Works in Progress to showcase 17 new film projects at Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event

15/10/2024 – From social dramas and road movies to children’s films and thrillers, Tallinn’s Works in Progress section promises a diverse slate of international storytelling

Director German Golub, who is taking part with Our Erika

Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event (15-22 November) will present 17 film projects at its Works in Progress showcase, where films in production or post-production will be on the lookout for international sales agents and festival premieres. The line-up is divided into Baltic Event Works in Progress, International Works in Progress and Just Film Works in Progress, featuring projects by award-winning filmmakers and debut directors alike. The screenings will take place on 21-22 November at the Coca-Cola Plaza cinemas in Tallinn.

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This year’s selection is highly competitive, with a record number of submissions. According to Marge Liiske, head of Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event, the line-up is “very strong, exciting and diverse”. She noted a slight drop in projects from the Baltic region owing to financing delays in international co-productions, but expressed optimism for future growth. This year, fewer projects were chosen, with each given double the presentation time compared to previous editions. The new format aims to provide deeper insights into the films’ visual styles and themes, benefiting sales agents and festival programmers.

The International Works in Progress section features seven projects, including four debuts. Among them is Late Shift, a Greek social drama by Stefanos Tsivopoulos, known for his work across different countries. The Swiss social drama Wolves, directed by Jonas Ulrich, is another debut. Ulrich’s short film People on Saturday won the Golden Leopard at the Locarno Film Festival and was shortlisted for a European Film Award. The German thriller Interior, directed by Pascal Schuh, is his debut feature, following the recognition of his short film Auf Platte at the 2022 Student Academy Awards. The line-up also includes Aquarium, the debut feature by Georgian director Tornike Bziava, who has garnered acclaim for his short films. Other notable projects are Balance, a heartfelt German road movie by Björn Schürmann about an estranged father-daughter duo, and Papers, a co-production from Panama, Spain and Uruguay, directed by Arturo Montenegro, which delves into the infamous Panama Papers scandal.

The Baltic Event Works in Progress section presents four films that tackle social themes and question societal norms. Our Erika, a co-production between Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, is the debut feature by German Golub, a Student Academy Award winner. The film is inspired by the life of Estonian cyclist Erika Salumäe, who won an Olympic gold medal in 1988. The line-up also features Call Me Calendar, a tragicomedy based on a Latvian bestseller, directed by Juris Poškus and touching on themes of personal struggle and societal expectations. Lithuania is represented by two films: Sand in Your Hair, a drama by Mantas Verbiejus, about an elderly couple navigating love and loneliness (see the news); and Renovation, the debut feature by Gabrielė Urbonaitė, which focuses on a young woman’s journey of self-discovery amid societal pressures.

Just Film Works in Progress showcases six films, including two aimed at children. Among them is Little Elephant in the Woods, a Dutch-Belgian co-production by Meikeminne Clinckspoor, known for her Emmy-nominated toddler series Doopie. Also included is Ella and Friends: Nature Calls, a Finnish family comedy by Elin Grönblom, marking her feature debut. Other films include Dirty Land by award-winning director Luis Campos, which follows a boy’s turbulent life with his troubled father. Secret Delivery, a youth adventure directed by Ján Sebechlebský, is inspired by a true story of heroism. South American cinema is represented by Emi, an Argentinian-Uruguayan film by Ezequiel Erriquez Mena, about a young man’s search for his biological family, and The River, the debut feature by Cristóbal García. The River follows five adolescents on a journey along the Mapocho River after losing their shack to rising waters.

The Baltic and International Works in Progress categories will be judged by Casey Baron, US programming lead at the Tribeca Film Festival; Julie Marnay, programme manager of First Cut Lab; and Alexis Cassanet, EVP International Sales and Distribution at Gaumont Film Company. The winning projects will receive €7,000 in awards, including €6,000 worth of services from Studio Beep and a €1,000 travel allowance. The Just Film jury includes Janne Vierth, commissioner at the Swedish Film Institute; Teresa Lima, co-founder and director of the PLAY International Film Festival; and Eva-Maria Schneider-Reuter, artistic director of the Sehpferdchen Film Festival. The top film will receive a €1,000 prize to support promotion and publicity.

Here is the complete list of projects selected for the 2024 Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event Works in Progress:

International Works in Progress

Aquarium – Tornike Bziava (Georgia)
Producers: Tornike Bziava, Elia Pharsadan, Nino Shengelaya (Reactormonkey Films, Buni Productions, 29plus7pictures, Shengelaya Productions, Arebato Films)

Balance – Björn Schürmann (Germany)
Producer: Björn Schürmann (projekt:::film)

Face to Face – Javier Marco (Spain/Belgium)
Producer: Odile Antonio-Baez (Pecado Films)

Interior – Pascal Schuh (Germany)
Producers: Timo Ackermann, Katrin Haase, Oliver Arnold (U5 Filmproduktion GmbH & Co KG, Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF)

Late Shift – Stefanos Tsivopoulos (Greece)
Producer: Nikos Smpiliris (Boo Productions)

Papers – Arturo Montenegro (Panama/Spain/Uruguay)
Producer: Andry José Barrientos

Wolves – Jonas Ulrich (Switzerland)
Producers: Nicole Ulrich (Dynamic Frame GmbH)

Baltic Event Works in Progress

Call Me Calendar – Juris Poškus (Latvia/Lithuania)
Producer: Madara Melberga (Aigars Sermukss)

Our Erika – German Golub (Estonia/Lithuania/Latvia)
Producer: Marju Lepp (Filmivabrik)

Renovation – Gabrielė Urbonaitė (Lithuania)
Producer: Uljana Kim (Studio Uljana Kim)

Sand in Your Hair – Mantas Verbiejus (Lithuania)
Producer: Živilė Gallego (Fralita Films)

Just Film Works in Progress

Dirty Land – Luis Campos (Portugal/Italy)
Producer: Luis Campos (Matiné, dispàrte)

Emi – Ezequiel Erriquez Mena (Argentina/Uruguay)
Producer: Laura Mara Tablón (Rita Cine, El Cielo Cine)

Ella and Friends: Nature Calls – Elin Grönblom (Finland)
Producer: Aleksi Hyvärinen (Don Films)

Little Elephant in the Woods – Meikeminne Clinckspoor (Netherlands/Belgium)
Producers: Gijs Kerbosch, Guusje van Deuren, Ingmar Conjarts (100%)

The River – Cristóbal García (Chile/Argentina)
Producer: Francisco Bisañez (Vórtice Films)

Secret Delivery – Ján Sebechlebský (Czech Republic/Slovakia)
Producer: Julietta Sichel (8Heads Productions)

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