2025 IN-PERSON SCREENING LINE-UP
at Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NYC 10016
THE EXALTED (Cildenie)
Juris Kursietis, Latvia, Estonia, Greece, 2024
98 min. In English, Latvian and German with English subtitles North American Premiere
The festival kicks off on Wednesday, November 5, with the North American premiere of The Exalted / Cildenie (dir. Juris Kursietis, Latvia/Estonia/Greece, 2024).
In this exquisite Baltic thriller that pushes the boundaries of loyalty and greed, Anna (Johanna Wokalek), an internationally renowned organist whose partner Andris (Juris Zagars) a successful CEO, is suspected of corruption. As Anna proceeds with a lavish birthday party in the countryside, she must navigate a crumbling reputation, moral dilemmas, false accusations, and religious uncertainty. The restless handheld camera draws us into her emotional turmoil, as the foundation of her life collapses alongside her partner’s arrest.
Actor Juris Žagars will present a Q&A following the screening of the film.
In-Person Screenings: Wednesday, November 5, 6:00 pm (Opening Night with VIP Reception)
Thursday, November 6, 6 pm
ROLLING PAPERS (Pikad paberid)
Meel Paliale, Estonia, 2024
98 minutes. In Estonian with English subtitles
New York Premiere
On Saturday, November 8, director Meel Paliale's "disarming" youth-centered comedy-drama Rolling Papers /Pikad Paberid (Estonia, 2024) makes its NYC Premiere. *The screening will be followed by a film talk with director Meel Paliale.*
Rolling Papers follows Sebastian (Mihkel Kuusk), who leads a monotonous life as a store clerk. He finds his ordinary workday shaken up when he meets Silo (Karl Birnbaum), a free-spirited wanderer. Together, they smoke weed, drift through the ephemeral Estonian summer, and dream of a one-way ticket to Brazil. Rolling Papers explores the complex lives of young adults, united by their uncertainty about the future and a shared longing for a purposeful existence.
Director Meel Paliale will present a Q&A following the screening of the film.
In-Person Screening: Saturday, November 8, 7:30 pm
THE VISITOR (Svečias)
Vytautas Katkus, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, 2025
115 min. In Lithuanian with English subtitles
U.S. Premiere
The festival's grand finale take place on Sunday, November 9 with the US premiere of The Visitor /Svečias (dir. Vytautas Katkus, Lithuania/Norway/Sweden, 2025).
The film follows 30-year-old Danielius (Darius Šilėnas), a Lithuanian expat who has been living in Norway for over a decade. He has everything he needs — a job, a loving Norwegian wife (Hanne Mathisen Haga), a child and friends. But when his father passes away, he is forced to return to his hometown in Lithuania to sell his childhood flat. Dwelling on the ways place shapes personhood, the film unpicks the disorienting disconnect of returning to the place you once belonged and finding yourself a stranger.
A film representative )TBA) present a Q&A following the screening of the film.
In-Person Screening: Sunday, November 9, 7 pm
THE BLACK HOLE (MUST Auk)
Mooninka Siimets, Estonia, Finland, 2024.
115 minutes. In Estonian with English subtitles
New York Premiere
The Black Hole is an absurdist, genre-blending comedic anthology that follows three interconnected stories in a suburban Estonian apartment complex, where residents encounter aliens and fantastical beings while grappling with everyday struggles like abuse, loneliness, and economic hardship. When a mysterious black hole appears among the lilac bushes of their district — accompanied by aliens, a giant spider, and a shorts-wearing Austrian — events begin to unfold that challenge the suburban residents’ hopes for a brighter future.
Director Moonika Siimets will be present a Q&A after the screening.
In-Person Screening: Thursday, November 6, 8:15 pm
THE MUTINY (Dumpis)
Andrejs Ekis, Latvia 2024
7 x 40 min. In Latvian and Russian with English subtitles
North American Premiere
Based on the true story that inspired The Hunt for Red October, The Mutiny is set in 1975 Riga, where Soviet officer Valery Spagin has just been appointed Captain of the Third Rank to the Soviet naval ship Storozhevoy. He embraces the opportunity to serve his country and vows to uphold its communist ideals. But as Spagin and his family find themselves unwelcome among their new neighbors, he discovers widespread military abuse of power—forcing him to confront his own belief system. Facing mounting threats from a corrupt government, Spagin incites a riot aboard the ship, which soon becomes larger than intended. In fear of international disgrace, the Soviet authorities take drastic action.
Producer Dita Cimermane will be present a Q&A after the screening.
In-Person Screening: Friday, November 7, 6:30 pm (episodes 1-4; episodes 5-7 will be available in virtual cinema)
MURMURING HEARTS (Murmančios širdys)
Vytautas Puidokas, Lithuania, France, Norway, 2024.
I80 min. n Lithuanian with English subtitles
North American Premiere
In this powerful, tender documentary, Matas, a 14-year old foster child, ends up on a Lithuanian rehab-farm where a group of men are working to heal from addiction and aggression. The men must take responsibility for the boy, slowly but surely becoming problematic and complicated role models for him, struggling together to overcome a past full of ghosts and loneliness. Led by the charismatic Žanas, a former addict, the community follows a strict routine—praying, tending to animals, and making cheese—all to escape the troubled cycles of the past.
Director Vytautas Puidokas will be present a Q&A after the screening.
In-Person Screening: Saturday, November 8, 1 pm
BECOMING ROOSI (Siit ta tuleb, Roosi)
Margit Lillik, Estonia, Germany, 2025.
94 min. In Estonian and English with English subtitles
Filmed over a 10-year period, we first meet Roosi when she is eight years old, confronting the unusual conventions of her isolated childhood in an Estonian eco-village. Here, her mother Liina — a dedicated activist — is the frontwoman of the commune. Eight years later, Roosi finds herself following in her mother's footsteps. Living far from the eco-village and fully immersed in the demands of cosmopolitan life, Roosi grapples with climate grief and guilt.
Director Margit Lillik will be present a Q&A after the screening.
In-Person Screening: Saturday, November 8, 3:15 pm
RENOVATION (Renovacija)
Gabrielė Urbonaitė, Lithuania, Latvia, Belgium 2025.
90 min. In Lithuanian with English subtitles
New York Premiere
The feature directorial debut of Lithuanian writer-director Gabriele Urbonaite follows 29-year-old perfectionist Ilona (Žygimantė Elena Jakštaitė) as she faces mounting pressure to feel successful and settled by age 30. A work-from home journalist in Vilnius, things are getting serious with her boyfriend boyfriend Matas (Šarūnas Zenkevičius). And they've just moved into what seems like an idyllic apartment — until a massive, noisy bout of renovation work begins. In the midst of repairs to the building’s Soviet-era façade, cracks reveal themselves in Ilona’s seemingly perfect life, particularly as she hits it off with Ukrainian construction worker Oleg (Roman Lutskyi). Their connection leads to new discoveries —after spontaneously telling him she’s a poet, she actually begins to write poetry. But it also deepens her uncertainty. Does she really want to settle down and start a family?
Actor Žygimantė Elena Jakštaitė and editor Armands Začs will be present a Q&A after the screening.
In-Person Screening: Saturday, November 8, 5:15 pm
BALTIC SHORTS PROGRAM
Sauna Day (Sannapäiv) - Dir. Anna Hints and Tushar Prakash, Estonia & Lithuania, 2024. 13 min. In Estonian with English subtitles.
Jungle Law (Ääremängijad) - Dir. Madli Lääne, Estonia, 2024. 18 min. In Estonian with English subtitles
Sujip - Dir. Gintare Parulyte, Lithuania & Norway, 2025. 23 min. In Lithuanian with English subtitles
Left-Handed Pen (Tušinukas) - Dir. Adas Burkšaitis, Lithuania, 2024. 18 min. In Lithuanian with English subtitles
Kafka. In Love - Dir. Zane Oborenko, Latvia & Czechia, 2024. 10 min. No dialogue
Where Does the Sun Sleep at Night? (Kur Saulīte Nakti Guļ?) - Dir. Ildze Felsberga, Latvia, 2024. 17 min. In Latvian with English subtitles
In person screening: Sunday, November 9, 4 pm
TO BE CONTINUED - TEENHOOD (Turpinājums - Pieaugšana)
Ivars Seleckis, Armands Začs, Latvia, 2024.
97 min. In Latvian and Russian with English subtitles
North American Premiere
The long-awaited sequel to the 2015 documentary To Be Continued, Latvian directors Ivars Seleckis and Armands Začs reunite with the five children featured in the original film—now 14 years old and on the cusp of adolescence. Zane, Kārlis, Anastasia, Gleb, and Anete—each from vastly different backgrounds across Latvia—find themselves at pivotal moments, navigating unique paths toward adulthood. Their everyday experiences reveal striking contrasts: while Zane’s only household duty is to tidy up her room, Anastasia is charged with stewarding the livestock and taking her little brother to kindergarten. While Kārlis's mother checks his homework each evening and Gleb’s parents plan his daily routine, Anete spends an entire week alone in her family’s Riga apartment.
Director Armands Začs will be present a Q&A after the screening.
In-Person Screening: Sunday, November 9, 2 pm