Baltic Producers in the Visitor Programme

Filled with promise, the nine emerging producers participating in the Visitors’ Programme of Berlinale Co-production Market are fresh, energized and ready to innovate.

January

It is 1991 in Latvia and nineteen-yearold aspiring cinematographer Jazis’s whole world is thrown into chaos as he is dragged into the people’s peaceful protests against the Soviet Army’s attempted takeover of power in his country.

January is an autobiographical take on the political upheaval in the early 1990s that changed the lives of the people of the former Soviet Union. Jazis and his friends Anna and Zeps are all aspiring filmmakers, trying to pursue their dreams of making movies and enjoying the freedom of young adulthood, when the collapse of the political system in the region upends their plans, family ties and friendship. Their experience and participation in the nonviolent resistance through the construction of barricades and human shields becomes the defining moment in their coming-of-age.

DIRECTOR VIESTURS KAIRIŠS is a scriptwriter, film and theater director. Previous features The Sign Painter (2020) and The Chronicles of Melanie (2016) premiered at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. Leaving by the Way (2002) premiered at Karlovy Vary in competition, and documentary Pelican in the Desert (2014) screened at Visions du Réel competition.

Film Info

Original title: Janvāris

Genre: historical drama

Languages: Latvian, Russian

Director: Viesturs Kairišs

Screenwriters: Viesturs Kairišs, Livia Ulman, Andris Feldmanis

Cinematographer: Wojciech Staroń

Production Designer: Ieva Jurjāne

Editor: Armands Začs

Composer: Justė Janulytė

Sound: Jonas Maksvytis

Main cast: Kārlis Arnolds Avots, Alise Dzene, Baiba Broka, Aleksas Kazanavičius, Juhan Ulfsak, Sandis Runge

Producers: Inese Boka-Grūbe, Gints Grūbe

Co-producers: Małgorzata Staroń (Staron Film, PL), Kęstutis Drazdauskas (ArtBox, LT)

Produced by: Mistrus Media

World premiere: Tribeca IFF 2022Best international Feature film

Festivals and awards: Warsaw IFF, Rome IFF, Ankara IFF, Nordic Flm Days Lubeck, Tallinn BNFF, Scanorama IFF

97 min  DCP  4:3  5.1

Contact

Mistrus Media  Inese Boka-Grūbe

+371 2925 9580 inese@mistrusmedia.lv www.mistrusmedia.lv

SALES

The Yellow Affairs  Karoliina Dwyer

+1 718 290 5914 (US) / +358 50 360 0350 (FI) karoliina@yellowaffair.com www.yellowaffair.com

Sisters

Anastasia and Diana are two sisters living in a Latvian orphanage. When they get to know that an American family is ready to adopt them, Diana cannot wait to move to the States, while Anastasia is less excited about the idea of leaving her home. When their estranged biological mother Alla returns to their lives, Anastasia does everything to establish a relationship with her, but Alla has other plans.

The focus of her current creative path in film is tied to social issues, especially concerning families and children. Linda’s work on the documentary My Father the Banker (2015) earned her a National Film Award for Best Editing. After many years of working in Latvian Television on several successful programs, series and shorts, Linda’s debut feature Sisters (2022) is the winner of the 1-2 competition at the Warsaw International Film Festival in 2022, and has since toured many festivals worldwide. She is currently developing her next feature film The Child

Film Info

Original title: Māsas

Genre: drama

Languages: Latvian, English

Director: Linda Olte

Screenwriter: Linda Olte

Cinematographer: Aleksandrs Grebņevs

Production Designer: Laura Dišlere

Editor: Linda Olte, Andris Grants

Composer: Federico Campana

Sound: Aleksandrs Vaicahovskis

Main cast: Emma Skirmante, Gerda Aljēna, Katrīna Krēsliņa, Iveta Pole

Producers: Matīss Kaža, Una Celma, Dace Siatkovska

Co-producers: Wilfried Gufler, Thomas Menghin, Debora Nischler

Produced by: Trickster Pictures (LV), Fenixfilm (LV), Deep Sea Studios (LV), Albolina Film (ITA)

Domestic Premiere: October 2022

Festivals: Warsaw IFF Festival (Main Prize 1-2

Competition, FIPRESCI Award), Tallinn BNFF 2022, Nordic Film Days Lubeck

104 min  DCP  2.39:1  5.1

Contact

Trickster Pictures  Matīss Kaža

+371 2003 0221 matiss@trickster.lv www.trickster.lv

SALES

True Colours

Gaetano Maiorino

+39 333 965 7567 gaetano@truecolours.it www.truecolours.it