Vilnius International Film Festival Kino Pavasaris

For the first time in its' history "Kino Pavasaris" announces 13 Lithuanian premieres - 6 documentaries and 7 shorts.

"This is an exceptional year for cinema and "Kino Pavasaris" brings you an extraordinary opportunity to get acquainted with the best examples of Lithuanian film. 50 Lithuanian films were submitted to the jury and the audience will have the chance to see 34 of them. Unexpected plot twists drenched with personal experiences invite the viewer to the feel, discover and rejoice", - says the programme director of the Lithuanian film section at "Kino Pavasaris" Justė Zavišaitė.

For the second year running festival jury, including Lina Kaminskaitė-Jančorienė, Laima Kreivytė and Renata Šukaitytė will select the Best Debut, and the viewers will be invited to vote for the Best Film from the Lithuanian Programme. The audience will be able to vote on the website www.kinopavasaris.lt.

"By selecting the Best Debut we seek to encourage all young filmmakers and spur them into action. Every year we are delighted to see directors presenting their new films and step by step developing their individual style", - says J. Zavišaitė.

"Kino Pavasaris" will be the first to present our public with Lithuanian films shown in this years' Berlin International Film Festival, the most important of them being "Barzakh" - a debut feature by Mantas Kvedaravičius. The biggest tragedy of the war aftermath in Chechnya is bereavement of the lost relatives. In order to be able to account for their grief the director spent nearly three years filming the life of one Chechen family. Throughout the short time since its release the film managed to open "DocPoints" Film Festival in Finland, and the documentary film programme in Berlin International Film Festival where it received the "Amensty International" award and a prize from the Ecumenical jury.

The second film from the Berlin International Film Festival programme "Panorama" - is the Lithuanian filmmakers' Romas Zabarauskas drama "Porno melodrama". The director speaks freely about the life of homosexuals in Lithuania, which is, in the director's own words, famously homophobic.

The viewers will have the opportunity to see the new and colourful film "Knygnešys" (dir. Jonas Trukanas). This film is the creation of young Lithuanian filmmakers studying in the UK, which will take you back to the 19th Century Lithuanian life.

„Čeburekų pardavėjai" (trans. "Pasty Sellers" dir. Tomas Bručas) story was born from the personal experience of the director, who spent two weeks in Palanga sea resort selling hot pasties on the beach. The characters in the film are his fellow co-workers and friends, some of whom remain in the pasty selling business to date. This zero budget film was created with a wish to portray the mysterious world of the pasty sellers.

"Tėvas" (trans. "Father", dir. Kristina Sereikaitė) - is the directors first short documentary film. Sereikaitė, who has graduated from Lithuanian Music and Theatre Academy Operators‘ course, portrays her own father. Forgetting that he is being filmed, the man discloses his inner world full of bitter sweet life experiences.

"Chebriarchatas" (dir. Ramunė Čekuolytė) - is a documentary film about the status quo of Independent Lithuania through the eyes of 14 most famous local artists. The film features A. Mamontovas, P. Geniušas, V. Tarasovas, R. Rastauskas, Š. Bartas all of whom had a great impact on Lithuanian culture.

"Laisvė kurti" (trans. "Freedom to create"dir. Evaldas Jansas) - regarded as the artist of the "Emission" generation by visual art critics, Jansas presents a film about creative convicts. Portraying the world from the bottom gazing upwards through the eyes of inmates, Jansas slots the viewer into situations one is usually happy to avoid and injects them with a good dose of peculiar and controversial reality.

"Aš veteranė" (tran. "I am veteran" dir. Darius Jarašūnas) - this is a short film about a veteran of the WWII in preparation for possibly the most important celebration in her life - the 9th of May - the Victory Day. It is a brave insight into the pro-Russian generation and their system of values in the context of Independent Lithuania.

The feature "2 indeliai jogurto" ("2 Pots of Yoghurt" dir. A. Mickevičius) and the short films "Kai ji vaikšto šalia" (dir. A. Navickaitė), "Pravalas" (dir. R. Marcinkus) - are emotional stories about our lives, the people we hold dear and regretful mistakes we make.
The short „Trečiadieniais" (tran. "On Wednesdays", dir. I. Javaitytė) - is a film about a grandma X, about pride, poverty and dreams.

"Tremtinės istorija, kurią ištrėmė pats tėvas" (dir. A. Blaževičius, M. Sruogius) - is a portrait of Vanda Gruodytė - a personal story, narrated by this elderly woman, who lived through a war. Disappointed many a time, the woman still tries to hold on to life: "... I sit here alive at 79, I must have adapted well."