UP! 2026

The program is led by the UP! Head of Studies, producer Marija Razgutė (M-Films, Lithuania) – currently one of the most recognisable film producers in Lithuania with more than 15 years of experience in the industry.

T-Port TalentBridge Mentor at UP! Amos Geva (Germany) – the producer, co-founder and managing director of an industry platform T-Port.

Johannes Magnus Aule is Head of Development at Allfilm. He trained in production at the Baltic Film and Media School and completed the Directing Fiction course at the National Film and Television School in London, where his graduation film, Tree of Many Faces, was shortlisted for the Student BAFTA. His other films have screened at Oscar-qualifying festivals. He is currently producing two shorts, To the Bone and Holy Night, and will direct The Consumer, a UK-Estonian co-production. He is developing his debut feature, Memories of Mommy and Daddy, a Hungary-Estonia-Ireland-UK co-production.

Grēta Grebže is an emerging Latvian film producer based in Riga. She holds a BA in Audiovisual Art – Film and Theatre Production from the Latvian Academy of Culture and has experience across both production and location departments in various local and international film projects. She has produced several well-received short films, including her graduation film My First Funeral, winner of Best Student Film at the Latvian Film Awards 2025. She currently works as a Junior Producer at Tasse Film, contributing to partner communications, project development, funding, and production.

Leticija Čiužauskaitė is a Junior Producer working across film production and distribution. Since 2022, she has been part of Magic Film, contributing to projects from early development through production, post-production, and distribution. Her work focuses on project coordination, collaboration with creative teams and partners, and sustainable filmmaking practices. She is currently developing a new short film, The Second Child, directed by Lina Mickute.

Grete Kaio is an Estonian freelance producer, journalist, and writer with a background in film, media, and communication. She holds a BA in Journalism and Communication from the University of Tartu, with a minor in Semiotics and Cultural Theory. She has produced several short films and worked across film and television, including the 2025 TV series Alo directed by Elisa Huub and Kalamaja Blues with YLE, ERR, and Moondustfilms. Her work sits at the intersection of storytelling and cultural insight, with a particular interest in poetic realism, identity, and emotional nuance.

Jaanika Kozlova is an Estonian producer, director, and screenwriter. She is drawn to true stories of ordinary people whose resilience, courage, and humanity often go unnoticed, believing these narratives carry a unique emotional weight that connects audiences to the screen. Rooted in a background as a musician and trained in screen acting, she holds a Media degree from Pallas University of Applied Sciences. Her directorial debut short film Whispers of the Forest is currently on the international festival circuit. She is developing two upcoming short films and a historical feature film.

Henry Laasalu is a versatile freelance producer who works across a wide range of production types and scales. In addition to short films, he has produced commercials and music videos, and has been on production teams for both Estonian and international film projects. During his studies at the Baltic Film, Media and Arts School, Henry produced his first short films. Among these, Twin Turbo received a nomination at the Estonian Film and Television Awards, and Crossing the Line was selected as the opening film of Tartuff and reached the finals of the Malibu Film Festival.

Victoria Alexandria Lele is a writer-director, producer, actress, and stunt performer based in Latvia, and founder of Alexandria Pictures. She holds a degree in Audiovisual Media and Arts (Film Production) from RISEBA and is pursuing a Master’s in Film Directing at the Latvian Academy of Culture. Her short film Fairy Dust won Best Short Film at the Stockholm City Film Festival 2025 and was nominated at the Northwest International Film Festival. A member of the Latvian Screenwriters Guild, she is drawn to psychologically intense, character-driven stories told through physical action.

Robin Marten Leppik graduated with a degree in Audiovisual Media from the Baltic Film, Media and Arts Institute in 2024 and has been active in the industry since 2022. With experience mostly in production, casting, and the AD departments across film, TV, and commercial landscapes, he is currently a full-time casting manager at the Nordic Face casting agency. As an emerging creative producer, he is collaborating with exciting young directors whose stories seek to delve into universal truths about the human condition while allowing room for innovative visual explorations.

Nikola is an emerging film producer from Latvia, currently working as a Junior Producer at the film studio Trickster Pictures. An alumna of the Locarno Film Festival’s Match Me! programme, she has worked as a Showcase Coordinator for RIGA IFF and has produced numerous short films. In addition to supporting the studio’s feature projects, Nikola oversees Trickster Pictures’ short-film slate. She is currently studying for an MA in Political Science at the University of Latvia.

Uku Pärtel Rand is an emerging producer from Estonia with a background in narrative short filmmaking. He graduated from the Baltic Film, Media and Arts Institute at Tallinn University in 2026, specialising in film production. He has produced festival-screened short films and collaborated with international creative teams. As a producer, he is drawn to bold stories with a strong social dimension. He is fascinated by the complexity of the human experience, emotions, and choices that shape a life, and is drawn to stories that challenge perspectives and provoke discussion.

Adelija Ribokaitė is a Vilnius-based Junior film producer with a BA in Entertainment Industries from Vilnius Tech University. In 2024, she worked as an assistant producer at Filmai LT, contributing to Dovilė Gasiūnaitė’s Danka and Hanna Bergholm’s Nightborn. Currently with Fralita Films, her credits include post-production coordination for Mantas Verbiejus’s Sand in Your Hair and Ivan Pavljutskov’s Morten, as well as production coordination for Inesa Kurklietytė’s I’m Going to Change the World. Recently, she produced her first short film, You Won’t Run Far, directed by Tadas Janulevičius.

Marija Stonytė is a Lithuanian producer, director, and co-owner of UKU Films, with over a decade of experience in documentary cinema. She develops and produces author-driven feature documentaries and short films, with a focus on close creative collaboration and international partnerships. As a director, her short documentary One Life premiered at DOK Leipzig, while her debut feature Gentle Warriors screened at international festivals. She is an alumna of IDFAcademy, IDFA Summer School, EURODOC, the Berlinale Visitors Programme, and the American Film Showcase.

Rēzija Grēta Štrausa is a Latvian film producer based in Riga. She graduated from the Latvian Academy of Culture with a degree in Audiovisual Arts Production. She has experience working in film production across various roles, including producer, production manager, and production coordinator, across short fiction and feature film productions. As a producer, she has primarily worked on short films, while her other roles have given her experience working with different departments and crews. Her current work is focused on film production, particularly on the development and production of fiction projects.

Morta Verbickaitė is a Lithuanian film producer and production coordinator. Since 2022, she has worked at M-FILMS on national and international films. She holds a BA and MA in Film Production from the National Film School (KIMO). During her studies, she produced more than ten short films, including Hubble’s Law (dir. Arnas Balčiūnas), nominated for Best Student Film at the Lithuanian National Film Awards. Her recent credits include Class Photo (dir. Arnas Balčiūnas), which premiered at Cannes 2026, and Surplace (dir. Simona Jurkuvėnaitė, Rytis Dringelis), which premiered at Edinburgh IFF.

Saulė Žvikaitė is a Lithuanian producer with a BA in Film Producing from LMTA KIMO. She has produced six music videos, including for artists like Free Finga, Superkoloritas, and Abii. Her short films include Sūkurys (dir. L. Žiūra), winner of Best National Film at the Vilnius Short Film Festival, and Lūgnė (dir. T. Bardauskas), screened at Vilnius International Film Festival Kino Pavasaris. She recently produced Nieko (dir. T. Bardauskas), her Bachelor’s thesis project. Since 2024, she has worked as a Producer’s Assistant at Just a moment, contributing to documentary, fiction, and animation projects.