First Cut Lab and First Cut+ are proud to announce the selection of 4 workshopped films to the E-meeting Point Vilnius.

Today marks the launch of the E-meeting Point Vilnius! We are overjoyed to follow no less than 4 First Cut Lab films, all selected in the “Coming Soon” pitching session. This audiovisual industry event, organised by Kino Pavasaris, is taking place from 14. to 16. April.

There are the projects selected:

• • Troubled Minds, by Raitis & Lauris Abele (prod.: Roberts Vinovskis) – Brothers Robert and Martin are a month away from their biggest yet contemporary art exhibition. To get creative juices flowing, both brothers start to lose control not only over their life but their brotherhood as well.
  • Upurga, by Uģis Olte (prod.: Uldis Cekulis) – Andrejs takes a film crew to a wild river valley for a vegetarian sausage commercial shoot. The enterprise suffers an unexpected setback as the crew goes missing. Little they know that in autumn the valley unleashes a strange, wondrous phenomenon whose reckless power.
  • Runner by Andrius Blazevicius (prod.: Marija Razgute) – After her boyfriend has a psychotic episode and disappears, Maria is decided to let nothing stop her from helping him.
  • I Am Fine, Thanks, by Ernestas Jankauskas (prod.: Gabija Siurbyte) – Maria comes back to her former life after checking herself out of rehabilitation clinic, where she was treated for panic attacks. Hiding her special condition while also competing for a neuroscience project and love from her family is more difficult than she’d thought.

Congratulations to the teams, we are crossing our fingers for the Award ceremonies. Stay tuned!

“Going into First Cut Lab was a bit scary feeling for us – somebody will take our movie (that we have been editing for couple of month already) and tell us what to CUT out now. After FCL sessions we did cut out ten minutes of the film and know even can’t imagine it be otherwise.”

Brothers Raitis and Lauris Abele, Troubled Minds

Also a pride for First Cut+

To add a particular taste to this good news, we can mention that 2 of these selected projects participated in our First Cut+ sessions.
During Karlovy Vary 2020, Runner, and I’m Fine Thanks, were both advised on the final step of a film process: the marketing field.

Our experts, all chosen to be tailor-made for each project, have worked with the directors and producers on promotion, marketing, press, trailer making, festival launch, and sales strategy. 

Our support to Baltic cinema industry: a little recap

One of the aims of our programs is to support Baltic films. Since the beginning of First Cut Lab, we workshopped a total of 8 movies from:

Estonia: 

• • Scandinavian Silence, by Martti Helde (prod.: Elina Litvinova) – World premiere in Karlovy Vary 2019, and won the Europa Cinemas Award. Participated in First Cut Lab Trieste 2017.
  • Kratt, by Rasmus Merivoo (prod.: Tonu Hiielaid) – World premiere at Just Film during Black Nights FF 2020).  Participated in First Cut Lab Lithuania 2020.

Latvia:

• • 24 Hours Sunshine, by Juris Poskus (prod.: Madara Melberga) – National release on 15. August 2021 (depending on pandemics situation). Participated in First Cut Lab Trieste 2019 and First Cut+ Trieste 2020.
  • Troubled Minds, by Raitis & Lauris Abele (prod.: Roberts Vinovskis) – Participated in First Cut Lab On Demand 2020
  • Upurga, by Uģis Olte (prod.: Uldis Cekulis) – Participated in First Cut Lab On Demand 2020.

Lithuania:

• • Summer Survivors, by Marija Kavtaradzė (prod.: Marija Razgute) – World premiere in Toronto International Film Festival 2018. Participated in First Cut Lab Trieste 2018.
  • Runner, by Andrius Blazevicius (prod.: Marija Razgute) – participated in First Cut Lab Lithuania 2020, and First Cut+ Karlovy Vary 2020.
  • I Am Fine, Thanks, by Ernestas Jankauskas (prod.: Gabija Siurbyte) – participated in First Cut Lab Lithuania 2020, and First Cut+ Karlovy Vary 2020.

And more to come!