08/04/2019 - Continuing its focus on emerging European talent, the leading Lithuanian industry event presented awards to five in-development projects by debutant filmmakers and big names of the future

The tenth edition of the international film industry event Meeting Point – Vilnius (MPV), held during the 24^th Vilnius International Film Festival - Kino Pavasaris, concluded with an awards ceremony held in Vilnius City Hall on 4 April, following a three-day run from 2-4 April. The head of MPV, Alessandra Pastore, summed up her experience of this year’s edition: “It’s an important space for presenting talented, young filmmakers, and is visited more and more by producers, festival representatives and other influential people within the film industry.”

The jury, comprising Beatrice Fiorentino, selector for Venice’s International Critics’ Week, Diane Henderson, deputy artistic director at the Edinburgh IFF, and film producer Yevgeny Gindilis, ultimately crowned My Thoughts Are Silent [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Ukrainian director Antonio Lukich as the winner of the main MPV Award, worth €3,000. The best in-development project among the 17 selected (see the news) follows 25-year-old Vadym, who’s at a turning point in his life, but it’s his mother who becomes his companion on this journey.

Slovakian director Lucia Kasova’s documentary The Sailor [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] received the Post Production Award, worth €3,500 in services to be provided by two of the Vilnius Film Cluster companies: music production studio RoofSound and post-production house MADSTONE. The documentary’s producer, Nazarij Klujev, will also have the chance to participate in the Cannes Film Market Industry Workshop this May. Lithuanian producer Paulius Juoceris, meanwhile, who worked on the documentary El Padre Medico, directed by Vytautas Puidokas, will attend the Cannes Film Market Producers Network.

The historical drama Nova Lithuania, directed by Karolis Kaupinis and produced by Marija Ruzgutė, of M-Films, was awarded the Lithuanian Audiovisual Works Copyright Association (AVAKA) Award – namely, €1,000 in cash – for Best Lithuanian Pitch, while Belarusian director Vlada Senkova and her team received the Baltic View Award, worth €1,000, following their pitch for their dramedy The Thrillseekers.

Finally, the new MPV initiative Talents Nest, which is organised in partnership with MAIA Workshops, rewarded two participants: Belarus’ Alexander Mihalkovich, who was awarded a professional accreditation to Portugal’s FEST – New Directors | New Films Festival, and Polish participant Przemyslaw Stanski, who received an accreditation to the Baltic Pitching Forum.

Here is the complete list of winners at the tenth Meeting Point – Vilnius:

Meeting Point – Vilnius Award
My Thoughts Are Silent [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Antonio Lukich (Ukraine)
Producers: Alla Belaya, Dmytro Sukhanov (Toy Cinema)

Post-Production Award by Vilnius Film Cluster
The Sailor [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Lucia Kašová (Slovakia)
Producer: Nazarij Klujev (TOXPRO)

Best Lithuanian Pitch by AVAKA
Nova Lituania – Karolis Kaupinis (Lithuania)
Producer: Marija Razgutė (M-Films)

Baltic View Award
The Thrillseekers – Vlada Senkova (Belarus/Russia)
Producers: Larisa Oleinik (DOKA), Viktor Labkovich (Pervaja Kinovideo Company)

Cannes Film Market Industry Workshop
Nazarij Klujev for The Sailor – Lucia Kašová (Slovakia)

Cannes Film Market Producers Network
Paulius Juočeris (IronCat) for El Padre Medico – Vytautas Puidokas (Lithuania/Brazil)

Talents Nest - FEST - New Directors | New Films Festival Award
Alexander Mihalkovich (Belarus)

Talents Nest Prize - Baltic Pitching Forum
Przemyslaw Stanski (Poland)