We are happy to announce the official results of the 1st Baltic short film script development residency “Baltic Shorts Residency” – over more than 30 received applications, a selected project is Estonian fiction film project “The Lesson” written and directed by Madli Lääne.
A story of the project “The Lesson” is based on the real facts happened in Estonia few years ago. It will talk about a group of teenagers and their humiliating behaviour toward young innocent girl. “I am interested in the borderline moments, where the situation gets out of the hands of the teenagers, mainly because of their lack of the life experience and self confidence,” – says Madli Lääne.
Madli Lääne is an Estonian film director, writer, editor and teacher. She has MFA in Film and Media Production from University of Texas at Austin, USA (2017), where she concentrated to fiction directing. Coming-of-age short “Three August Days” (2018) is her Thesis Film, which got funding from Austin Film Foundation, Estonian Cultural Endowment and Moody Innovation Fund. Before going to Texas, Madli worked as a freelance documentary editor and also directed documentaries herself. Her short documentary “ABC” (2012) was one of the five nominees for Berlin Today Award at Berlinale. Madli studied film editing in Tallinn University Baltic Film and Media School (2009), where she is working as an editing lecturer now. She got her BA in Journalism from University of Tartu (2003) and worked several years as a journalist and editor in different Estonian magazines, newspapers and TV-channels.
The “Baltic Shorts Residency” will take place on June 3-21 at “Kintai Arts” artspace (Lithuania). During three-weeks residency period Madli Lääne will have script consultations – several online sessions and one intensive script workshop at the residency location – with the creative advisor Wim Vanacker. From this year onward W. Vanacker works in the Selection Committee for the Official Short Film Competition of the Cannes Film Festival, he also works as the Head of the Script Department of the European co-production forum “European Short Pitch” and as a script consultant, tutor and guest speaker at different international film industry events.
Residency is organised by Lithuanian Short Film Agency “Lithuanian Shorts”, supported by Lithuanian Council of Culture. Partners: Estonian Short Film Centre, PÖFF Shorts | Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, Riga International Film Festival, Riga International Short Film Festival 2ANNAS.
