“UP!” is a new intensive five-day training program for emerging film producers working with short films who are just starting their careers. The program aims to strengthen the professional skills of producers, introduce them to the international short film ecosystem, the principles of co-production, and strategies for self-promotion, project communication, and distribution.
The program will consist of two parts: seminars and practical workshops led by experienced film industry professionals, and participation in the Baltic Pitching Forum, the leading short film industry event in the Baltic countries. This format will help create a solid foundation for the professional growth of emerging producers, encourage networking, establish new contacts, and contribute to their integration into the international film industry.
Throughout the training, participants will deepen their knowledge of the international short film ecosystem, co-production practices, project presentation strategies, and distribution methods. They will also receive individual feedback, complete practical assignments, and consult directly with the program’s lecturers. Confirmed mentors include Amos Geva (T-Port, Germany), Gabriele Brunnenmeyer (Germany), Flavio Armone (Lights On, Italy), and Lithuanian producers Dagnė Vildžiūnaitė (Just a Moment), Agnė Adomėnė (Art Shot), and Brigita Beniušytė (M-Films).
The program’s Head of Studies is Lithuanian producer Marija Razgutė (M-Films).
The first edition of UP! is dedicated to Lithuanian participants only and will take place on October 6–10, 2025, in Vilnius.
SELECTED PARTICIPANTS
Milda Buškevičiūtė is an emerging producer whose work primarily focuses on music videos and visual projects. Projects she has produced have been noticed at international festivals such as the Berlin Music Video Awards, Berlin Commercial, and others. She continues to expand her skills through mentorships and international masterclass programs, including the Advertising Producers Association Masterclass in London and the Lithuanian Shorts Mentorship. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Film Studies at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre and is increasingly drawn to film production, particularly in the field of documentary.
Marija Kazlauskaitė is an emerging Lithuanian film producer. After graduating in 2024 from the Film Production program at the National Film School (Kimo), she joined the production company Smart Casual as a junior producer. While at film school, Marija produced three films nominated for Lithuania’s national Silver Crane awards. Her first major success, Through Gloom (dir. Arnas Balčiūnas), won Best Student Film at the 2023 Silver Cranes. Her latest short documentary, Delicate Matter (dir. Milda Augustaitytė), premiered at the Vilnius International Film Festival Kino Pavasaris and continues to screen internationally. She is now producing both a short and a feature documentary.
Danielė Kunčinaitė is a producer with a Master’s degree in Film and Television Studies from the University of East Anglia (UK). Since 2020, Danielė has been working as a producer’s assistant at the film production company, Just a moment. Notable projects she has contributed to include Burial (2022, dir. Emilija Škarnulytė), Once Upon a Vilnius (2022, dir. Eitvydas Doškus), and Twittering Soul (2022, dir. Deimantas Narkevičius). In 2023, Danielė joined the short dance film series project Dance+City (co-produced by ARTE) as a producer. Danielė is currently studying a Master’s degree at the Lithuanian National Film School KIMO, where she is conducting artistic research on creative producing.
After a screenwriting BA in Lithuania, Vykintas studied animation at Ecole MoPA, France, and later lived in Prague for 5 years. Since 2018, he’s actively working in various short, feature and TV projects as director, animator, story artist, screenwriter, and story consultant. His debut animated short film Grandma’s Pancakes, co-directed with Dominyka Adomaityte, was nominated as the best animated film in the Lithuanian Cinema Awards. It was his first film as a producer. In 2021, he co-founded Glass Elephants Creative Studio, a private company dedicated to animation production. Since 2023, he’s teaching animation and screenwriting courses at Vilnius Art Academy.
Marija Lenkutytė-Bartoševič has been working in film and animation production for more than seven years, gaining experience in both local and international projects. She is currently leading the development of the short animated film Pigeon of Our Time, supported by the Lithuanian Film Centre, and managing production on Glass Elephants. With a background in history and ongoing Master’s studies in arts management, Marija brings strong coordination skills and a passion for storytelling, aiming to contribute to Lithuania’s growing animation industry.
Aušra Lukošiūnienė is a director, producer, and screenwriter. She worked 13 years as a director and producer at Lithuanian National TV. Later she organized cultural events, film festivals, and managed advertising and radio projects. In 2018, she founded Vėgėlė Films. Her work spans documentary and experimental films as well as video installations, presented at Cannes short film corner, the film festival Recontres internationales Paris–Berlin, VDFF, Compressed Time Festival, the National Gallery of Art, and SLA Gallery New York. She lives between Lithuania and France.
Augustė Puteikytė is a film producer and graduate of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. She has produced short films such as Flowers, So Many Flowers (Glasgow Short Film Festival 2024), The Pushers (Vilnius Short Film Festival 2023), and Ja Tebia Ubju (Scanorama 2023). Her latest work, Past The Hill of Napoleon’s Hat (dir. Arnas Balčiūnas), won the “Silver Crane Egg” for Best Student Film in 2025 and Best Lithuanian Short Film at Kino Pavasaris. Since 2024, she has been working at Nafta Films as a coordinator and assistant on various projects.
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