“Presenting Lithuania as the Guest Country at this year’s ShorTO Film Market shows great recognition for Lithuanian cinema. In recent years, it has become clear that a film’s success on the international scene depends first and foremost on talent, not the size of the market. The recent international success of Lithuanian talents and their works proves two things: that Lithuanian filmmakers have strong individual voices and unique artistic styles, allowing them to stand out in the global short film landscape and successfully connect with international audiences; and that Lithuania is a trusted partner for international collaborations. With our presence at this year’s ShorTO Film Market, we hope to build new sustainable connections and successful future projects,” says Rimantė Daugėlaitė, Head of Lithuanian Shorts.
On Monday, 24 November 2025, the Market will host a dedicated panel titled “Lithuania in Focus: Exploring Co-Production Opportunities.” The session will present an overview of the Lithuanian short film industry by Rimantė Daugėlaitė, Head of the Lithuanian Short Film Agency Lithuanian Shorts, and will outline the practicalities of co-producing with Lithuania – including funding mechanisms and incentives – presented by Deimantas Saladžius, Head of the Film Production Department at the Lithuanian Film Center. A delegation of Lithuanian producers – including Morta Verbickaitė, Marija Lenkutytė-Bartoševič, and Vykintas Labanauskas – will also introduce their work and outline the international collaborators they are looking to work with.
As part of the Country in Focus initiatives, on Monday the ShorTO Film Market will also host a public screening called “Cinematic Connections”, featuring a curated selection of five Lithuanian short films that have gained international recognition in recent years. The films span documentary, fiction, and animation, each offering a unique lens on contemporary Lithuania: “Once Upon a Vilnius” (dir. Eitvydas Doškus, documentary, 2022), “Left-handed Pen” (dir. Adas Burkštaitis, fiction, 2024), “The One Who Knows” (dir. Eglė Davidavičė, animation, 2024), “Mothers” (dir. Birutė Kapustinskaitė, fiction, 2021), and “Cherries” (dir. Vytautas Katkus, fiction, 2022). Together, these works present a vibrant portrait of Lithuanian short film today – intimately personal yet resonant on an international scale.
On Tuesday, 25 November 2025, the Lithuanian animation project “Glass Elephants” will be presented at the pitching session “Think Outside the Keyframe” alongside five other short film projects from France, Italy, Armenia, and Taiwan. The project “Glass Elephants”, directed by Vykintas Labanauskas and Dominyka Adomaitytė and produced by Giedrė Burokaitė, tells the story of a six-year-old girl burdened by an untold secret who returns to the night of her grandmother’s departure, hoping to change the past and save her from death. The project is currently in production and will be presented at the ShorTO Film Market by co-director Vykintas Labanauskas.
In addition, for more than five years, the Italian Short Film Centre and its ShorTO Film Market have been partnering with the Baltic Pitching Forum, the leading short film industry event in the Baltics organized by Lithuanian Shorts. As part of this collaboration, every year one project presented at the Baltic Pitching Forum is awarded an invitation to the ShorTO pitching session “You Only Pitch Twice”. This year, the award was given to the Estonian short animation project “Mutation” (dir. Liisi Grünberg, prod. Aurelia Aasa), which will be presented on Monday, 24 November 2025.
The Lithuanian delegation at the ShorTO Film Market 2025 consists of Gabrielė Cegialytė (Lithuanian Shorts/Vilnius Short Film Festival), Rimantė Daugėlaitė (Lithuanian Shorts/Vilnius Short Film Festival), Laura Gabrielaitytė-Kazulėnienė (Lithuanian Cultural Attaché in Italy), Vykintas Labanauskas (Glass Elephants Creative Studio), Marija Lenkutytė-Bartosevič (Art Shot), Deimantas Saladžius (Lithuanian Film Center), Morta Verbickaitė (M-Films).
Since 2016, the ShorTO Film Market has established itself as a leading industry event dedicated exclusively to short films. Running within the framework of TFI Torino Film Industry, the 2025 edition marks the Market’s 10-year anniversary. Over the past decade, more than 160 short film projects have been pitched, many of which have successfully moved into production. ShorTO aims to fuel the growth of international short film production and digital content, support new talent, and strengthen global networks – with a special emphasis on the Italian short film sector.
The Country in Focus programme is co-curated by Lithuanian Shorts, with support from the Lithuanian Film Center, and is part of the broader Cultura Lituana in Italia 2025–2026 initiative. This year-long cultural project, launched by the Lithuanian Culture Institute and the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Italy, spans exhibitions, festivals, biennials, museums, concert halls, and independent spaces throughout Italy, connecting Lithuanian and Italian creative scenes.
