Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event have announced projects that have been selected into the two works in progress showcases - the International Works in Progress organised by Industry@Tallinn, that will be screened to the sales agents and festival programmers on 29 Nov, and the Baltic Event Works In Progress, that will screen on 30 Nov.

International Works In Progress

Entering the third year of International Works In progress, Industry@Tallinn introduces twelve projects from South America, United States and Europe in post-production stage that are looking for sales agents to represent them and festivals to screen them.

Triin Tramberg, International Works In Progress Coordinator commented: ‘We are proud that many of our last year’s projects found their way and had their premieres at various festivals this year. The Lines premiered in Karlovy Vary, Easy premiered in Locarno and Toronto Film Festival picked up Suleiman Mountain, Village Rockstars, and Salyut-7.

This year’s Works in Progress is dedicated to our good friend, big cinema enthusiast and professional and all in all a great person Igor Guskov, whom we lost this fall. His dream was to bring cinema from former CIS countries to wider audiences. Thanks to his dedication and hard work we had many interesting projects to choose from that came from Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, and other countries. Igor would be proud and we will make it our mission to continue doing our best to find gems from this region and keep his dream alive.’

Packing Heavy is a film by Dario Mascambroni who’s previous January had it’s European premiere in 2017 Berlinale’s Generation competition. This Argentinian story is about a young boy who is in search for answers about his father’s killer.

Spitak is the new film by Alexander Kott who’s films The Test and Insight have travelled the festival circuit previously, including Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. The story takes us to the town of Spitak, which has been destroyed by an earthquake. It is a story about love and hope when everything around is in chaos.

Crystal Swan is a Belarus, Germany and United States co-production. This is the debut film for Darya Zhuk. The film takes us to the mid-1990s Belarus, where a wanderlust young DJ is derailed by a typo in a forged US Visa application, forcing her to a backwater village, where she is determined to fake her way into the American dream.

At five thousand meters above sea level, enclaved in the Andes Mountains, a strange young man is working as guardian of the moor, imagines a better fate far from home. Amidst the Fog is the new film by Augusto Sandino whose 2016 debut Gentle Breath, which premiered at Tallinn Black Nights FF receiving both the Special Jury Prize and the FIPRESCI Award.

43 is a drama about Irina, a doctor by profession, who returns home after serving a long sentence in prison. Her family is not expecting her, so Irina must find herself and make a decision on how to live on. The film is by Dimitri Tsintsadze whose film Lost Killers was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at 2000 Cannes Film Festival. His film The Man from the Embassy, won the Silver Leopard in Locarno International Film Festival in 2006

Dancing Jellyfish is a thriller about Ahmed, an illegal immigrant from Albania, who helps the girlfriend of his boss, in her attempt to escape from her abusive partner. It is the story of two friends who, at some point in their life, understand what it is to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. A Dancing Jellyfish is the directors, Aurelio Laino, feature-length directorial debut.

Two projects come from Kyrgyzstan - Song of the Tree a historical musical by Aibek Dairbekov making his directorial debut and Thousand Dreams by Marat Sarulu who received Best Director Award for his film The Move at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in 2014.

As I Fall is our Norwegian debut by Magnus Meyer Arnesen. The project was presented last year at Baltic Event Co-Production Market. The story follows the unconventional relationship between a father and son as they cling to one another under the looming threat of addiction and separation.

Clay Pit is the last film by Vera Glagoleva. It is a story has neither a nationality nor a geographical affiliation because it is a film is about women’s happiness and the price for it.

In the Hood is a Russian debut by Olya Zueva and is about Vova and his best friend Kisa make ends meet by working for the local thug in Vladivostok, Russia, until one assignment forces them to question their own morality and puts their friendship to the ultimate test.

Coming to you is a mystical fable-like thriller of re-birth and re-invention, inspired by Leo Tolstoi's The Three Questions. It is by Kirill Mikhanovsky who’s Fish Dreams premiered at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival International Critics’ Week Competition.

Baltic Event Works In Progress

Baltic Event Works in Progress programme, held for the 15th time in 2017, presents ten films at advanced stages of production or post-production, providing film professionals with an overview of the most promising projects of the Baltic region and Finland.

The Head of Baltic Event, Marge Liiske, is pleased that last year's slate has gone on to premiere at major festivals - Estonia's The End of the Chain and The Man Who Looks Like Me were selected to East of the West competition in Karlovy Vary while The Man Slayer. The Virgin. The Shadow will come out in competition at BNFF, and Miracle by Egle Vertelyte, Lithuania, held its world premiere in Toronto. The latter, as well as Finnish Law of the Land were picked up by sales agents at BE. The latest to be released is The Eternal Road, made in the frame of the “Finland 100” centenary celebration.

One of the most anticipated projects of the year is the full-length family animation Captain Morten and the Spider Queen by Kaspar Jancis (Estonia, Ireland, Belgium, United Kingdom; BE Co-Production Market 2012), dubbed in Estonian, English, Gaelic and French, and voiced by Ciaran Hinds and Brendan Gleeson among others. Estonia is also represented by award-winning director Martti Helde's second feature Scandinavian Silence (Estonia, France, Belgium; BE Co-Production Market 2016), and three debut features produced within the Estonian centennial film scheme: contemporary drama Take It or Leave It by Liina Trishkina-Vanhatalo, historic family drama The Little Comrade by Moonika Siimets, and the historic mystery drama The Riddle of Jaan Niemand by Kaur Kokk.

Neighouring Latvia brings The Mover, the story of Latvia’s Schindler by Davis Simanis, and contemporary relationship thriller Nothing Can Stop Us Now by award-winning director Andris Gauja to the Baltic screens.

From Lithuania, Baltic Event is happy to welcome back 2016 Eurimages award-winner Motherland by Tomas Vengris as well as Breathing into Marble by Giedre Beinoriute, a Co-Production Market project from 2012.

We are also thrilled to present Dark Christ (working title) by Klaus Härö (BE Co-Production Market 2015), whose latest film The Fencer (2015) was nominated for the Golden Globes and shortlisted for Oscars.

Captain Morten and the Spider Queen by Kaspar Jancis
Estonia, Ireland, Belgium, UK
Producer: Kerdi Oengo
Co-producers: Paul Cummins, Mark Mertens, Robin Lyons
Production companies: Nukufilm, Telegael, GRID-vfx

The Little Comrade by Moonika Siimets
Estonia
Producer: Riina Sildos
Production company: Amrion

The Riddle of Jaan Niemand by Kaur Kokk
Estonia
Producer: Katrin Kissa
Production company: Homeless Bob Production

Scandinavian Silence by Martti Helde
Estonia, France, Belgium
Producer: Elina Litvinova
Co-producers: Eric Vicente, Frederic de Goldschmidt
Production companies: Three Brothers, ARP Selection, Media International

Take It or Leave It by Liina Trishkina-Vanhatalo
Estonia
Producer: Ivo Felt
Production company: Allfilm

Dark Christ (working title) by Klaus Härö
Finland
Producers: Kai Nordberg, Kaarle Aho
Production company: Making Movies Oy

The Mover by Davis Simanis
Latvia
Producer: Gints Grube, Antra Gaile
Production companies: Mistrus Media

Nothing Can Stop Us Now by Andris Gauja
Latvia
Producer: Andris Gauja
Production company: Riverbed

Breathing into Marble by Giedre Beinoriute
Lithuania, Latvia, Croatia
Producer: Dagne Vildžiunaite
Co-producers: Inese Boka-Grube, Matija Radeljak
Production companies: Just a moment, Mistrus Media, Aning Film

Motherland by Tomas Vengris
Lithuania, Latvia
Producer: Uljana Kim
Co-producer: Roberts Vinovskis
Production companies: Studio Uljana Kim, Locomotive Productions