Black Nights Goes to Cannes Unveils Five Title Lineup

A companion for the fifth time to the Marché du Film‘s Goes to Cannes showcase, the Tallinn Black Nights Movie Competition – the Baltics’ greatest movie occasion – will dedicate a curated program to movies from the area for the primary time.

The 5 initiatives, among the many greatest from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, might be pitched on Could 16 in Cannes. All are in post-production and in search of co-financing, gross sales and pageant publicity.

“Baltic have been on the rise for a while already,” mentioned Triin Tramberg, curator of the Tallinn Black Nights Goes to Cannes, referring to the astounding success of Latvia’s Oscar-winning sensation “Stream” and Lithuania’s double Locarno wins for “Poisonous” and “Drowning Dry,” amongst others.

“It’s the correct time to make a small presentation of what to anticipate for Q2 2025- Q1 2026. I consider the 5 chosen initiatives present the number of high quality we now have, and I’m positive there’s something for each style,” she mentioned. 

Certainly, the Tallinn Fest Goes to Cannes slate covers all genres, from Estonia’s darkish comedy “O’Slaughter Day,” experimental “Mo Amor,” Lithuania’s dramas “Oblivion” and “They Name Me Danka,” and Latvia’s crime “Crimson Code Blue.” Every of the titles stems from sturdy voices able to gentle the worldwide pageant and arthouse circuits, within the footsteps of “Stream’s” Big Zilbalodis, “Poisonous’s” Saulė Bliuvaitė, “Drowning Dry’s” Laurynas Bareiša or “Smoke Sauna Sisterhood’s.” 

“Selling the Baltics as a area is vital to us,” added Tina Lokk, head of the Tallinn Black Nights Fest. “As the one A-class movie pageant in Northern Europe, along with our business strand, we’re proud to have attracted greater than 1,700 friends and journalists from 70 nations in 2024. Constructing a pageant with the Baltics on the coronary heart, having the world coming to see Baltic movies and extra, and Baltic movies reaching out to the world was my objective from the very starting,” Lokk advised Selection.

The Marché du Movie’s Goes to Cannes showcase runs Could 16-19. The twenty ninth Tallinn Black Nights Movie Competition will unspool Nov. 7-23 within the Estonian capital. 

Here’s a rundown of the 5 Baltic Goes to Cannes entries:

“O’Slaughter Day” (“Seatapp”), Estonia

Produced by Jaan Laugamõts for Downtown Photos.

After his acclaimed characteristic debut “Kalev” (Estonia’s Oscar entry in 2022) and hit collection “Traitor” (“Reetur”), Ove Musting has set his tragicomedy in rural southern Estonia. The story activates a Moldovan unlicensed veterinarian who involves the villagers’ help when an inexperienced veterinary official orders all livestock to be destroyed as a consequence of a suspected swine fever outbreak. 

Within the title roles are Aleksandr Bražnik, Egon Nuter, Taavi Teplenkov, and Hendrik Toompere Jr.

“My, roots, my household are from Southern Estonia; I grew up and labored on a farm,” says the author/director who was eager to convey to the screens his recollections of ‘the allure and ache of rural life,” with a contact of darkish humor to ‘elevate’ the characters’ on a regular basis life. Supply is scheduled for late 2025, with a nationwide launch by way of Hea Movie to observe up.

“Oblivion,” (“Užmarštis), Lithuania

Produced by Ieva Norviliene for Tremora (“Vanishing Waves,” The Flood Gained’t Come”).

Rising author/director Danielius Minkevicius earned worldwide recognition along with his shorts “Crucifixion” (Palm Springs ShortFest 2020) and “Dance” (Camerimage 2021). His debut pic is a psychological drama a few younger intercourse employee who tracks her estranged father and enters his life underneath a false identification. As their bond deepens, she should navigate the delicate line between deception, therapeutic and the connection she’s all the time longed for. Minkevicius says his intention with “Oblivion” was to discover “how we cope with ache we don’t absolutely comprehend” and our skill to dissociate ourselves from grief as a self-protection mechanism. Eager to “floor this fictional story in one thing actual,” Minkevicius has used actual settings and a mixture of amateurs and established actors. The challenge was pitched earlier at Tallinn Baltic Occasion’s co-production market and Vilnius Assembly Level.

“Mo Amor,” Estonia

Produced by Eeva Mägi and Sten-Johan Lill for Kinosaurus Movie.

Mo Amor is author/director Mägi’s third installment in her trilogy, which is about “the human want for love and understanding from completely different views. After the mom/daughter angle in “Mo Mamma,” winner of a Particular Point out at Tallinn’s First Characteristic competitors 2023, and father/son flip in ‘Mo Papa,” pitched finally 12 months’s Black Nights Goes to Cannes, “Mo Amor” explores learn how to love oneself and others. “It’s “mystical, poetic exploration of affection and identification, offered by means of a superbly crafted fairytale,” says Mägi. Supply is about for the autumn 2025.

“They Name Me Danka” (“Danka”), Lithuania

Produced by Artūras Dvinelis for Filmai LT, with affiliate producer Juliana Miliut.

Dovile Gasiunaite’s sophomore pic after “Narcissus,” is a uncooked coming-of-age about teen woman Danute, who struggles as the one “grownup” in her household. Filmed principally utilizing single photographs, the drama stars Ula Liagaite, Silvestras Samuolis and Salvijus Trepulis.

“It’s an emotional story concerning the transition from childhood to maturity, altogether surprising and thought-provoking,” says Dvinelis, who’s concentrating on Vilnius’ Scanorama pageant this fall for the nationwide launch.

“Crimson Code Blue” (“Tumšzilais Evaņģēlijs”), Latvia

Produced by Sintija Andersone, Oskars Rupenheits, Juris Pīlēns for Kef Studio.

Segueing from his profitable debut “The Basis of Felony Excellence,” which was financed by way of crowd-funding and ended up as Latvia’s greatest hit in 2018, with three wins on the nationwide movie awards, Oskars Rupenheits goes again to crime for his sophomore pic. Right here, we observe younger personal eye Roman Skulte (Raitis Stūrmanis), as he joins Riga Precinct in post-Soviet Lavia within the mid-90s. Able to tackle crime, he quickly learns the laborious manner that the street to hell is paved with good intentions. Andersone says, past the director’s darkish humor, suspense and distinctive model,” the pic’s energy lies in its narrative anchored in Latvia’s turbulent historical past, the ‘wild west of the Jap flank’ that unfolded within the midst of a regime change within the Nineties. Baltic Content material Media will deal with the home launch.