Baltic Shorts Residency - 2022

Sander Joon (Estonia)

Sander Joon is an Estonian animation director. His films “Velodrool” (2015), “Moulinet” (2017), and “Sounds Good” (2018) have travelled to festivals such as Annecy, DOK Leipzig, Ottawa, Go Short, Stuttgart, Fredrikstad, Kaboom, and GLAS. Besides films, he has animated a music video for Tommy Cash, participated in a popular commercial for “Rick and Morty”, and has been a VJ at numerous events. Sander is also teaching traditional animation at the Estonian Academy of Arts. His latest film, the Oscar-qualifying “Sierra” (2022), is now travelling film festivals around the world.

Project developed in BSR2022:

“Offside” (work-in-progress)
animation, 17′, Estonia

As football crashes into the kitchen window, a man transforms into a football referee. As a referee, he will try to control the menacing teenage dogs. ‘Offside’ is a tango between domination and companionship set on an imaginary football field between the decaying apartment buildings.

Tīna Zariņa (Latvia)

Tīna Zariņa is an upcoming film director and has completed her studies in the directing department at the National Film School of the Latvian Academy of Culture. Tina’s short films have gained recognition at local and European film festivals. She is currently engaged in music video production. Tina has also studied analog photography and contemporary photography.

Project developed in BSR2022:

“LIMO” (work-in-progress)
fiction, 13′, Latvia

In the near future, in a dystopian world, limousine driver Arthur transports various passengers around the center of Riga. His every move is watched by the limousine’s artificial intelligence, MO. The relationship between Arthur and MO is seemingly friendly and playful, but there is a feeling in the air that Arthur is careful not to provoke MO. However, the evening is intense and Arthur has several conflict situations with MO, so that night Arthur decides to use jokes to overwhelm the limousine’s artificial intelligence,  so he can avoid activating the emotion control device.

Klaudija Matvejevaitė-Duškina (Lithuania)

Born in Vilnius in 1995. Focused on fine arts for 12 years before graduating from Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in filmmaking. Currently working as a casting director in Lithuanian films. Fascinated by language, mythology, portraits, and schedules.

Project developed in BSR2022:

“Clay” (work-in-progress)
fiction, 15 min., Lithuania

Mykolas has just committed suicide. Helped by the magic of Christmas Eve, he is able to come back as a ghost and visit his family, yet his elderly nanny Marija is the only one able to see him. Throughout the awkward evening, the family dynamic and the reasons behind Mykolas’ decision are slowly revealed. Now Marija has a task: to reconcile Mykolas with his brother, just as she did when they were children.

 

Script consultant - Wim Vanacker

After studying psychology in Belgium, Wim Vanacker moved to Dublin to work as a psychologist in the field of drug addiction. Three years later, he picked up studying again at EICAR where he made two shorts. After graduating, he discovered NISI MASA – European Network of Young Cinema where he became the Head of the Script Department and the Project manager of the MEDIA funded project, European Short Pitch. Furthermore, he’s a member of the Selection Committee for the Official Short Film Competition of the Cannes Film Festival and he works as the Editorial Consultant for the First Cut Lab. On the side, he works as a script consultant, creative advisor, programmer, tutor and guest speaker for many workshops, film festivals and projects in development. As a writer/director, he’s currently developing the films [ˈsɪə.ri.əl ] and Psycho Revisited.