IMPORTANT
Time zone: UTC+3
Venue: National Gallery of Art (Konstitucijos ave. 22, Vilnius).
All events are open to everyone and free of charge.
Pre-registration for public events is HERE.
The core of any pitch is the story. The most concise way to introduce it is through a logline, followed by a synopsis and your artistic intentions. The better you know your project, the more convincingly you can present it. This lecture will focus on the key elements of building such a package and delivering a compelling pitch. It will share practical tools to help you identify the essence of your story and to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of your project during the development process.
Gabriele Brunnenmeyer is a script mentor, pitching coach and project consultant. Alongside consulting on script development, packaging and pitching for individual projects, she consults for various international workshops and events such as HerArts FilmLab, Midpoint Shorts, Midpoint Feature Launch, KVIFF Eastern Prom – ises Industry Days, Cutting Edge Talent Camp, Baltic Pitching Forum, SFC / Rendez-Vouz-Industry Cannes, New Horizons Studio, Istanbul Film Station, Berlinale Talents & Sarajevo Talents: Pack&Pitch and others.
Audience Design is a playful, collaborative process that helps film teams explore their story, audiences, and routes to communication and distribution. Built for short-film creators, this lecture demystifies the basics (what it is, when to use it, who’s involved) and we’ll show you how to translate your film’s narrative, visual and emotional assets into clear positioning, quick message tests, and first touchpoints you can use for pitching, festivals and outreach—so you can be your own audience designer when budgets are small.
Ewa Bojanowska graduated in Media Arts from the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw and Film Producing from Polish Film School in Łódź. She is also an EAVE Marketing and Torino Audience Design graduate. From 2015 till 2022 Ewa worked for New Europe Film Sales, where as Head of Marketing she worked on launch campaigns for such films as SWEAT by Magnus von Horn (Cannes 2020 Official Selection), The Disciple by Chaitanya Tamhane (Venice 2020 Competition), Lamb by Valdimar Jóhannsson (UCR Cannes 2021) and Oscar® Nominee Corpus Christi by Jan Komasa. Working as an independent she handled, among others, the Oscars® campaign for The Balcony Movie by Paweł Łoziński. She is working as audience designer and festivals & promotion consultant, among others for Torino Film Lab, International Screen Institute and independent producers across Europe. She is a member of The Audience Design Collective.
This presentation brings together leading representatives from Europe’s key short film markets, co-production forums, and work-in-progress events. Each speaker will introduce their platform, outlining its mission, unique opportunities, and practical details for filmmakers seeking to showcase, finance, or co-produce their short films. The session will offer valuable insights into how these initiatives operate, what they look for, and how filmmakers can best engage with them – whether to expand networks, secure partners, or position projects on the international stage.
Moderated by Jing Haase, an independent short film industry expert (Denmark/Sweden)
The Short Film Corner | Rendez-vous Industry is a four-day forum for short film professionals, featuring panels, talks, workshops, and industry meetings focused on co-production, distribution, and market access. Its Creative Programs support short films in post-production and early development, including first features. The New Producers Room introduces emerging producers to co-production opportunities through curated sessions and live presentations. By showcasing a diverse selection of films in its Market Catalogue, the SFC | Rendez-vous Industry aims to reflect the global landscape of short film production and meet the expectations of key decision-makers attending the Festival.
The Short Film Market in Clermont-Ferrand is the leading industry event for short films in the world. It combines physical and digital components to address the needs of the industry, from production to promotion and distribution, in an open, inclusive and responsible environment. It is the main marketplace for sales, acquisitions and licensing of short films with opportunities on the French, European and international markets. Its ambitious industry program fosters creativity, co-production and the circulation of works. Euro Connection is the main platform for the co-production of short films. Meet European production companies, funders, and broadcasters around short film projects.
Founded in 2007, the Italian Short Film Centre operates as an agency and archive to promote Italian short films. Since 2016, in order to promote the development of the Italian and international short film sector, the Center has organised an industry event in Turin. Now called ShorTO Film Market, this event will celebrate its tenth anniversary in November 2025.
European Short Pitch, is an annual program, organized by the association P.O.V. Push Other Visions, aimed at discovering and supporting young European talents in the development of their short films, and fostering coproduction and collaboration between industry professionals from all over Europe. European Short Pitch combines mentoring on short film development with a pitching and networking event, our Coproduction Forum. Since its creation in 2007, European Short Pitch has accompanied over 300 scriptwriters and directors in the development of their projects. Many of those short films had a successful career and were screened at festivals such as Cannes, Berlinale, Locarno, Sundance or IFFR…
The Brussels CoProMarket: Short Film Sessions is an international co-production market held annually in Brussels during the Brussels Short Film Festival. It aims to promote partnerships between European producers and strengthen networking opportunities with other industry participants.
DokuFest’s Short Film Forum aims to support emerging filmmakers in the Balkan region by providing a platform for the promotion, funding, and coproduction of short documentary films. This forum leverages DokuFest’s decade-long experience in talent development, fostering collaboration among regional filmmakers and international industry professionals. The event includes workshops, mentoring sessions, pitch training, networking opportunities, and distribution support for short films.
Nordisk Panorama Film Festival presents the best recent Nordic shorts, docs and
gathers the Nordic short and documentary community for a 6-day festival with quality films, seminars, workshops, great parties and not least the industry events Nordisk Panorama Market and Nordisk Panorama Forum for Co-financing of Documentaries, offering an annual business venue and showcase for the Nordic short film and documentary scene. Nordisk Panorama Market hosts the Short Film Industry day with co-production discussions, case studies and network opportunities as well as the Short Film Pitch, where 12 short film projects are presented to an audience of stakeholders, followed by one-on-one meetings.
SHORT RIGA Test Screenings, held in the context of Riga International Film Festival, is an industry programme aimed at short film projects in the works-in-progress stage from the Baltics and invited countries. The event consists of closed screenings followed by expert feedback, recommendations for completion, and festival strategy advice. SHORT RIGA Test Screenings offers a valuable platform for filmmakers to connect with potential distribution and sales partners, secure a festival premiere, and enter the international festival circuit. Participants benefit from editing consultations, pitching training, and one-on-one meetings with decision-makers, all within a focused environment designed for professional networking and constructive feedback.
The highlight of the Baltic Pitching Forum – Pitching Sessions – will be dedicated to the 12 short film projects from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and this year’s Guest country Hungary. The selected participants will have a chance to present their new ideas to the decision makers and hear live feedback from the industry experts. Alongside Pitching Sessions, the spotlight will be given to the 7 emerging short film producers participating at the newly launched training program UP!
European Short Film Industry Events Summit (ESFIES) is the first gathering of representatives from European short film industry events, markets, and forums. During this dedicated session, the discussions will focus on shared challenges faced by short film industry events – particularly how to stay relevant and make a meaningful impact on the European short film ecosystem.
The Summit will be advised and moderated by Jing Haase (Denmark/Sweden)
Jing Haase is a curator and short film expert who has been working in the industry for more than two decades. She has previously worked with Nordic shorts and docs as market manager at Nordisk Panorama and as festival manager for short films at the Swedish Film Institute with a primary focus on international distribution. She has also worked as a programmer and in film production. Jing is often used as moderator, panellist, facilitator, and jury member at international festivals and industry events.
This session provides practical advice and firsthand insights on international co-production in short films, presented by experienced producers from Croatia, France, and Hungary/Estonia. While in some countries co-production is considered an inevitability, in others it is still regarded as a privilege. Is it always worth investing in co-production? What strategies can help attract the right partners, which countries offer the best co-production opportunities, and how can cultural differences in collaboration be effectively managed?
Inja Korać graduated in Political Science and Journalism from the Faculty of Political Science in Zagreb and holds an MA in Audiovisual Management from the Media Business School, MEGA Plus, Spain. Worked as a producer and programmer for film festivals in the region for 15 years (Zagreb FF, Motovun FF/Cinehill; IDFF Beldocs). In 2022 launched a production company Cobra Chicks producing fiction films and series. Has a background in cinema distribution, worked as a cinema programmer for 7 years, for Dogwoof London and Taskovski Sales. Member of Croatian producers association, Filmmakers Association of Croatia and a representative at FIAPF.
Valentin Leblanc created Black Boat Pictures in 2017 to develop emerging international directors and build new synergies. He then opened White Boat Pictures in Belgium with Delphine Duez in 2019. The two sister-companies collaborate together, on two territories, in the development and financing of international films from all horizons. Their projects are selected in the coproduction forums of Cannes, Berlin, Brussels and Clermont-Ferrand, whereas their finished films sail international festivals around the globe and are screened on the main French and Belgian TV channels. Arte, Canal+, France Télévisions and RTBF now share productions of Black & White Boat Pictures to their audience.
Dóra Nedeczky is a Hungarian producer and strategist, with a background in aesthetics and film theory/history. She’s lived in Tallinn since 2020, and co-owns the production company Mindwax. Dora is an EAVE Producers Workshop 2016 graduate, and her works have been acquired by Mubi and recognised by Sight&Sound Magazine’s end-of-year lists. She produced 8 Views of Lake Biwa by writer-director Marko Raat, an Estonian-Finnish co-production, at Allfilm, alongside Ivo Felt, that premiered last year at IFFR before travelling to TIFF in Cluj, Palic and Helsinki among others, picking up two awards in Hanoi IFF, Vietnam. Biwa was Estonia’s Oscar submission for 2025. She’s also the co-producer of Who Am I Smiling For?, Eeva Mägi’s hybrid doc that premiered at Giffoni in 2023 and was the opening film for Tallinn Black Nights’ Just Film Festival, then was screened in the documentary competition programme of Molodist Film Festival in 2024.
Hungary as a Co-Production Partner: What You Need to Know will give an honest overview of how international short film coproductions have taken shape in recent years. With acclaimed animation projects like 27 and Symbiosis setting the tone, Hungary has shown particular strength in animated shorts, while live-action and documentary collaborations are emerging more slowly. The talk will outline what international partners can realistically expect when working with Hungary as coproduction partner in terms of creative talent, competitive costs, and a growing but still developing infrastructure for cross-border short film projects.
Gábor Osváth is one of the most prominent independent film producers in contemporary Hungarian cinema. His recent credits include Lesson Learned, which premiered at the Locarno Film Festival, and the Palme d’Or-winning animated short 27. Recognized for his focus on socially engaged storytelling across genres, Osváth has developed a strong track record in supporting emerging filmmakers and producing well-crafted films for both local and international audiences.
What are the city’s initiatives for film-friendliness and why both local and international filmmakers choose Vilnius as a destination for their projects.
Jūratė Pazikaitė is a Film Commissioner and the Head of the Vilnius Film Office. She began her career in economics and investment before transitioning into the film industry, where she has been working for over 13 years since the establishment of the Vilnius Film Office. She was honoured with the National Film Award for the impact on the film industry and is a Board Member of the European Film Commissions Network EUFCN. Jūratė Pazikaitė holds an MA in International Business and Management.
MEDIA strand of Creative Europe programme provides European filmmakers and other audiovisual industry professionals with a variety of opportunities ranging from direct funding of their projects to training initiatives and more. Austėja Milvydaitė, Head of MEDIA Office at Creative Europe Desk Lithuania, will give a short overview of what is relevant for the short film community and emerging filmmakers: how to get their first commercial film funded, which markets and festivals they should attend and what kind of training opportunities would be beneficial to them now and in the future.
Austėja Milvydaitė is Head of MEDIA Office at Creative Europe Desk Lithuania and has been consulting audiovisual industry professionals on all things funding for over 6 years. The MEDIA strand of the Creative Europe programme supports the European film and audiovisual industries to develop, distribute and promote European works. The MEDIA Office at Creative Europe Desk Lithuania promotes Creative Europe programme at national level, assists the audiovisual sector regarding participation in MEDIA and stimulates cross-border cooperation between professionals, institutions and networks.
The Baltic Pitching Forum is always proud of its alumni and passionate about following their journeys after the pitch in Vilnius. In this traditional session, three alumni will share how their projects moved from pitch to production. Through their presentations, they will discuss the challenges encountered, lessons learned, and offer valuable advice to fellow filmmakers navigating the international market.
Anna Hints, director of “Ice” (BPF 2014), “Sauna Day” (BPF 2022), “Weight of Light” (BPF 2021)
Anna Hints is a multi-awarded Estonian film director and scriptwriter with deep roots in the distinct culture of South East Estonia and a background in contemporary art and experimental folk music. Anna’s debut feature documentary Smoke Sauna Sisterhood won the Directing Award at Sundance Film Festival World Cinema Documentary Competition and European Film Award for Best European Documentary in 2023. It was sold to 33 territories worldwide. The film has been to numerous festivals, won more than 40 awards and acclaimed many prestigious nominations. Anna’s latest work in cooperation with Tushar Parkash, short fiction Sauna Day, premiered at Cannes Film Festival’s Critics’ Week 2024 and has been selected to many prestigious festivals like Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Clermont-Ferrand and Tampere. Another recent short fiction Weight of Light won national grand prix at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) and several awards worldwide. Anna is a member of the European Film Academy.
Director of “Reminiscence” (BPF 2021), “Out” (BPF 2023)
Kristijonas is an audiovisual artist, filmmaker, and photographer. In his work, he combines music and sonic art with
visual expression in narrative and non-narrative short films, projections for stage, and audiovisual installations.
While studying Film and Music BA at Brunel University (London), he worked on interdisciplinary art projects and festivals with students and lecturers. Psychogeography module taught by Will Self had a great influence on his work – exploring the city as a character through street videography is a recurrent theme in his non-narrative work.
In 2014 he moved to Paris, where he worked as a director and editor, along his masters in Film Directing in Université Paris 8. In 2020 he came back to Lithuania after 10 years abroad, where he made his first Lithuanian short film “Reminiscence”.
Producer of “Flower Show” (BPF 2019)
After an adolescence full of computers and electronic music, Jani started his first business – a sound studio. Since then he has been a media composer, co-founder of two animation production companies and an awarded sound designer for animated short films and video art. In 2019 Jani extended his love of animation into producing. He is specialised in ecological production and the winner of Verso Sustainability Award at Tampere Film Festival 2024. Jani has produced three short animations that have been shown on respectable festivals all around the world and have been awarded in places such as Annecy, Tirana, Chitose, Baltimore and Fredrikstad.
