wounded people try to reclaim the right to tenderness. The city around them breathes with threat and beauty, holding both trauma and resilience. This is a story of post-traumatic presence – of two people choosing closeness in a world that keeps urging them to stay numb.
DIRECTOR
Denys Sobolev is a writer and director, born in 1993. Originally from
Luhansk (currently under Russian occupation), he later moved to Kyiv, where he graduated from the Kyiv National University of Television and Cinema.
PRODUCER
Vitalii Dokalenko is a Ukrainian director, producer, and media executive with over 35 years of experience in film and television. He cofounded Master Video in 1988 and directed music videos for Iryna Bilyk, Skryabin, and Tabula Rasa. He later held senior roles at INTER TV, New Channel, Tonis TV, and the National Television Company of Ukraine, launching major national projects. As head of entertainment at 1+1 Production, he oversaw over 70 shows, including “The Voice” and “Hell’s Kitchen.” Since 2013, he has led Master Video, creating original scripted and reality formats.
Andrejs Ekis is a prominent Latvian film producer, director, and former TV executive. He is the head of the film company Cinevilla Studios, a unique film set and studio village near Riga. He is also the former CEO of LNT, a major Latvian commercial television network. He is known for combining commercial appeal with historical and national themes.
PRODUCTION COMPANY
Ganzafilm Production was established in 2016 in Kyiv, Ukraine, by TV and media professionals with over 30 years of experience. The team develops and produces feature, documentary, and animation projects, as well as TV formats and digital advertising campaigns. The company is actively involved in all stages of production, from co-development to overseeing the entire creative process.
Representatives in Tallinn Olena Morentsova-Shulyk, producer
A few days after the unexpected death of her parents, Selva begins to experience strange changes in her body, which are diagnosed as early menopause. When she visits her hometown, her transformation accelerates and intensifies, syncing with the environmental devastation of a land exploited by factory farms. The rage of menopause becomes a driving force for animal liberation and the defence of the earth.
DIRECTOR
Liliana Torres (Vic, 1980) graduated in Film Directing from ESCAC in 2004 with “Anteayer,” selected for the Women’s Short Film Showcase. Her debut feature “Family Tour” (San Sebastián, Zabal-
tegi) earned multiple awards and screened worldwide. In 2018, she co-directed the documentary “Hayati,” winner of the Young Jury Mention at Málaga. Her second hybrid feature, “What Did We Do Wrong?” (2021), premiered in Seville’s Official Section and won Best Cinematography at the Mestre Mateo Awards. Her latest film, “Mamífera,” premiered in competition at SXSW, winning Best Performance, and was later nominated for three Gaudí Awards.
PRODUCER
Carla Sospedra Salvado (Barcelona, 1982) has built a multifaceted career in film production. She co-founded Cassette Films, later joined Imelda Films, and became Isabel Coixet’s right hand at Miss Wasabi Films, producing acclaimed documentaries such as “Aral, the Lost Sea” and “Listening to Judge Garzón” (Goya 2011). She also produced Belén Funes’s award-winning shorts “Sara’s Runaway” and “The Hopeless,” and “Words, Maps, Secrets and Other Things” by Elena Trapé. Selected for When East Meets West 2016 with Liliana Torres’s “What Have We Done Wrong?,” she continues to champion emerging female directors.
PRODUCTION COMPANY
Founded by Carla Sospedra, Edna Cinema supports and creatively produces emerging filmmakers, focusing on projects at the crossroads of cinema and activism.
Distinto Films, with over 18 years of experience, produces fiction features and series by both established and new voices, especially women directors. Its acclaimed titles include “Deaf,” “The Portuguese House,” “The Odd-Job Men,” “Mamífera,” “The Wild Ones,” and “The Great Vázquez,” screened at Berlinale, SXSW, Locarno, Málaga, and San Sebastián, and honoured with multiple Goya nominations. The company’s films explore culturally relevant themes with an authorial vision for a broad international audience.
Representatives in Tallinn
Liliana Torres, director Carla Sospedra Salvado, producer
CONTACT
Carla Sospedra Salvadó carla@ednacinema.com
Co-Production Market 2025 ALBANIA, FRANCE
COLD SUN
Original title: Diell i ftohtë
Language: Albanian
Genre: drama
Written by: Gentian Koçi
Directed by: Gentian Koçi
Produced by: Gentian Koçi, Blerina Hankollari
Production companies: Artalb Film Productions, Halley Production
A man in his fifties has just been released from prison following a 20-year sentence for the murder of his wife. Returning to his small hometown, he finds himself erased from the social fabric. Assigned to work as a night guard in a remote lagoon nature reserve, he lives in isolation surrounded by vast flocks of flamingos. His body often betrays him, as though memory and violence are erupting through his skin. The memory of the woman he killed persists like an open wound on his body. When Ana, a solitary researcher studying flamingos, enters his orbit, a strange intimacy forms between them, rooted in unspoken wounds. Feelings for her start growing, and his emotional paralysis cracks. But as social pressure escalates and violence resurfaces, the man's emotional threshold is tested. During a violent sandstorm, Ana confronts him and demands an unbearable
truth. What unfolds is not a confession but a silent scream from a soul beyond repair.
DIRECTOR
Gentian Koçi (Tirana, 1979) is a director and producer, co-founder of Artalb Film Productions (2011). His acclaimed films “Not a Carwash” (2012), “Daybreak” (2017), and “A Cup of Coffee and New Shoes On” (2022) have screened at major festivals and earned praise from Variety, Screen Daily, and The Hollywood Reporter. Named by Screen Daily as a “director to watch,” Koçi has served on numerous international juries and was selected for Producers on the Move (Cannes 2023).
PRODUCER
Blerina Hankollari, co-founder of Artalb Film Productions in Tirana, has been active in the film industry since 2012. She produced Gentian Koçi’s acclaimed features “Daybreak” (2017) and “A Cup of Coffee and New Shoes On” (2022), both Albania’s official Oscar entries, and served as creative consultant on his documentary “Not a Carwash” (Hot Docs). Selected for Producers on the Move (EFP, Cannes 2025), she is currently producing Koçi’s third feature “Cold Sun” and developing Eneos Çarka’s documentary “Beyond the Blue Mountains Is the Sea.” Her work focuses on distinctive, authentic storytelling in feature and documentary cinema.
PRODUCTION COMPANY
Artalb Film is a Tirana-based production company focused on the co-production of arthouse films distinguished by their authentic visual style and narrative voice.
Representatives in Tallinn Gentian Koci, director Blerina Hankollari, producer
12-year-old Lia is still struggling to cope with her mother's death.Her father moves them to Vienna to start over with his new partner, Sonja. On the day of the move, Lia steals her mother's urn – her most sacred secret. But nothing in Vienna feels right: their new apartment is in a dull housing complex, Sonja is a strict music teacher, and Lia's new stepsister Pauline, who has Down's syndrome, is far too blunt. Determined to return to Zurich, Lia rebels – until she meets Luis, a lively drummer, and finds an unexpected confidante in his grandmother. Lia finally realises how much this new life has come to mean to her.
DIRECTOR
Johanna Lietha studied film directing at the University of the Arts
London (UAL), with continued training in directing, acting, screenwriting, and dramaturgy. Her debut feature film, "Lovecut," premiered at the Max Ophüls Film Festival in 2020 and won the award for Best Screenplay. Her current feature film project, "Heart Beats", was selected for the Cinekid Script Lab and the Cinekid Directors Lab. Johanna is a member of the Austrian Film Directors’ Association and the Austrian Screenwriters’ Association, and works as a director, screenwriter, and dramaturge in Vienna.
PRODUCER
Karin Berghammer studied at UCLA as well as at the Kaskeline Film Academy in Berlin and holds a master’s degree in TV and Film Production from Danube University Krems. Starting out in the film industry as Head of Development and Production Manager for arthouse films, she founded her own company, berg hammer film, in 2018.
PRODUCTION COMPANY
berg hammer film, founded in 2018 by Karin Berghammer, develops and produces innovative fiction and non-fiction films and series for cinema and television. The company focuses on artistically ambitious, socially relevant stories that challenge conventions while remaining engaging and accessible. Guided by principles of sustainability and diversity, its all-women team collaborates with both established professionals and emerging talents to create original, meaningful content.
Representatives in Tallinn
Johanna Lietha, director
Kathi Posch, producer
Karin Berghammer, producer
CONTACT
Karin Berghammer karin@berghammerfilm.at
SPOTLIGHT: AUSTRIA.
Co-Production Market 2025 ESTONIA, LATVIA, FINLAND
JOHNNY
DIRECTOR
Jaak Kilmi was born on 23 October 1973 in Tallinn, Estonia. He graduated from Tallinn University (Baltic Film and Media School), majoring in film directing. He has co-directed and produced a string of successful short films, several documentary films, and three feature films. His films have been awarded internationally and have enjoyed successful theatrical runs in Estonia. He teaches film directing at Tallinn University.
On Christmas Eve 1948, 19-year-old Lennart 'Johnny' returns to post-war Tartu. Brilliant and defiant, he studies history, reads Baudelaire, speaks four languages, and secretly resists Soviet rule. With friends, he founds the underground Black Hand, staging daring provocations against the regime – some failing, others inspiring fellow students. While his father Georg suffers imprisonment, Johnny works at the theatre, falls for Gina, and dreams of freedom. Yet amid love, study, and rebellion, the tightening grip of Soviet oppression casts a dark shadow over his future.
Sander Lebreht is a young Estonian film producer and BFM graduate (cum laude) known for his drive and versatility. His short film “My Dear Corpses” earned Estonia its first Student Academy Award. He has since contributed to productions such as “Tenet,” “Rosvopankki,” “The Eight Faces of Lake Biwa,” and “Free Money.” At Exitfilm, Sander develops and finances new projects while also coowning Local OÜ and Lebenrecht Films OÜ, through which he has produced nearly 100 projects. Combining creativity with strategic focus, he continues to champion meaningful, internationally resonant stories.
PRODUCTION COMPANY
Exitfilm is an Estonia-based production company founded in 1992. It works closely with local film funds, the creative community, and emerging talent. With extensive experience collaborating with European partners, Exitfilm provides a strong platform for international co-productions, having produced and co-produced 10 feature films and over 40 short films and documentaries.
Representatives in Tallinn
Jaak Kilmi, director
Sander Lebreht, producer
CONTACT
Sander Lebreht sander@exitfilm.ee
Co-Production Market 2025
SPAIN, FRANCE
THE KING OF THE AIR
Original title: El rey del aire
Languages: Catalan, Spanish
Genre: drama
Written by: Laura Ferres, Chema García Ibarra
Directed by: Laura Ferres
Produced by: Nadine Rothschild, Inés Massa, Marina Perales, Xavier Rocher
Production companies: Materia Cinema, La Fabrica Nocturna Cinema
'The King of the Air' is a company of inflatable attractions that looks like a Disneyland for the poor. It's also the nickname of Pere (63), not just because he runs the place, but because of his drug addiction. Trapped in depression, Pere writes a farewell note and plans his end: on a windy day, he climbs onto an inflatable, ready to fly away – but Rosario saves him, without even realising it. Pere then falls in love with her and rediscovers his will to live.
But Rosario is in love with Celeste, her financial dominatrix, who wields power and control through money. Celeste has distanced herself, convinced that feelings have no place in such a relationship. Pere, unable to understand how someone could find pleasure in suffering, tries to take Celeste's place in Rosario's life – unaware that this time, he will end up turning into air.
DIRECTOR
Laura Ferrés (El Prat de Llobregat, 1989) is a screenwriter and director. Her debut short “Los desheredados” won Best Short Film at Cannes Critics’ Week, the Goya, and the Gaudí Awards, and was the first short in Spain to receive a solo theatrical release. Her feature debut “La imatge permanent” premiered in Locarno’s Official Selection and won the Golden Spike at Valladolid. She is currently developing her second feature, “El rey del aire,” supported by a scholarship from the Catalan Academy of Cinema.
PRODUCTION COMPANY
Founded in 2023 by Inés Massa and Nadine Rothschild, Materia Cinema develops, produces, and finances independent fiction and documentary films for international audiences. Combining backgrounds in production and international sales, the founders share a commitment to amplifying new Spanish voices and supporting emerging Latin American and European talent.
Materia Cinema builds long-term collaborations with directors through co-productions. Its partnership with Laura Ferrés illustrates this approach: after executive producing her debut feature, the company became the main producer of her second film, strengthening an ongoing creative alliance.
Most recently, Materia co-produced Ira Sachs’ “Peter Hujar’s Day”, starring Ben Whishaw and Rebecca Hall, which premiered in Sundance Premieres and later in Berlin’s Panorama. The US-UKSpanish-German production was made with Jordan Drake Productions, Complementary Colors, We Are Films, Blink Productions, Primo Content, and One Two Films, and was acquired by Sideshow and Janus Criterion for North American distribution.
Representatives in Tallinn
Laura Ferres, director Nadine Rothschild, producer
Marysia lives in a village with her mum and half-sister Julka. After posting photos online, she receives messages from men and considers selling her virginity. Her bond with Mateusz, Julka's uncle and her childhood friend, becomes complicated. Though Mateusz has a pregnant girlfriend, Marysia feels close to him. She meets several men and chooses one, but flees when he, a doctor, wants to examine her. Ultimately, she decides to have her first time with Mateusz. Their intimacy reveals a deep connection, and for Marysia, it's the start of making her own – wise or foolish – choices.
DIRECTOR
Anna Jadowska is a Polish film and TV director whose latest feature, “Woman on the Roof,” premiered in competition at
the Tribeca Film Festival. She co-directed Netflix’s first Polish original, “Erotica 2022,” and earned international acclaim for “Wild Roses” (Stockholm Impact Award, FilmFestival Cottbus Grand Prize). A recipient of the Krzysztof Krauze Award, Anna has also directed series such as “Open Your Eyes” (Netflix) and “Ultraviolet” (AXN), continuing to work with leading Polish and international platforms.
PRODUCER
Magdalena Sztorcis a graduate of the Łódź Film School in Film Production and previously worked as a programmer at the New Horizons International Film Festival. Her short film “Fragments” premiered at Cannes Directors’ Fortnight in 2014. She has produced two feature films: “Simple Things” (New Horizons IFF Competition) and “Everyone Has a Summer” (Gdynia Film Festival premiere, multiple Polish awards). She is an alumna of the EAVE Producers Workshop (2023) and a member of the Polish Producers Guild.
PRODUCTION COMPANY
Mozaika Films was founded in 2023 by Magdalena Sztorc and Anna Zajączkowska. It is an international co-production company focused on diverse storytelling and supporting emerging voices.
Representatives in Tallinn
Magdalena Sztorc, producer Anna Zajaczkowska, producer
Despite their efforts and work qualifications, a group of millennials and zoomers reach a point where the money they earn isn't enough for food and rent. So, they decide on a drastic solution: to rob a luxury house where one of the protagonists works part-time as a cleaner.
DIRECTOR
Vojtěch Strakatý (born 1988, Prague) graduated in directing and scriptwriting from FAMO in Písek, Czech Republic. The script for his feature debut "After Party" received the Stars of Tomorrow award at Karlovy Vary IFF 2018. The film was shot in 2022 and had its world premiere in the Orizzonti Extra section of the 81st Venice International Film Festival in 2024. His second feature, "The Other
Side of Summer," was shot in 2023 and had its world premiere in the Proxima section of the 59th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. “No Salvation Coming” is his third feature.
PRODUCER
Jan Čadek (born 1999) studied at a secondary film school and later joined the Department of Production at FAMU in 2021. He has worked as a production manager on several student films, including “Return” by Lukáš Valíšek, and served in the Faculty’s Academic Senate. Jan is the line producer of Bohdan Karásek’s “The Champion” and producer of Šimon Kucka’s short “Satin Hands.” Since 2025, he has been a junior producer at Beginner’s Mind, contributing to the development and production of feature and documentary films.
PRODUCTION COMPANY
Beginner’s Mind is a Prague-based film production company founded in 2022. We focus on fiction and documentary projects with distinctive authorial voices and international potential, valuing close collaboration with our filmmakers. Staying true to our name, we remain open to all genres and approaches, avoiding routine and repetition. We prioritise a sustainable, people-centred production process, ensuring the journey of making a film is as meaningful as the final result. Our collaborators are chosen for their shared commitment to creativity, care, and environmental responsibility.
Representatives in Tallinn
Vojtěch Strakatý, director Jan Čadek, producer
CONTACT
Jan Čadek jan@beginnersmind.cz
Co-Production Market 2025 NORWAY
ONE BROTHER TOO MANY
DIRECTOR
Tove Undheim (b. 1981) is a Norwegian filmmaker and graduate of the Norwegian Film School. She debuted with “Twigson & The Sea Monster” (2020) and has directed shorts such as “Quarantined Family Karlsen” and “Reception,” as well as the documentary series “Gunhilds Kamp” (2022). Tove has collaborated as assistant or second-unit director with Eskil Vogt (“The Innocents,” “Blind”) and Eva Sørhaug (“90 Minutes”). Her films have screened at BIFF, Grimstad, and Signes de Nuit, and she has received multiple Norwegian Arts Council and Writers’ Guild grants.
PRODUCER
Original title: En Bror For Mye
Language: Norwegian
Genres: adaptation, children's film, family film, drama
When 9-year-old Sara suddenly gets a foster brother, 5-year-old Steinar, her life is turned upside down. Forced to share both her parents and her room, Sara feels angry, sad, and unable to be a good big sister. To cope, she creates Alfred – a kind, big-brother alter ego. At home, she's Alfred; at school, still Sara. But soon, Sara starts to disappear. Her parents don't know what to do, and her best friend tries to help. In the end, the parents act: Steinar gets his own room, and Sara slowly returns. She teaches him letters and accepts her role as big sister. On her door hangs a drawing from Steinar. Misspelled, but clear: 'Sara.'
Ellen Ugelstad is an award-winning Norwegian filmmaker and producer with a BFA from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. She founded Twentyone Pictures, dedicated to auteur-driven films. Her documentary “Indian Summer” earned nominations at DOK Leipzig, CPH:DOX, and the Norwegian Emmy Awards. Her shorts “The Meetingroom,” “The Green Valley,” and “The Wonders Beneath the Sea” all won at the Norwegian Short Film Festival, and her latest film, “The Recovery Channel,” premiered at CPH:DOX 2024.
PRODUCTION COMPANY
Twentyone Pictures, founded by filmmaker Ellen Ugelstad, is a director-driven company dedicated to artistic innovation and hybrid storytelling across fiction and documentary. It produces culturally and politically relevant films for international audiences and offers co-production and financing for global projects.
Representatives in Tallinn Tove Undheim, director Ellen Ugelstad, producer
CONTACT
Rune Sørheim runarsorheim@gmail.com
QUEEN OF ENGLAND STOLE MY PARENTS
Original title: Anglijos karalienė pagrobė mano tėvus
Language: Lithuanian
Genre: family film
Written by: Gabija Siurbytė, Aleksandra Chmielewska
8-year-old Milda tries to feel grateful, but the 'perfect adoption' is suffocating. Then, Beatrice, a ginger-haired doll come to life with a penchant for chaos, whispers tales of kidnapped biological parents and a Queen of England conspiracy. Fearless Beatrice pushes Milda to abandon her adoptive parents. Fuelled by a fragile hope, Milda runs. Cue a chaotic road trip: stolen bikes, a cake-obsessed court, and wild Beatrice 'detective' work (disguises and questionable geography included!). But is Milda chasing hope – or delusion? Meanwhile, her adoptive parents, over-prepared Viktorija and introverted Tadas, race to catch up, their journey forcing them to confront their own doubts.
WRITER-PRODUCER
Gabija Siurbytė is a Lithuanian producer and scriptwriter, co-owner
Co-Production Market 2025 LITHUANIA, POLAND
of Dansu. Her series "Troll Farm" was selected for Berlinale Series Market Selects, Transilvania IFF, and Killer Series. She co-produced "Clark" (Netflix), "Moscow Noir" ("Dirigenten"), and "Hamilton," and is an alumna of Inside Pictures, EAVE+, and Berlinale Talents.
DIRECTOR
Ernestas Jankauskas directed "Troll Farm" (Berlinale Series Market Selects, Transilvania IFF, Killer Series) and the short "The Queen of England Stole My Parents." His features include "Sasha Was Here" (Tallinn Black Nights) and "I Am Fine, Thanks" (Warsaw IFF). He has also directed over 40 award-winning commercials and worked on "Moscow Noir" (StudioCanal).
PRODUCER
Viktorija Rimkutė is a film and TV producer at Dansu Films. She coproduced Janicke Askvold’s “Solomamma” (Les Arcs, Göteborg Works in Progress) and produced “Troll Farm.” She recently completed EPI’s Series’ Women and the Market Ready programme at the International Screen Institute (2024).
PRODUCTION COMPANY
Dansu Films, founded in 2008, is one of Lithuania’s leading production companies. Its credits include the TV co-productions “We Come in Peace,” “Moscow Noir,” and “Agent Hamilton,” and the Lithuanian films “Sasha Was Here,” “I Am Fine, Thanks,” and “Troll Farm” (Berlinale Series Market Selects). The company has also provided services for international projects such as “The Crown Jewels” (Berlinale), “Gentlemen” (TIFF), and Netflix’s “Clark.”
A sharp-tongued, washed-up journalist in her fifties – menopausal, drunk, and written off as old – rage-books herself to Dracula's doorstep and stumbles into an eternal midlife crisis. Now immortal, she struggles with bloodlust, hides her new identity from her daughter and the world, and realises that being undead might finally be good for something. A darkly funny story that celebrates the unexpected powers of middle age – even when no one asked for them.
DIRECTOR
Dace Pūce is a Latvian director and screenwriter whose debut feature “The Pit” (2020) won multiple international awards, including the Grand Prix at Nordic Film Days Lübeck, and was Latvia’s Oscar submission. Her second feature, “Manny” (2020), earned her Best
First-Time Director and the European Cinematography Award. A former performer, she founded Marana Productions in 2003 and has since created numerous films, music videos, and commercials. Dace holds two master’s degrees and has trained at Central Saint Martins, Brighton Film School, and the New York Film Academy.
PRODUCER
Active in film since 2012, Antra Gaile has produced two of Latvia’s Oscar submissions – “To Be Continued” and “The Mover” – and worked with directors such as Jon Bang Carlsen, Sergei Loznitsa, and Šarūnas Bartas. A sought-after line producer for international coproductions, including “Invisible Fight” and “Wesele,” she is a member of the Latvian Film Producers’ Association and EWA Network.
Līga Gaisa is a Latvian writer-producer whose credits, including “The End Game,” “Jacob, Mimmi and the Talking Dogs,” and “Confessions of My Childhood Body,” have all been nominated for Lielais Kristaps Awards. She chairs the Latvian Screenwriters’ Guild, mentors at several Baltic programmes, and is a member of the Latvian Association of Film Producers.
PRODUCTION COMPANY
Air Productions is a Riga-based, female-led company co-owned by Antra Gaile and Līga Gaisa. Founded in 2011, it produces documentaries, animation, fiction features, and TV series, earning multiple National Film Awards and international recognition. The company focuses on socially conscious, women-driven stories with local roots and global reach and is active in European co-productions such as “Spacehead” and “Baltic UXO.”
Representatives in Tallinn Dace Puce, director Līga Gaisa, producer Antra Gaile, producer
CONTACT
Līga Gaisa liga.gaisa@airproductions.lv
Co-Production Market 2025 ROMANIA
VANISHING POINT
Original title: Punctul de Fuga
Language: Romanian
Genre: drama
Written by: Florin Lazarescu
Directed by: Tudor Giurgiu
Produced by: Bogdan Crăciun
Production company: Libra Films
Estimated budget in EUR: 2 027 085 EUR
Financing in place in EUR: 252 085 EUR
Looking for: sales agent, public funds (national, regional, international), co-producers
SYNOPSIS
In the summer of 1963, political prisoner Gică Scurtu escapes from a floating prison on the Danube. Hunted and starving, he flees across Romania, Ukraine, and Russia, surviving in forests, abandoned homes, and freight trains. Inspired by a photo of cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, he dreams of freedom. He briefly finds shelter with a woman near Leningrad but resumes his journey towards Finland. Just before reaching the border, he's captured and sent back to Romania. Later pardoned, he finds post-prison life equally suffocating under communism. In one final daring escape, hidden in a Czech tourist's car, Gică finally reaches freedom.
DIRECTOR
Tudor Giurgiu, a member of the European Film Academy and
founder of the Transilvania International Film Festival (TIFF), has directed “Love Sick” and “Why Me?” (Berlinale), “Of Snails and Men” (Warsaw, Valladolid), and “Libertate / Freedom” (Sarajevo, CICAE Award 2023). He won the European Film Award for “Superman, Spiderman or Batman” and produced acclaimed films such as “Servants” and “Katalin Varga.” His latest documentary, “Nasty,” screened at Cannes and Karlovy Vary 2024.
PRODUCER
Bogdan Crăciun (b. 1980) joined Libra Film in 2006 after studying law. An EAVE Producers Network graduate (2015), he has produced “Breaking News” (Karlovy Vary 2017), “Menocchio” (Locarno 2018), and the documentary “Nasty” (Cannes 2024). His latest film, “On Their Own” by Tudor Cristian Jurgiu, a Romanian–Italian co-production supported by Eurimages, will premiere in 2025.
PRODUCTION COMPANY
Libra Films, founded in 2014, took over projects produced between 2000 and 2014 under the Libra Film Productions banner. Key titles include "Katalin Varga" (2009) by Peter Strickland – Silver Bear winner and European Discovery of the Year at the EFA Awards; "The Japanese Dog" (San Sebastián IFF 2013) and "Why Me?" (Berlinale 2015) by Tudor Giurgiu; "Moromete Family: On the Edge of Time" (2018), a local box-office hit; and the EFA-winning short "Superman, Spiderman or Batman" (2012).
Representatives in Tallinn Tudor Giurgiu, director Bogdan Crăciun, producer
CONTACT
Bogdan Crăciun bogdan.craciun@librafilm.net
Co-Production Market 2025 LITHUANIA, FRANCE, UKRAINE
VESNA
Original title: Vesna
Languages: Ukrainian, Russian
Genre: drama
Written by: Rostislav Kirpicenko
Directed by: Rostislav Kirpicenko
Produced by: Stasys Baltakis, Helena Pokorny, Vitalii Sheremetiev, Oleksii Zgonik
Production companies: Film Jam, Esse House, Matka Films
In an occupied Ukrainian town, a young priest secretly resists the invaders by returning the bodies of executed civilians to their families for proper burials. When an old man risks his life to bury his son, the priest's compassion draws the attention of both the occupiers and their collaborators. Torn between faith, fear, and guilt, he continues his silent defiance, aided by a few brave townspeople. Amid the terror of war, a lonely boy – the son of a collaborator – becomes a witness to hidden acts of dignity and betrayal. As liberation nears, the choices of each reveal the true cost of humanity under occupation.
DIRECTOR
Rostislav Kirpicenko studied directing at La Fémis from 2019 to
2023. Before that, he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Modern Literature from Paris 3 – Sorbonne Nouvelle (2017–2020). Originally from Dnipro, Ukraine, he also attended the Technical High School of Truck Transport between 2011 and 2013.
PRODUCER
Vitalii Sheremetiev (b. 1973, Kyiv) is a producer with over 25 years of experience in film and advertising. CEO of Esse Production House since 2006, he has led international campaigns for brands such as Carlsberg, Samsung, and UNICEF, and founded Digital Religion (DGTL RLGN). A graduate of the Producers’ School in Cannes, he co-founded the Film Industry Association of Ukraine and the Commercial Producers Association of Ukraine, and is a member of the Ukrainian Film Academy.
Oleksii (Alexey) Zgonik, born in Dnipro, Ukraine, is a producer with over 15 years of film production experience. He holds a Master’s in International Law from Kyiv International University and has lectured at the Kharkiv School of Marketing and Communication “Baggage.” A member of the Film Industry Association of Ukraine, he is also a co-founder of the Commercial Producers Association of Ukraine (CPAU).
PRODUCTION COMPANY
Esse Production House, founded in 1991, is Ukraine’s first fullservice film production company. Its acclaimed works include the Oscar-nominated short “The Door,” Kateryna Gornostai’s “Stop-Zemlia” (Berlinale Crystal Bear winner), Mantas Kvedaravičius’s “Parthenon” (Venice Critics’ Week), and Dekel Berenson’s “Anna” (Cannes, TIFF, BAFTA). The company is known for producing essential, story-driven films recognised worldwide.
Representatives in Tallinn Kateryna Skrynska, producer Oleksiy Zgonyk, producer
CONTACT
Vitalii Sheremetiev v.sheremetiev@essehouse.com
STAND WITH UKRAINE.
Co-Production Market 2025 POLAND
WE'RE LEAVING
Original title: Wyjeżdżamy
Languages: Polish, English, Spanish
Genres: road movie, dramedy
Written by: Kamil Krawczycki
Directed by: Kamil Krawczycki
Produced by: Agnieszka Wasiak, Mariusz Włodarski
Production company: Lava Films
Estimated budget in EUR: 2 511 176 EUR
Financing in place in EUR: 930 233 EUR Looking for: co-producers
SYNOPSIS
Anna (46), a chaotic small-town hairdresser and widowed mother, is raising well-behaved Julka (18) and rebellious Daniel (16). Though they share a home, they've grown distant. Diagnosed with a terminal illness, Anna hides the truth and proposes a road trip to Spain, hoping to reconnect with her children. As emotional walls fall, the family begins to support one another – yet Anna conceals the trip's real purpose: their father, whom they believed dead, now lives in Spain as Maria, a woman. Years ago, Anna cut ties after he came out as transgender. Now, facing the end of her life, she must confront the past and entrust Maria with her children's future.
DIRECTOR
Kamil Krawczyckiis a director, screenwriter, and editor. He completed a postgraduate course in Directing at the Warsaw Film
School and the Script Programme at the Wajda School. He is the author of numerous music videos and two short films – “The End of My World” and “The Last One” – which were screened at international film festivals. He is also the director and screenwriter of the feature films “Elephant” and “The Last One.”
PRODUCER
Agnieszka Wasiak is a Polish producer and co-founder of Lava Films. A graduate of the Łódź Film School, she is an alumna of EAVE, ACE Producers, and Berlinale Talents. Her credits include the EFAnominated “21 x New York” (Best Producer, Krakow 2016), Małgośka Szumowska’s “Never Gonna Snow Again” (Venice 2020), and Aga Woszczyńska’s “Silent Land” (TIFF 2021). She is a member of the Polish and European Film Academies.
Mariusz Włodarski, founder of Lava Films, is a Polish producer and member of the American, European, and Polish Film Academies. His credits include Magnus von Horn’s “The Here After” (Cannes 2015), “Sweat” (Cannes 2020), and “The Girl with the Needle” (Cannes 2024, Golden Globe nominee), as well as “Never Gonna Snow Again” (Venice 2020) and Apples (Venice 2020). A graduate of the Łódź Film School, he also teaches there and is a member of EAVE and ACE Producers.
PRODUCTION COMPANY
Lava Films is Polish production company working with both emerging and established filmmakers. It produces and co-produces feature films, documentaries, and animation that combine artistic individuality with contemporary relevance. Committed to international collaboration, Lava Films develops projects with global potential and has participated in major programmes such as ACE Producers, TorinoFilmLab, EAVE, and the Berlinale Co-Production Market.
Representatives in Tallinn Agnieszka Wasiak, producer
Emmi, 24, still lives at home with her shy foster sister Iida, 17, whom she’s helped raise like a third parent. At night, Emmi secretly reports Iida’s progress to her “parents” – who live in a mysterious well beneath their garden. When Iida turns 18 and finds love, Emmi’s need to protect her spirals into control. As Iida asserts her independence, Emmi begins to question what’s real – and whether the parents in the well are as kind as she believes.
DIRECTOR
Siiri Halko (b. 1996) is a Finnish writer-director and Aalto University graduate. Her shorts “Nesting” (Clermont-Ferrand, Finnish Academy Award nominee) and “Katharsis Oy” gained
international recognition. She co-created the YLE series “Zone B” and recently completed “Overtime” (Cannes Cinéma de Demain Works in Progress). Currently, she is developing her debut feature “The Well” with Silmu Films, selected for Les Arcs Talent Village.
PRODUCER
Jenni Jauri is the founder and producer of Silmu Films, co-owned with the Cannes award-winning Aamu Film Company. Her recent credits include “Goodbye Words” (IFFR, Hot Docs 2023) and the Venice-winning “Paradise Is Burning” (Best Director, Orizzonti). A former Tuffi Films producer, she has over 15 years’ experience across film, music, and cultural projects. Jenni holds an MA in Film Producing from Aalto University, is an EAVE 2022 alumna, and joined the ACE Mentoring Programme and Filling the Gap in 2024.
PRODUCTION COMPANY
Silmu Films, founded in 2023 by producer Jenni Jauri, creates director-driven films for international adult audiences. The company is co-owned by Jauri and the Cannes Grand Prix-winning Aamu Film Company.
Representatives in Tallinn
Siiri Halko, director
Jenni Jauri, producer
CONTACT
Jenni Jauri jenni.jauri@silmufilms.com
WORKS IN PROGRESS
BEST PROJECT AWARD –7000 € PRESENTED BY STUDIO BEEP
The best projects both in the International and Baltic Works in Progress will be granted 7000 euros, consisting of 6000 euros worth of services by Studio Beep, together with 1000 euros travel allowance.
TRT AWARD
TRT presents a monetary prize of €5,000 to an outstanding project showcased in the Works in Progress section, supporting the film’s promotional and marketing activities.
All projects featured in the International, Baltic Event, and Just Film Works in Progress categories are eligible for consideration.
JURY
Zadig Paloyan, International Sales Executive, Le Pacte, France
Arnon Manor, Vice President of Visual Effects at Sony Pictures; independent filmmaker, writer, producer, and director, USA
Amaia Serrulla, Head of Films and Documentation Department, San Sebastián International Film Festival, Spain
On a winter night in Podgorica, Nataša flees with her nine-year-old son. With no home, their red Golf becomes both shelter and trap, as odd jobs, borrowed rooms, and her husband’s threats fray a fragile bond. Can love hold when every other refuge is denied?
DIRECTOR
Andrija Mugosa is the founder of KA Productions and Ablest. He has written and directed six short fiction films, including "Praskozorje" (2019), "Rikverc" (2020), and "Ječam Žela" (2021). As an assistant director, he has credits on over twelve short films as well as the feature "Zaliv" (2023). He wrote and directed a video-art piece for La Biennale di Venezia 2023, and created the "Boka Place 2024" camInternational Works in
paign for Porto Montenegro. He is one of the authors of the short animated film "Povratna Boca." He is the screenwriter and director of two feature films that received development support from the Film Centre of Montenegro: "Agape" and "The Lament for Jaglika." He is the director and one of the authors of the stage play "Some Better place." He is in post-production of his first debut feature film "Happiness Is Just a Blue Couch Away."
PRODUCER
Iva Kasalica (1995) is a Montenegrin producer with several years of experience in film and other media production. She graduated and specialized in Production at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Cetinje, where she is also pursuing a master’s degree. She is the recipient of the Film Centre of Montenegro’s “Radomir Pule Milović” scholarship for the best master’s student in Production. As a producer or coproducer, she has worked on 11 award-winning short films, including "Praskozorje," "Rikverc," "Poslednja nit," "U koliko krećemo sjutra?," as well as international co-productions such as "Tears of the Mountain" and "Proslava," which have screened at more than 20 European film festivals. Her professional experience includes work in theatre production, television companies, and international projects. She is also active in radio and audio production through original projects and collaborations with national and international institutions.
Representatives in Tallinn
Andrija Mugoša, director
Iva Kasalica, producer
CONTACT
Andrija Mugoša andrijamugosa21@gmail.com
International
CRICKETS SING IN THE RYE
Original title: Співають
Genre: drama
Written by: Yevhen Khvorostianko, Yuliia Cherniavska
Directed by: Yevhen Khvorostianko
Produced by: Yuliia Cherniavska, Oleg Shcherbyna, Olena Halahan
During the 1933 Holodomor, young Myroshko searches for apricot pits to save his mother. His journey becomes one of fear and betrayal. Decades later, now an old man, he returns with his grandchildren to honour the lost and the survivors.
DIRECTOR
Yevhen Khvorostianko is a screenwriter and director based in Ukraine. His formal education began with a degree in Civil Engineering from the Prydniprovska Academy of Civil Engineering and Architecture (1990–1995). He later transitioned to film studies, completing a degree in Feature Film Directing at the Kyiv National University of Theatre, Cinema and Television (Karpenko-Kary) between 1996 and
2001. His work has been recognised with several awards, including the FIPRESCI Prize at the Molodist International Film Festival (Ukraine), Best Sound Solution at the Prologue Film Festival (Ukraine), and the Award for the Preservation of Cinematic Traditions at the Nachalo Film Festival.
PRODUCER
Yuliia Cherniavska is a producer, screenwriter, and founder of Stage Service LLC and Fresh Production Group. She has over 20 years of experience in the Ukrainian film and television industry and is a member of the Ukrainian Film Academy and a former member of the Ukrainian Television Academy. She has received the Order of St Archistrategos Michael for her contribution to national culture.
Representatives in Tallinn
Anastasiia Amelicheva, film delegate
Yuliia Cherniavska, producer
CONTACT
Anastasiia Amelicheva n.amelicheva@gmail.com
THE CONVULSIONS
Original title: Les éclats
Genre: psychological drama
Written by: David Gutiérrez Camps, Blanca Camell Galí, Anna Zisman
Directed by: David Gutiérrez Camps
Produced by: Joan Carles Martorell, Iréna Lopez, Luis Ortas, Alice Baldo, Miguel Ángel Abuja, Pablo Gregorio Venegas
In the Pyrenees mountains, a couple try to live self-sufficiently in terms of food and energy. But when one of their daughters suddenly begins suffering from unexplained fainting spells, their resolve is shaken, and strange events begin to unfold.
DIRECTOR
David Gutiérrez Camps (42) lives between Barcelona and Toulouse. He wrote and directed the feature film "Sotabosc" ("Undergrowth," 2018) and is now presenting "Les convulsions" (2026). His work has
International Works in Progress FRANCE, SPAIN
IN FOCUS: CATALONIA.
received widespread critical acclaim in Spain and has screened at festivals such as Seville (New Waves section), D’A Barcelona, and New Horizons in Poland. He also directs commercials, music videos, and documentaries, and is part of the educational project "Cinema en Curs," where he teaches filmmaking to young people. Originally from Vidreres (Girona, Spain), he studied Audiovisual Communication at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona and FAMU in Prague, and completed his studies at The New School in New York.
PRODUCER
Joan Carles Martorell (b. 1981, Mallorca, Spain) holds a degree in Audiovisual Communication from the Autonomous University of Barcelona. He has worked as a producer and executive across television, film, and digital media. From 2016 to 2023, he served as Director of the Balearic public broadcaster IB3. He has also worked for Apple (Ireland) and 2btube (Madrid and Mexico). Within the Catalan audiovisual sector, he is currently an executive producer at Auca Films.
Representatives in Tallinn
David Gutiérrez Camps, director
Iréna Lopez, producer
Joan Carles Martorell, executive producer
CONTACT
Joan Carles Martorell info@aucafilms.com
International Works in Progress URUGUAY, ARGENTINA
PRINCE
Original title: Prince
Genre: dramedy
Written by: Federico Borgia
Directed by: Federico Borgia
Produced by: Francisco Magnou, Isabel Garcia, Pancho Magnou
Production company: Montelona
Language: Spanish
Estimated budget in EUR: 690 000 EUR
Financing in place in EUR: 572 000 EUR
Project status: post-production
Runtime: 85
Looking for: sales agent, festivals, distributors
SYNOPSIS
After Isabel's death, Jaime is left in charge of Prince, the deceased's Afghan Hound. According to the will, Isabel's house cannot be sold until the young dog's death. But Isabel's son and granddaughter are unwilling to accept the conditions.
DIRECTOR
Federico Borgia is the director of three feature films: "Clever," which was selected for 25 festivals including Busan, Stockholm, Warsaw, and Chicago, and received awards at Havana, Ventana Sur, Cine Ceará (Best Film), and from the Uruguayan Critics Association (Best Uruguayan Film), among others; "The Champion of the World," selected for Krakow, Guadalajara, Málaga, and Biarritz, and winner
at the BBC Longshots Film Festival. Both films were co-directed with Guillermo Madeiro. "Prince" is his first solo feature film.
PRODUCER
Pancho Magnou Arnábal studied Sociology at the University of the Republic of Uruguay and has managed and designed various cultural programmes and research projects. He entered the audiovisual field through short films and has taken part in national and international courses and workshops. He has taught Executive Production at the Uruguayan Film School and coordinated the DocM Campus at DocMontevideo.
In 2012, he founded Montelona, an arthouse film production company dedicated to nurturing a new generation of Uruguayan talent. His projects have screened and received awards at major international festivals such as Sundance, San Sebastián, Busan, Cannes, IDFA, BAFICI, Guadalajara, Warsaw, Havana, and Karlovy Vary, among others.
Representative in Tallinn Pancho Magnou, producer
CONTACT
Pancho Magnou panchomagnou@gmail.com
KIRA'S DREAM
Original title: Mriia Kiry
Genres: musical film, drama
Written by: Denys Kolesnikov, Anastasiia Volkova
Directed by: Denys Kolesnikov
Produced by: Andrii Korniienko, Zlata Efimenko
Production company: Good Morning Films
Language: Ukrainian
Estimated budget in EUR: 450 000 EUR
Financing in place in EUR: 365 000 EUR
Project status: post-production
Runtime: 135
Looking for: co-producers, sales agent, festivals
SYNOPSIS
After concealing their mother's death to survive and keep receiving her pension, two sisters dream of fleeing to Australia. When their secret is exposed, the younger is sent to an orphanage, while the elder must decide whether she's truly emigrating – or simply running: from the memory of their father lost in the war, from the pain of loss, from her inability to find herself, and from compatriots whose silence has become complicity in what's happening, disguised by the respectable word 'war.'
DIRECTOR
Denys Kolesnikov is a Ukrainian filmmaker whose work explores inner conflict, identity, and transformation within transitional societies. International
His artistic voice, shaped by experiences of instability and change, focuses on the fragile line between private and collective collapse. With a strong visual sensibility and interest in underrepresented perspectives, he creates slow-burning, character-driven stories. Based in Ukraine, he continues to develop projects reflecting the complexity and tenderness of contemporary life in wartime.
"Kira’s Dream" is his feature film debut.
PRODUCER
Andrii Korniienko (b. 1969, Donetsk) is a Ukrainian producer and member of the Ukrainian Film Academy. A graduate in Mathematics and Physics, he has led marketing and film production companies for over two decades. In 2012, he founded Good Morning Films, producing feature films and TV series, and previously headed Praktika.Pro. He has served as an expert for the State Film Agency and is active in several industry and community organisations, including the Union of TV and Film Industry Entrepreneurs.
Representatives in Tallinn Anastasiia Volkova, screenwriter
Zlata Efimenko, producer
CONTACT
Andrii Korniienko praktika.pro@gmail.com
International Works in Progress
RAHMA
Original title: Rahma
Genres: drama, family film, social drama
Written by: Faysal Soysal
Directed by: Faysal Soysal
Produced by: Faysal Soysal, Ivan Tonev, Michael Sarantinos
Production companies: Balkon Film Production, Ars Digital, Steficon
Meryem, who has no children due to health problems, works as an archaeologist at Göbekli Tepe. Determined to try every possible way to become a mother, Meryem has undergone many unsuccessful in vitro fertilisation attempts and surgeries. Despite the opposition of her husband İbrahim, she decides to have a child through surrogacy in Georgia as a last hope. As she is about to overcome all obstacles, her path crosses with Rahma, a nine-year-old Syrian orphan girl who disguises herself as a boy. Meryem develops an emotional connection. Meryem is ready to do anything to bring Rahma back to her reality and freedom, but Rahma's past will not allow her to do so.
WRITER-DIRECTOR-PRODUCER
Born in 1979 in Batman, Faysal Soysal left the Faculty of Medicine in 2000 to pursue his passion for poetry and cinema, later transferring to the Faculty of Pharmacy. Between 2003 and 2007, he completed a master’s degree in Cinema in Tehran and another in Literature in Van, during which he made four short films in Iran. His graduation film, “Dreams of Lost Time” (35mm), marked his search for a poetic cinematic language.
In 2008, Soysal attended the New York Film Academy, where he directed four additional short films. His first feature, “Crossroads” (2013), developed since 2009 and filmed in Turkey and Bosnia, won 13 awards nationally and internationally.
He went on to direct the documentaries “Firstly Song Has Been Changed” (2014) and “Missing Times” (2015) for Al Jazeera, and in 2016 created the series “Mothers of Srebrenica” and “Doctors Worldwide Stories” for TRT. His 2020 feature “Silenced Tree” has screened at numerous international festivals, winning over 30 awards.
Representative in Tallinn Faysal Soysal, director
CONTACT
Faysal Soysal faysalsoysal@gmail.com
WOLF GRRRLS
Original title: Salen las lobas
Genres: drama, social drama, youth film
Written by: Claudia Estrada Tarascó
Directed by: Claudia Estrada Tarascó
Produced by: Alba Sotorra Clua
Production company: Alba Sotorra Cinema Productions
Luna, a misunderstood teenager, is accused of abuse by her father and sent to a juvenile detention centre. There, she discovers a friendship that gives her the courage to dream of a life beyond the walls.
WRITER-DIRECTOR
Claudia Estrada Tarascó (1997) is a film director and screenwriter from Valencia. “Salen las lobas” is her first fiction feature film, produced by Alba Sotorra. Her filmography includes “Las flores que arrancas,” which was screened at festivals such as the Málaga Film Festival and Cinema Jove. With the project “Las heridas de mi casa,” she ventured into documentary animation, and with “Tot crema” she
International Works in Progress SPAIN, BELGIUM
IN FOCUS: CATALONIA.
won at Notodofilmfest. Her latest work, “Loquilla mía,” premiered at the D’A Film Festival and won Best Documentary Short Film at Som Cinema.
PRODUCER
Alba Sotorra is an independent producer specialising in live-action, animation and documentaries. Motivated by the need to address the lack of diverse perspectives in the film industry, she produces stories led by female directors and creators from underrepresented identities and communities. Her films explore contemporary social and political issues with a strong gender perspective.
Representative in Tallinn Alba Sotorra Clua, producer
CONTACT
Alba Sotorra Clua press@albasotorra.com
International Works in Progress GERMANY
SUPERBUHEI
Original title: Superbuhei
Genres: comedy, dark comedy, thriller, horror
Written by: Josef Brandl, Johannes Simon Becker
Directed by: Josef Brandl
Produced by: Janina Sara Hennemann, Jan Philip Lange
Jesse Bronske, an unsuccessful bar proprietor, is afraid that his malicious twin brother – whom he fled from long ago – has found him and is now trying to take over his life step by step. However, the more Jesse spirals into paranoia while trying to calm himself with alcohol, the more his life actually slips away from him.
DIRECTOR
Josef Brandl was born in Paris and grew up in Bavarian Suburbia in the 80s. Having failed miserably as an architect, he realised he could do less damage in the film industry. So he tried his hand as an art director and production designer. But after more than a decade in the industry, he still couldn’t boast any major awards in his profession,
despite having worked with highly decorated directors such as Steven Spielberg, Wes Anderson and the Wachowski sisters. In order to stop ruining other people’s movies, he started making his own short films. Although he has never made it into the final selection of any major festivals, he did win a few prizes like NBC Universal’s “Shocking Shorts Award” and the Short Tiger Award from German Films. Now with "Superbuhei," his feature film debut, he is bracing himself for another major disappointment.
PRODUCERS
Janina Sara Hennemann, born in Hamburg, holds a Master’s in Creative Producing from Hamburg Media School. From 2017 to 2022, she worked at Kinescope Film, developing debut projects that screened at Locarno, Berlinale, and Hof. In 2023/24, she received the Nuremberg Screenwriting Fellowship, and her feature project “Erosionen” was supported by MOIN Filmförderung. She is currently executive producing Josef Brandl’s “Superbuhei” while developing her own screenplays.
Her producing partner, Jan Philip Lange, co-founded Junifilm in 2002 after studying at the Babelsberg Film University “Konrad Wolf.” Since relocating the company to Lower Saxony in 2018, he has produced a wide range of award-winning films and TV projects in collaboration with Nordmedia and NDR. Together, Hennemann and Lange develop and produce character-driven stories for both national and international audiences, fostering creative partnerships across Northern Germany.
Representatives in Tallinn Janina Sara Hennemann, producer Jan Philip Lange, producer
CONTACT
Janina Sara Hennemann jsh@junifilm.de
Baltic Event Works in Progress LITHUANIA, ESTONIA, LATVIA
DICE-CHING-O-MAT
DIRECTOR
Kristijonas Vildžiūnas is a Lithuanian film director whose work has gained international acclaim, with two films submitted as Lithuania’s Oscar entries. His debut “The Lease” (2002) premiered at the Venice Film Festival and won Best Baltic Feature at Arsenals IFF. “You Am I” (2006), co-produced with Pandora Film (Germany), premiered in Cannes’ “Un Certain Regard” and received multiple awards at Tallinn Black Nights. His feature “Back to Your Arms” (2010) swept the Lithuanian Film Academy Awards, and “Seneca’s Day” (2016) earned him the Baltic Assembly Prize for the Arts. His latest film, “Songs for a Fox” (2021), premiered in competition at Tallinn Black Nights and won the Most Original Movie Prize at Electricdreams IFF in Italy.
Vilis (55), a scholar of Asian Studies, finds himself trapped in the CUBE – a mysterious, elevator-like structure. When the CUBE flips, Vilis hits his head and realises he no longer knows who he is. An intercom instructs him to leave through the red doors and find the green doors outside.
The red doors lead Vilis to Vilnius, locked down by the 2020 pandemic. There, he encounters his wife and adult children – two daughters and a son – yet feels like a stranger in his own family. His children are unsurprised; after all, their father had long since vanished into his academic bubble.
Uljana Kim graduated from the Institute of Cinematography in Moscow (VGIK) in 1993 and is a film critic by education.She founded Studio Uljana Kim in 1997 in Lithuania and has produced/co-produced thirty four feature and documentary films since then. Most of them were premiered at the most important international film festivals and others were successful at the domestic box office. The company’s goal is to produce & co-produce high quality art-house films intended for a worldwide audience. Uljana Kim was also the winner of the Eurimages International Co-production Award at the European Film Academy ceremony in 2023.
Representatives in Tallinn
Kristijonas Vildziunas, director Uljana Kim, producer
A struggling actress decides to rob the bowling alley where she works – not just for the money, but to prove she's capable of more than minor roles and waitressing. When the heist goes wrong, she must give the performance of a lifetime to clear her name.
DIRECTOR
Kristians Riekstins is a graduate of Latvia's National Film School and has spent the past 10 years working as an editor of commercials, social media content, and movie trailers. His short films include “Eva” (2018), “Undercurrent” (2016), and “Lazarus” (2015).
PRODUCER
With a Bachelor's degree in Arts, Alise Rogule has produced a wide range of projects for over 12 years. Starting her career at a leading production company, she later gained experience in a creative agency before choosing to work as a freelance producer. In 2016, she founded her own company and has since managed projects of various scales, building extensive expertise. In 2022, Alise was selected among nine promising European producers for the Cannes Film Festival’s Court Métrage initiative New Producers Room and for Match Me! at the Locarno Film Festival. In 2023, she participated in the Visitors Programme at the European Film Market in Berlin and is part of the ACE Producers Mentoring EU programme.
Representatives in Tallinn Kristians Riekstins, director Alise Rogule, producer
CONTACT
Alise Rogule alise@mimafilms.lv
LEX JULIA
Original title: Lex Julia
Genres: drama, psychological drama
Written by: Laura Hyppönen
Directed by: Laura Hyppönen
Produced by: Merja Ritola, Magdalena ZImeca, Marianne Ostrat, Marta Krzeptowska
Julia, in her early thirties, travels to her new friend Anna's island villa for a late-summer weekend. When Anna introduces her husband, JP, Julia recognises him as the man who raped her on a date fifteen years earlier. Both Julia and JP keep their past acquaintance a secret from Anna, who grows increasingly uneasy about the tension between her husband and her new friend. Over the weekend, the simmering conflicts between the trio intensify.
DIRECTOR
Laura Hyppönen has developed "Lex Julia" as a fellow of the Bergman
Baltic Event Works in Progress FINLAND,
POLAND, ESTONIA, SWEDEN
Foundation (Sweden), the Nipkow Programme (Berlin), the Helsinki International Artist Programme (Finland), and the Circle Fiction Orbit (Montenegro). She is an alumna of Berlinale Talents, Think Shoot Distribute (London), and Film Garage (Turin). She studied filmmaking at the European Film College (Denmark), holds an MA in Screenwriting from Tampere University of Applied Sciences (Finland), and an MSc specialising in Film Business from the Film Business Academy at Cass Business School (London, UK). Originally from Finland, after twenty years in the UK, Hyppönen now divides her time between Amsterdam, Berlin, and Helsinki.
PRODUCER
Merja Ritola (b. 1970) is a seasoned Finnish film producer with over two decades of experience. She began in production, serving as Head of Production on "Iron Sky," before moving into producing fiction features, documentaries, TV series, and shorts. A graduate of EAVE and EWA workshops, Ritola has led Greenlit Productions since 2017, securing Creative Europe Slate funding in 2023. Her recent works include the feature doc "Maija Isola – Master of Colour and Form" (2021) and the short doc "The Robin That Never Returned" (Tampere FF 2025). She is currently producing "Lex Julia," "The Seal Mother," and developing new fiction and documentary features. Ritola is a member of EFA, Filmiaura, Risto Jarva Association, and EWA.
Representatives in Tallinn
Laura Hyppönen, director
Merja Ritola, producer
CONTACT
Merja Ritola merja.ritola@greenitproductions.net
MO HUNT
Original title: Mo Hunt
Genre: thriller
Written by: Eeva Mägi
Directed by: Eeva Mägi
Produced by: Eeva Mägi, Sten-Johan Lill
Production companies: Kinosaurus Film, Kultuurikuur
A burnout ballerina becomes an illegal surrogate for a lonely priest, pushing her body to the limits in search of redemption – while her boyfriend clings to their love as it dissolves in the quiet storm of sacrifice, faith, and forbidden desire.
DIRECTOR
Eeva Mägi (b. 1987) is an Estonian writer/director working in fiction and documentaries. Her shorts "Lembri Uudu" (2017) and "The Weight Of All The Beauty" (2019) gained international acclaim, with the latter longlisted for the Oscars. Her debut feature "Mo Mamma" (2023) received a jury mention at the Tallinn Black Nights
Baltic Event Works in Progress ESTONIA
Film Festival. Mägi has won several awards, including the Estonian Cultural Endowment’s Young Filmmaker Award. "Mo Papa" (2024) is her second feature.
PRODUCER
Sten-Johan Lill (b. 1989) is an Estonian cinematographer whose visual storytelling has garnered consistent critical acclaim, including five Estonian Film and Television Awards (EFTAs) for Best Cinematography. His lens carries a pulse – intuitive, immersive, and sculpted with emotion. A graduate of the Baltic Film and Media School, StenJohan has become a trusted collaborator for some of Estonia’s most visionary directors, including Veiko Õunpuu, Martti Helde, and Eeva Mägi. His body of work spans feature films, documentaries, and short films – each woven with a bold visual identity and a deep sensitivity to narrative.
Trapped in addiction and loneliness, Leo's search for intimacy leads him into a brutal blackmail scheme. As he fights to reclaim his life, a dangerous stand-off unfolds between guilt, control, and the desperate need for connection.
DIRECTOR
Evar Anvelt has worked in the film industry for more than a decade, primarily in post-production as one of Estonia’s most sought-after colourists. He has served as colourist on more than 20 films – both shorts and features, fiction and documentary. His path as a director began with commercials for both the Estonian and international markets. In 2018, he also directed the short film “The Good Shepherd.”
Evar is currently in post-production with his first feature-length directorial debut, “Something Real.”
PRODUCERS
Esko Rips is an Estonian producer and CEO of Nafta Films, known for building bridges between the Baltic region and the wider international film industry. Since co-founding the company in 2009, he has led its growth into one of the Baltics’ most successful and export-driven production companies, with offices in Tallinn, Riga, and Vilnius. Esko has produced or co-produced over 30 titles across Europe, including the Baltic box-office successes “Melchior the Apothecary” trilogy, the Cold War spy thriller “Dawn of War,” and the historical epic “The Southern Chronicles,” the most-watched film of all time in Lithuania. He has also worked on acclaimed Danish series such as “Bullshit” and “Oxen” I & II, and is currently developing “The Inquest of Pilot Pirx,” a high-profile English-language sci-fi drama directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel. A member of the European Producers Club and the European Film Academy, and an alumnus of ACE Producers, EAVE, and other leading industry programmes, Esko brings deep expertise in development, financing, and cross-border collaboration. Andreas Kask joined Nafta Films in 2014 and has since worked as a Producer, Associate Producer and Co-Producer on several productions. For the past four years he has been the Head of Development in the company’s film department, overseeing the creative process of all of Nafta's feature films, short films and co-productions.
Representatives in Tallinn
Evar Anvelt, director Andreas Kask, producer
CONTACT
Andreas Kask andreas@nafta.ee
THE WEDDING DAY
DIRECTOR
Marta Elīna Martinsone has worked in both theatre and film, including as a theatre director and as a director’s assistant. She has directed several short films, and her graduation film “Viesturs Kairišs iznāk no meža” won the Latvian National Film Award for Best Student Film. Her feature directorial debut, “Lame-o’s” (also known as “Tizlenes”), is a teen comedy set in 1999 about three school friends who, feeling unpopular, try to change their lives.
PRODUCER
Guntis Trekteris has over two decades of experience in film production. He has produced more than 30 films across various genres, earning both local and international recognition. He is currently producing new feature films by Viesturs Kairišs and Marta Martinsone, as well as documentaries by Dāvis Sīmanis and Yevhen Titorenko (Ukraine).
In autumnal Riga, Kleo, a young actress stuck in background roles, stumbles through a life of late nights, chaotic parties, and a toxic relationship with her musician lover, Jūlijs. When legendary director Septimuss unexpectedly offers her the lead in “Blood Wedding,” she glimpses the chance to reclaim her artistic voice. But rehearsals stir jealousy, addictions spiral, and blurred boundaries with Septimuss reveal both promise and betrayal. Torn between destructive passion and creative rebirth, Kleo must confront her fears, leave behind those who drag her down, and step into her own power. No longer the runaway bride, she emerges as a woman who chooses herself – and her art.
Representatives in Tallinn
Marta Elina Martinsone, director Guntis Trekteris, producer
CONTACT
Guntis Trekteris guntis@egomedia.lv
JUST FILM WORKS IN PROGRESS
Just Film Works in Progress focuses on film projects for children, young people, and families. The Youth and Children’s Film Festival
Just Film is the largest sub-festival of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.
JUST FILM WORKS IN PROGRESS AWARD
The recipient of the Just Film Works in Progress Award will receive a monetary prize of €1,000, aimed at enhancing the film's visibility by supporting its marketing and promotional activities.
JURY
Marjo Kovanen, PhD, Head of the Unit for the Promotion of Audiovisual Culture at KAVI, National Audiovisual Institute, Finland
Janne Vierth, Commissioner of feature films, short films, and documentaries for children and youth (ages 2–18) at the Swedish Film Institute; film and TV scriptwriter, Sweden
Meel Paliale, Director (“Rolling Papers”), Estonia
Just Film Works in Progress
THE LITTLE REAPER
Original title: Hey, ich bin der kleine Tod!
Genres: children’s film, fantasy, comedy
Written by: Anne Gröger
Directed by: Katja Benrath
Produced by: Christoph Menardi, Philipp Schall, Torben Struck, Hamid Baroua
Samuel (11) never leaves home – the world’s too dangerous. Then –to his dismay – Frida (9), a little Grim Reaper-in-training, appears and insists he teach her about life. Reluctantly, Samuel steps outside, discovering friendship, courage, and the thrill of being alive for the first time. But when fate puts their bond to the test, they both learn that even Death can’t stop a true friendship from changing everything.
DIRECTOR
Katja Benrath was born in 1979 in Erbach, Germany. After training
as a theatrical tailor at the Wuppertal Bühnen and studying acting and singing at the Vienna Conservatory, she moved behind the camera in 2009. Her short films “Puppenspiel” and “No One Pukes in Heaven” won multiple international awards. Her graduation film “Watu Wote” (2016) became an international success, earning the Peace Prize of German Film, a Gold Student Academy Award, and an Academy Award nomination. In 2018, she directed her debut feature “Rocca Changes the World,” which premiered in German cinemas in 2019.
PRODUCER
Dr Christoph Menardi is a German-Austrian film producer, line producer, and professor with over two decades of experience in international film and television. Born in Linz, Austria, in 1974, he studied International Economics and Law at the University of Innsbruck and Production and Media Business at the University of Television and Film Munich (HFF), later training at UCLA. He co-founded NEOS Film GmbH in 2000, producing shorts, commercials, and features including the German-French co-production “French for Beginners.” His recent credits include “Der Vierer,” “Polizeiruf 110: Funkensommer,” “Der Bremerhaven-Krimi,” “Farm Rebellio,” and “Win-Win.” Menardi is Professor of Production Management for Film and TV at Hochschule Ansbach. His doctoral dissertation on the history of Bavaria Film (1945–1994) was published in 2022 and nominated for the Willi Haas Prize.
Representatives in Tallinn Katja Benrath, director Christoph Menardi, producer
CONTACT
Christoph Menardi christoph.menardi@neosfilm.de
Just Film Works in Progress ESTONIA, LITHUANIA
MORTEN
DIRECTOR
Ivan Pavljutškov, born in 1988, Tallinn is an Estonian filmmaker with a strong background in directing and broadcast work. He holds a BA in Audiovisual Media (2011) and an MA in Directing (2014) from the Baltic Film and Media School. A Berlinale Talent Campus alumnus, he has also participated in training programmes such as the Scanorama Film Forum and directing workshops with Jeremy Kagan and Robert Marchand. Ivan has taught at the BFM Children’s Film School and worked as a director for the Estonian Public Broadcaster ERR (ETV+) from 2014 to 2022.
PRODUCER
Original title: Morten
Genre: youth film
Written by: Reeli Reinaus
Directed by: Ivan Pavljutškov
Produced by: Anneli Ahven
Production companies: Kopli Kinokompanii, Fralita Films
Morten is a 15-year-old boy who lives with his uncle Urmas and a one-eyed cat in a crumbling farmhouse in a forest village. His mother works in Finland to save money for their future home, and Morten has never heard anything about his father.
One day, everything changes when two girls enter his life: Emilie, the first person Morten ever dares to truly open up to, and Miia –a girl who, by all logic, shouldn’t care about someone like him, yet somehow does. As their paths intertwine, Morten finds himself caught between friendship, love, and the strange pull of something much deeper.
Anneli Ahven studied German Studies at the Estonian University of Humanities and Film Production at the University of Hamburg. She began her film career in 1995 at Exitfilm and has produced both feature and documentary films since 2002. In 2006, she founded her own company, Kopli Kinokompanii. An active member of the Association of Estonian Film Producers and the European Film Academy, she also serves as Associate Professor and Head of Production Studies at the Baltic Film and Media School. Her international recognition includes being selected as a Producer on the Move at Cannes in 2010 and completing the ACE Producers programme (ACE27) in 2017–2018.
In the heart of Kyiv, construction workers unearth a black stone slab that once imprisoned a primordial evil. As darkness spreads, the secret Office of Magical Forces, led by the eccentric demon Viy, mobilises. The city's ancient protector, Mamay, longs to retire but must first find a successor – unexpectedly choosing Yurko, an 11-year-old schoolboy. With help from his friends Kozhumiaka, Baida, and Yurko's teacher Solomiya (who becomes her younger self, Miya), they embark on a wild mission to stop indifference and fear from consuming Kyiv. A modern fairytale where myth, humour, and heart collide in a battle for the city's soul.
DIRECTOR
Dmytro Avdieiev, born in 1984 in Dobropillia, Donetsk region, is a Ukrainian filmmaker. He graduated from the Kharkiv State Academy of Culture in 2007, majoring in TV reporting. He began his career as a scriptwriter at the TV company Inter, later becoming a host and producer at MTV-Ukraine, and then a director and producer for TVBOY Production.
He created the show “Insider” for the MEGA channel and has directed commercials for Samsung and JTI, as well as music videos and podcasts for brands such as PEPSI, Colgate, and Philip Morris. In 2013, he completed the Filmmaking Foundation directing course at the London Film Academy.
PRODUCER
Oleksii Komarovskyi is a Ukrainian producer, director, screenwriter, and actor, and the founder of Idea Films. Born in Chernivtsi, he holds degrees in economics, producing, and acting, and focuses on films with international reach and co-productions. In 2022, he produced Region of Heroes, the first Ukrainian feature shot and released during the full-scale invasion, screened in over 20 countries and at five festivals. His 2024 romantic adventure comedy “When Will You Marry Me?” – a co-production between Ukraine, Croatia, Slovakia, and Latvia – became a #1 box office hit in Ukraine, entered the country’s all-time Top 10, and topped Netflix in Ukraine for six weeks, also reaching the Top 10 in 19 CEE countries.
Representative is participating online Oleksii Komarovskyi, producer
Lucía, Pilar, and Alejandra – three teenage girls scraping by on the edges of survival – live off petty thefts, illegal hustles, and the brutal violence that scars their country. Crushed by the weight of the city, haunted by their abusers, and torn by a deep moral conflict, they make a single, fateful choice – one that will alter the course of their lives forever.
DIRECTOR
Maria Fernanda Gonzales is a Peruvian audiovisual storyteller trained at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP). She won the Best National Playwriting Award (2021) from the British Theatre and the UK Embassy, was nominated for Best National Playwriting (2019) by
the Luces del Comercio Awards, and received the DAFO Economic Stimulus for Culture (2021) for feature film development. A graduate of the International School of Film and TV (EICTV) in Cuba, she has written for film, television, and theatre, with her plays performed at the Amateur Artists Association Theatre and the British Theatre of Miraflores. She is currently in pre-production on her feature films “Caídas del Cielo” and “Suiza,” continuing to craft bold, human-centred stories that resonate locally and internationally.
PRODUCER
Norma Velásquez is the President of the Peruvian Association of Film Producers (APCP). She holds a Master’s in Film Industry Management from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and a Master’s in Distribution and Business of the Audiovisual Industry from ECAM. She has also completed advanced studies in Executive Production, Cultural Management, and Film Festivals at EICTV, Cuba. Norma has worked on more than 25 feature films and is currently in advanced development and pre-production on co-productions between Peru, Spain, Argentina, and Mexico.
Representatives in Tallinn
Maria Fernanda Gonzales, director
Norma Velasquez, producer
CONTACT
Norma Velasquez normavelasquezc@gmail.com
Just Film Works in Progress
TANIT
Original title: Tanit
Genres: children's film, drama, family film, supernatural, youth film, adaptation
In the heart of Montseny, little Tanit roams freely because she has no other choice: her mother's high-risk pregnancy keeps her confined to bed. One day, while searching for her dog Xuc in the forest, Tanit meets Grandma Perona, an old woman who lives alone in the woods and whom everyone takes for a witch.
Tanit begins to learn the secrets of the forest alongside her, but Perona's health deteriorates rapidly, threatening her wild way of life.
Meanwhile, at home, the death of the long-awaited sister forces Tanit to grow up too soon.
DIRECTOR
Pep Garrido is a screenwriter, director, and producer. Together with Xesc Cabot, he co-directed the documentary "Bustamante Perkins" (Audience Award at In-Èdit 2023) and the feature film "Sense sostre" (premiered at the Gijón International Film Festival 2019). His short film "Dol i fa sol" was recently nominated for Best Short Film at the Gaudí Awards. "Tanit" is his first solo feature film. He is also the screenwriter of films such as "Desmontando un elefante," recently released, and teaches at UPF and ECIB, as well as being one of the founders of the Cinema en curs project.
PRODUCER
Xesc Cabot, born in 1979 is a director, screenwriter, and producer whose work combines social commitment with a strong auteur vision. He co-directed "Sense sostre" (2019), winner of multiple international awards, and the documentary "Bustamante Perkins" (2013), which won the Audience Award at In-Edit. His projects are often co-directed with his creative partner, Pep Garrido. As a producer, his credits include "Un sol radiant" (2024), winner of several major festival awards, and upcoming films "Apuntes para una ficción consentida" and "Tanit." Cabot is also active as an actor and musician.
Representatives in Tallinn Pep Garrido, director Xavier Crespo, executive producer
CONTACT
Pep Garrido pep@atiendefilms.com
IN FOCUS: CATALONIA.
SCRIPT POOL
Highlighting five international projects and the teams behind them – director-screenwriter and producer – the aim is to gather debut film projects with strong distribution potential and a completed final draft. Focusing on the script and overall project presentation, the projects and their teams will be introduced to international industry decision-makers (sales agents, financiers, and co-producers) whose input can help increase their sales and distribution prospects. The programme would not be possible without our partners: Law Firm TEGOS, the International Screen Institute, The Writers Retreat, and T-Port Online Platform for Student & Short Films.
The winner of Script Pool’s main award for the Most Promising Project will receive an exclusive opportunity to attend The Writers Retreat in Mallorca, presented by Law Firm TEGOS.
JURY
Yana Georgieva, Head of Sales at Bankside, UK
Camille Segura, Consultant, France Per Damgaard Hansen, Producer at Paloma Productions, Denmark
On the last weekend of summer, a family gathers at a seaside house to await the arrival of loved ones returning from an around-the-world sailing trip. As the younger generation flee from the looming, uncomfortable reunion and their own fears and responsibilities, they leave the family home for a village party – only to discover that the illusion of escape leads them straight back into the heart of what they are trying to avoid.
WRITER-DIRECTOR
Teresa Väli (b. 1989) is an Estonian writer-director and script supervisor who graduated in Film Directing from BFM in 2020. Before film school, she studied Philosophy and Audiovisual Media, wrote music, and ran a design studio. Drawn to storytelling from a young age, she discovered her passion for directing through theatre and later film.
Teresa has directed several short films and worked as a script supervisor on over a dozen features, TV shows, and a narrative game.
PRODUCER
Inger Põder is an Estonian film producer who graduated cum laude from the Baltic Film and Media School in 2020, specialising in film arts and producing. Since then, she has worked with Homeless Bob Production, one of Estonia’s leading production companies, known for its bold contributions to Europe’s art-house scene. She is currently developing debut feature films with rising female filmmakers.
Representatives in Tallinn
Teresa Väli, director Inger Põder, producer
CONTACT
Inger Põder inger@too.ee
FLORA, WHEN WE WISH UPON A STAR
Original title: Flora, When We Wish Upon a Star
Genres: adventure, fantasy, family film, children's film, comedy, biographical, cartoon
Written by: Isla Vela
Directed by: Isla Vela
Produced by: Isla Vela
Production company: Isla Vela
Language: English
Estimated budget in EUR: 1 200 000 EUR
Looking for: gap-financing, co-producers
SYNOPSIS
In 1901, in the Hermosa neighbourhood of Chicago, Flora Call Disney is a bright, educated woman and mother of three boys, now pregnant with her fourth child. Feeling trapped by domestic life and the rigid societal roles imposed on women, Flora's dreams of creativity and self-expression seem to fade. Her husband Elias is distant, and though Flora is cheerful and intelligent, she feels emotionally isolated. Everything changes when a clever, persistent little mouse appears in her kitchen. Initially trying to shoo it away, Flora soon forms a magical bond with the creature, who awakens her imagination, curiosity, and joy. This friendship rekindles her creative spirit and transforms her relationship with her children, inspiring her to nurture dreams and stories within her family. As Flora reconnects with her passions, she discovers an old suitcase filled with childhood drawings and poems, a reminder of the woman she once was and hopes to be again. Her unborn son, lovingly nicknamed 'little mouse,'
grows surrounded by her love and imagination, his world painted by her emotions and creativity. When the mouse is captured by a scientist, Flora faces a choice: remain confined by her domestic role or fight for her voice and freedom. Choosing courage and self-determination, she rescues the mouse – and in doing so, rescues herself. The film culminates in the birth of Walt Disney, not just a biological event but a celebration of creativity, love, and hope passed from mother to child. “Flora, When We Wish Upon a Star” is a poetic and magical tribute to the creative spirit of mothers everywhere, showing how the imagination and dreams of one woman sow the seeds for the legacy of a visionary son whose stories continue to inspire the world.
WRITER-DIRECTOR-PRODUCER
Isla Vela is the screenwriter, director, and producer of “Flora,” a poetic and intimate animated feature script selected by CIMA Impulsa 2025. With a sensitive and egalitarian voice, she honours creative women, memory, and imagination. She was awarded €10,000 by the Valencian Institute of Culture (IVC) for her script. A member of CIMA, MIA, and WIA, she advocates for cinema with soul, roots, and emotional depth. Her multidisciplinary background, journey through motherhood, and passion for education enrich her storytelling.
The story takes place in a seaside mansion where guests have gathered to celebrate the 50th anniversary of world-famous parrot Alexander de Belpetit. When his owner died, he left all his wealth not to his beloved wife, Ilze, but to a green parrot. At the party, guests are eager to see Alexander – but he mysteriously disappears from his cage. To solve the case, a 35-year-old detective arrives. His perfectly tailored suit and noble posture make the guests assume he is simply late for the party. Alfred begins interviewing the main suspects and reliving the night through their eyes. But with every new version of events, all the guests appear in a completely new light – not the one they tried to present to the detective. Now Alfred must use all his attentiveness to detail and impeccable speaking skills to uncover the truth hidden beneath the lies. “The Case of a Missing Parrot” is a fast-paced detective comedy with a Rashomon-style narrative
– a satire of modern-day fame and the lengths people will go to for money.
WRITER-DIRECTOR
Kristina Parvatkina is a Latvian–Ukrainian director and screenwriter and has directed over 40 episodes of Motion Capture 3D series "Zapovednik" for Deutsche Welle and produced the award-winning short "Daim". Currently, she is developing her debut live-action feature "Alfred Krauze: The Case of the Missing Parrot". Kristina recently founded ACT 3, a production company focused on creating original projects with strong international potential.
PRODUCER
Vadim Zaikovsky is a Latvian film and TV producer with over a decade of experience and an MA in Audiovisual Media Arts from RISEBA University, where he also lectures. His credits include the awardwinning series “The Missing” (Best TV Series, Latvia 2020) and “The Uninvited Guests” (2023). His company, Wilx, develops original film and television projects with strong narrative identity and crossborder appeal. Wilx also provides production services across Europe, expanding its network to the Canary Islands, and seeks international partners for co-production and distribution.
Representatives in Tallinn Kristina Parvatkina, director Vadim Zaikovsky, producer
Rudo is an irresponsible male stripper who is about to go on his first dance tour through the small towns of Central and Eastern Europe with a group of strippers. He finds comfort in his new profession, where people pay for his company, granting him a temporary escape from his fear of abandonment and hurt. But his world begins to crumble, as the other group members seem to be going their separate ways. Spontaneous romantic experiences on the road don't fulfil him as he'd expected, so he starts looking for euphoria somewhere else, mainly in drugs and endless parties.
WRITER-DIRECTOR
Terézia Halamová is a Slovak director and FAMU graduate. Her short film “Sing for Us” premiered at Kaohsiung FF and won the Film New
Script Pool
CZECHIA, SLOVAKIA, POLAND
Europe Talent Award and Best Cinematography at the Zubroffka Festival, among others. Her latest film “Dog and Wolf” premiered at Karlovy Vary IFF – Future Frames 2025, and screened at SEMINCI, PÖFF, and Winterthur, winning the Kyiv Audience Award and Best Directing at Fine Line Fest. She is currently developing her debut feature “The Hour Between Dog and Wolf.”
PRODUCER
Natália Pavlove, a Czech-based Slovak producer, holds MAs in Producing (FAMU) and International Relations and Management. Fluent in five languages, she founded Other Stories in 2021 after working with leading Czech production companies. Her films “Vinland” and “Sea Salt” have screened at Venice, Karlovy Vary, and Cairo festivals. An IDFA, EAVE Puentes, and EURODOC alumna, she develops projects with emerging female directors and regularly presents at major European co-production markets.
Representatives in Tallinn Terézia Halamová, director Natália Pavlove, producer
CONTACT
Natália Pavlove natalia@otherstoriesfilms.com
APOTEOS
WRITER-DIRECTOR
Christofer Nilsson is a writer-director based in Malmö, Sweden, drawn to portraying problematic characters through themes of loneliness, class, and broken dreams in rural settings. His last short, "The Ballad" (SE-FR), was broadcast by ARTE France and SVT. His new short, "Dancing Pigeons" (also SE-FR), was selected for European Short Pitch 23|24 and shot in late 2024 with support from CNC and the Swedish Film Institute. It is now in distribution and awaiting its festival premiere. He is currently developing his debut feature, "Apoteos."
When 55-year-old divorced hairdresser Carina witnesses a séance by the charismatic psychic medium Fredrik, she enrols in his course to become a psychic medium herself, hoping to find purpose in her lonely life. There, Carina fixates on Hanna, a younger woman mourning her son's death. Carina claims she can channel the spirit of the deceased child, letting Hanna hold him again – forming a secret bond between them. Carina's apparent success in helping the grieving mother, though no one knows how, sparks rivalry with course leader Fredrik. As Hanna craves more and Fredrik schemes to undermine her, Carina's deception spirals out of control – leading her into a dark place where she ironically begins to realise what she might truly be seeking in life.
Annegret Kunath is a producer based in Malmö, Sweden. After her studies in Documentary Film, she began producing fiction short-film projects. She is currently working on the debut feature “Apoteos.” An alumna of European Short Pitch and Less Is More (Development Angels), she has recently been selected for the Swedish one-year intensive producing programme “Producing People.” Annegret has a passion for projects that explore the fallibility and ugliness of humanity with compassion and curiosity.
Representatives in Tallinn Christofer Nilsson, director Annegret Kunath, producer
CONTACT
Annegret Kunath annegkun@gmail.com
EUROPEAN GENRE FORUM
The European Genre Forum is a European training programme run by the Black Nights Film Festival in Tallinn, the Imagine Film Festival in Amsterdam, the largest festival for fantastic film in the Netherlands, and the Fantastic Zagreb Film Festival, the largest genre festival in the Southeast European region.
The main goal of the courses is to connect, train, and support young and emerging as well as established European film talents at the beginning of their careers in the genre industry. The EGF annual cycle includes three labs: a Production Lab in Zagreb, a Directing Lab in April in Amsterdam, and a final Sales and Marketing Lab in Tallinn.
Participants receive a full range of feedback, acquire skills, and connect with established professionals in the global genre industry. The labs help participants enhance their projects and prepare for accessing co-production markets and financing opportunities for their films. The EGF Sales and Marketing Lab in Tallinn will take place from 18 to 20 November. Special sessions will focus on topics related to development, sales, and marketing, as well as the latest digital tools for filmmaking. As in previous years, the highly anticipated final pitch of the 8 chillingly fresh and exciting projects from the participants of EGF 2025 will be at the heart of the Tallinn Lab. Come and discover the hottest new talent in European genre cinema!
EUROPEAN GENRE FORUM –MOST PROMISING PROJECT AWARD
Presented by ATM Virtual, this €25,000 in-kind award offers one day of LED stage rental, preceded by a day of pre-lighting, to support the production of the selected film.
AR LIVES – A EUROPEAN/ ASIAN GHOST STORY
Original title: AR Lives – A European/Asian Ghost Story
Genre: horror
Written by: Jinglin Huang
Directed by: Michael Kleinfeld
Produced by: Oliver Weisskopf
Languages: English, Chinese, German
Estimated budget in EUR: 3 000 000 EUR
Financing in place in EUR: 50 000 EUR
Runtime: 100
Looking for: co-producers, streamers, public funds (national, regional, international)
SYNOPSIS
When a childhood ghost infects her AR game, Lien must stop it as it hunts online bullies – killing them in both the virtual and real worlds. As her studio ignores the growing danger, success turns to terror, and she becomes the only one who can end it.
PRODUCER
After completing his bachelor’s degree in Film at Macromedia University, Cologne, in 2017, Michael Kleinfeld worked on his first feature film, "Sanitatem," which premiered at the Shanghai International Film Festival.
He is currently building his production company, Weissfeld Films, together with Oliver Weisskopf.
Representatives in Tallinn Jinglin Huang, screenwriter Michael Kleinfeld, director
European Genre Forum GERMANY, TAIWAN
CONTACT
Michael Kleinfeld Weissfeld Films michaelkleinfeld@web.de
In Helsinki, a centuries-old vampire turns a desperate mother to reclaim her stolen child, but as the fledgling’s bloodlust risks exposure, their bond shatters into a deadly battle – only one can survive.
DIRECTOR
Viivi Huuska is a Finnish director and photographer. At the age of sixteen, she was already performing among drag queens who became her mentors. Growing up in such a bold and free environment led her to view the world through a carnivalesque lens and to understand gender from a position of acceptance and empowerment. Throughout her work, she continues to explore gender, femininity,
the representation of the female figure in modern media, and the importance of tolerance. An emerging force in Finnish cinema, with a successful background in photography and directing commercials and TV series, she brings her distinct vision to this atmospheric tale.
PRODUCER
With over 20 years in the film industry, Mika Pajunen has built a versatile career spanning music videos, TV commercials, documentaries, series, and feature films. Guided by a passion for emotionally resonant storytelling, he seeks scripts that explore universal truths and fresh perspectives, creating immersive experiences that bridge reality and cinema.
Aleksi Hyvärinen is a Finnish producer, writer, and co-founder of Don Films. He produced and co-wrote the English-language horror film "The Twin" (2022), starring Teresa Palmer, which opened theatrically in over 30 countries. His other credits include "Jingle Bells" (2022), "Lake Bodom" (2016), and "The Renovation" (2019). Aleksi’s co-productions include "There's Something in the Barn," "Arrhythmia" (2017), and Netflix’s "Hold Your Breath: The Ice Dive." He is currently developing the anthology series "Nordic Horror Masters."
Representatives in Tallinn Mika Pajunen, producer Aleksi Hyvärinen, producer
CONTACT
Mika Pajunen mika@61north.fi
BLUE LADA
Original title: Sinine Lada
Genres: fantasy, family film, dramedy, condition-film
Written by: Urmet Piiling
Directed by: Urmet Piiling
Produced by: Tõnu Hiielaid, Rain Rannu, Urmet Piiling
Uku arrives at his grandmother's house to help his family renovate. His grandmother is sinking into dementia. Struggling with grief, Uku must embark on a fantastical journey with his late grandfather's blue Lada – to save the family, learn to let go, and say goodbye.
DIRECTOR
Urmet Piiling is a versatile creative professional from Tallinn, excelling as a director, actor, screenwriter, designer, and producer. His notable works include the films "Tree of Eternal Love" (2021), "Rolling Papers" (2025), and "The Girl in the Red Golf" (2017). Urmet showcased his multi-hyphenate talent by producing, writing, and
starring in "Tree of Eternal Love," which received six nominations at the Estonian Film and TV Awards. He also co-wrote, produced, and acted in "Rolling Papers," which won the Audience Award and the Film of the Year prize, and was later selected to represent Estonia at the 2026 Oscars.
PRODUCER
Tõnu Hiielaid is the co-founder and producer of Tallifornia, an independent production company focusing on author-driven narrative features. He has produced five feature films to date, with another five currently in various stages of production.
Representatives in Tallinn Urmet Piiling, director Tõnu Hiielaid, producer
CONTACT
Tõnu Hiielaid tonu.hiielaid@tallifornia.com
European Genre Forum
BURIAL PATROL
Original title: Burial Patrol
Genre: science fiction
Written by: Massimo Russo
Directed by: Massimo Russo
Produced by: Mattia Puleo
Production company: Cinefonie
Language: English
Estimated budget in EUR: 2 500 000 EUR
Financing in place in EUR: 50 000 EUR
Runtime: 110
Looking for: co-producers
SYNOPSIS
In 2054, a Burial Patrol officer kills a living man in a world where the dead rise and burials are banned. His cover-up leads to a dark conspiracy, personal tragedy, and a relentless quest for justice in a corrupt regime where nothing stays buried.
DIRECTOR
Massimo Russo began his career as a graphic designer before earning a degree in Film History from DAMS in Turin. He made his first feature, "Torino Nera," one of the first digitally shot films in Italy, entirely independently and on a large scale, with complex action sequences and locations both in Italy and abroad. He later created the web series "2 di Picche," again combining irony, drama, and
ambitious production. Known for his semi-serious tone and balance between comedy and drama, Russo continues to write screenplays and novels while developing new film projects.
PRODUCER
Mattia Puleo has built a versatile career across film, television, and independent cinema, combining creative and executive experience. After seven years as an assistant director, he joined the Cinefonie Cooperative in 2016, where he now serves as President and oversees multiple productions. During the pandemic, he founded the livestreaming service "Cult!" and launched a production podcast. Mattia is also Regional President of CNA Cinema e Audiovisivo Piemonte and National Delegate for New Technologies and AI at CNA, as well as President of the ODS Cooperative, promoting innovation and collaboration throughout the Italian audiovisual sector.
Representative in Tallinn Mattia Puleo, producer
CONTACT
Mattia Puleo puleo@cinefonie.it
European Genre Forum
LIKE AIR
Original title: Like AIr
Genres: horror, supernatural, mystery
Written by: Elvira Dulskaia
Directed by: Elvira Dulskaia
Produced by: Julietta Sichel, Rozálie Brožková
Production company: 8Heads Productions
Language: Czech
Estimated budget in EUR: 922 716 EUR
Financing in place in EUR: 87 299 EUR
Runtime: 90
Looking for: public funds (national, regional, international), coproducers, streamers
SYNOPSIS
A surgeon's search for her lost memories leads her to a remote village, where she uncovers long-buried family secrets and a supernatural gift tied to her past – all while navigating hidden dangers and her growing connection with a mysterious healer.
DIRECTOR
Elvira Dulskaia (born 1994) is a graduate of the Editing Department at the Film and TV Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (FAMU). She is a fiction screenwriter, director, and editor. Her latest short film, "Ice Break" (2022), has been screened at numerous festivals across Europe and has received several awards. Elvira is currently developing her debut feature, "Like Air," a work of magic realism and horror.
PRODUCER
The film production company 8Heads Productions was established in 2010 in Prague.
The founder of the company, producer Julietta Sichel, studied German language, English and American literature at the University of Salzburg, Austria, and film history and theory at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University, Prague.
8Heads Productions focuses mainly on international co-productions and projects with international potential. Films produced or coproduced by 8Heads Productions have been presented at numerous festivals around the world, including Busan, Karlovy Vary, Tallinn, Chicago, Jeonju, Zlín, Montreal, BIKY, Tehran, Raindance, Sarajevo, Kyiv, Jihlava Documentary Film Festival, ZagrebDox, Houston, and many others.
A young girl accidentally opens a portal to hell and makes a deal with the devil. He grants Maggie the gift of flight – but there’s a catch. If she can’t fly away from her neglectful family within twelve days, her soul will be his.
DIRECTOR
Scottish writer and director Faye Jackson uses fantasy, horror, and sci-fi to explore the darker regions of the human condition in numerous short films and in her feature "Strigoi."
Her films have screened at – and won awards at – International festivals including Sitges, Fantastic Fest, and the New York Film Festival, and have been distributed on DVD and VOD worldwide.
PRODUCER
Carley Armstrong is an award-nominated producer and writer from the North East of England, holding a First-Class degree. She is a BAFTA Connect Producer, an RTS-nominated Rising Star, and an alumna of the BFI Creative Producer Lab and NFTS Feature Film Lab. Starting as a performer, she progressed to script supervisor/editor before moving into producing and writing. Her experience spans film and high-end television for Apple TV, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Warner Bros, Sony, and Paramount.
In 2024, Carley completed her first two feature films as producer, "Little Red" and "Amazing Grace." She currently has three short films on the festival circuit and is co-producing a high-end TV drama while developing two television and three feature projects.
Representatives in Tallinn
Faye Jackson, director
Carley Armstrong, producer
CONTACT
Carley Armstrong producer@carleyarmstrong.tv
European Genre Forum SPAIN, MEXICO
THE SLEEPERS
He has directed the short films "Oscillation," "Saturn through the Telescope," "The Sleep of the Dogs," and "Diseases of the Trees," which have received over 150 selections at international festivals. He is currently in post-production with my first feature film, "The Mantises."
Representatives in Tallinn Didac Gimeno, director Marco Lledó, producer
Original title: Los Durmientes
Genre: horror
Written by: Dídac Gimeno
Directed by: Dídac Gimeno
Produced by: Rafael Álvarez, Marco Lledó
Production companies: DarkStudios, Pegatum Transmedia
In a remote village, children begin to fall asleep for days. Silvia, a doctor, travels there to investigate and meets Ana, the owner of the local cinema, who believes the children's illness is the work of a vampire.
DIRECTOR
Born in Valencia, Spain, Didac Gimeno graduated in Veterinary Medicine in 2011 and in Film Directing from ECAM (Escuela de Cinematografía y del Audiovisual de la Comunidad de Madrid) in 2014.
Viktoria (22), a biology graduate, returns to the island of her childhood to work through the summer and prepare her thesis. Haunted by past trauma, she encounters a wounded being from another world – and sacrifices herself to save it.
DIRECTOR
Višna Mamić is an accomplished director, screenwriter, and editor. She completed film programmes at FAMU in Prague (2004/05) and Septima Ars in Madrid (2007–2009), and later specialised by
enrolling in the prestigious postgraduate master’s programme for TV writers, Serial Eyes, at the DFFB Film Academy in Berlin (2015/16). Višna has worked on numerous media projects in Croatia and abroad. Her directing and screenwriting credits include the documentary "Fensi but Still Underground" (2005) and the short films "ID" (2005) and "Lucky Strike" (2009). She also wrote the screenplay for the selected short "Guy & the Biscuits" (2008), developed in a workshop with director Sergio Cabrera.
CONTACT
Ivor Radmilovic Pavlek ivor@thisisvertigo.com
Representatives in Tallinn Višna Mamic, screenwriter Ivor Radmilovic Pavlek, producer
TRT SİNEMA presents
The Largest Script Development and Coproduction Platform in Türkiye
MARKET SCREENING
Original title: Довженко. Перший погляд
NOVEMBER 20, 15:00-16:30
Apollo Kino Plaza, 4. saal
Countries of production: Ukraine, Romania, Slovak Republic
The film is dedicated to the world-famous Ukrainian director Oleksandr Dovzhenko and tells the story of Odesa in 1926 – a city reborn after the First World War and the Civil War, alive with NEP, jazz, boxing, literature, extraordinary cuisine, and the sea. It was an era of romantics, writers, and young cinema – and cinema was the passion of the Odessans.
The story follows the aspiring cartoonist and writer Sashko Dovzhenko as he takes his first steps in film and becomes a professional director. Notably, this is the first feature film in the history of world cinema about the legendary Oleksandr Dovzhenko, whose work ranks among the twelve greatest films of all time. His legacy continues to inspire audiences worldwide.
Representative in Tallinn Hanna Docheva, docheva.av@gmail.com
CREATIVE EUROPE MEDIA PROGRAMME
PÖFF's focus on Catalonia and spotlight on Austria this year give us the possibility to learn more about these regions, bring filmmakers together, and co-operate on the organizational level. Baltic and Nordic Creative Europe MEDIA offices are very happy to help with bringing together film producers from Catalonia, Austria and our region. By organizing a networking dinner, we aim to offer them an environment for relaxed but efficient one-on-one based meetings. The dinner is planned for Wednesday, November 19 for selected producers from Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Catalonia and Austria. We are hoping that this event initiates new co-production projects between these countries and producers end up submitting new collaborative applications for MEDIA funding schemes.
Creative Europe MEDIA is the European Commission’s support program for the European audiovisual industry. Various supporting schemes from development to distribution are available to make the European film industry stronger and more competitive. MEDIA programme supports development of films, series and video games, but also audiovisual markets, training programmes, festivals and variety of projects related to innovation and technology.
Creative Europe MEDIA Desks are active in each member state to make the program more visible in the industry, promote its funding options and training possibilities, and to consult but also facilitate collaborations and networking.
NOVEMBER 19
20:00 Restaurant Platz (Roseni 7) (by invitation only)
Matchmaking Dinner is hosted by Catalan, Austrian, Nordic and Baltic Creative Europe MEDIA Desks.
