The films were among 12 films (plus a Moldavian project) pitched at the Baltic Event Co-Production Market. In just over two days, the filmmakers racked up an average of 22 meetings apiece.
Michal Kracmer from the young Czech/Slovak production company cinedix picked up the Producers Network Prize with accreditation to the programme of the Cannes Marche du Films. Director Piotr Trzaskalski and producer Roman Jedrkowiak of the Polish company ADHD Warsaw were given the post-production services award worth 5,000 EUR presented by Martin Aadamsoo of the Estonial Digital Center.
The Finnish project Impaled Rektum was the popular winner of the Screen International Best Pitch Award. The zany slacker comedy about a disastrously bad Finnish heavy-metal band was picked up by the film’s two directors and two producers from Making Movies Oy, who were repeat Best Pitch Award winners at Tallinn. Picking up the award, one of the quartet quipped, “We also won best title.” A Swedish project, Killer’s Fee, received the Clear Light Award, a prize of 5,000 EUR in equipment presented by Estonian lighting company Digital Sputnik.
Baltic Event CEO Riina Sildos handed out the two Baltic Bridge East by West (B’EST) awards. The evening’s second Cannes Producers Network accreditation went to Russian/Swiss producer Olga Aliarova for her project Stockholm Syndrome. Winning the 10,000 EUR development prize was the project Sulaiman Mountain a coproduction from Kyrgyzstan and Russia.
Baltic Bridge East by West also included pitches from Estonia and Slovakia. The Flame Race presented by Estonian producer Annell Ahven of Kopli Kinokompanii is a comedy about an inept attempt to transport the Olympic flame from Moscow to Tallinn for the 1980 games and the sailing regatta taking place in Estonia. Director Martin Repka presented the Czech Slovak project The Tattooist, a social drama coproduced by PubRes and Bionaut. The B’EST projects will have their final preparation for pitching at the Moscow Business Square taking place in June 2015.
The five packed days of industry events attracted over 250 guests, including numerous sales agents and film fund reps and commissioners. Participants came from across CEE, Scandinavia, Europe, North America and the CIS countries, with both Finland and Poland registering a substantial presence. Polish Film Commissioner Tomasz Dabrowski, among the first time guests in Tallinn, told FNE, “It’s my first time here, but it’s not the last.”
Winners:
Producers Network Prize
Kids from the East (Czech Republic, Slovakia)
Directed by Aramisova
Produced by Michal Kracmer, cinedix
Best Pitch Award
Impaled Rektum (Finland)
Directed by Jukka Vidgren and Juuso Laatio
Produced by Kai Nordberg and Kaarle Aho, Making Movies Oy
Clear Light Award
Killer’s Fee (Sweden)
Director TBA
Produced by Emma K. Dixgard, Red Sister
Best Project Award
The Wounded Beast (Poland)
Directed by Piotr Trzaskalski
Produced by ADHD Warsaw
B’EST Producers Network Prize
Stockholm Syndrome (Russia)
Directed by Elena Hazanov
Produced by Kira Saksaganskaya and Olga Ailarova, Rock Film
B’EST Development Award
Sulaiman Mountain (Kyrgyzstan, Russia)
Directed by Elizaveta Stishova
Produced by Maria Yakubova, Trikita Entertainment
