Cinematic Venues in Vilnius: the Lithuanian Writers’ Union Building and the Most Beautiful Staircase in the City
The premises of the Lithuanian Writers’ Union, located on A. Sirvydo Street, is one of the most beautiful palaces in Vilnius. The building’s walls bear witness to the history of Vilnius literature, both during the Soviet era and independence times. For decades, writers lived and composed their stories here, a hotel operated, and various artists […]
Intimacy coordinator, director I. Pužauskaitė: we need so little to make people feel good on the movie set
Irma Pužauskaitė is a filmmaker and the director of the film “The Ninth Step”, which was recently screened in cinemas. Not everyone knows that Irma is also an intimacy coordinator. In other words, she helps to ensure that certain boundaries are not crossed during the shooting of intimate scenes. One of the first intimacy coordinators […]
Foley artist D. Adomaityte: how the body becomes an instrument
Foley artists, otherwise known as sync noise makers, are people who create sounds for motion pictures, animation and documentaries. It is they who, using various objects and their bodies, voice not only characters’ actions—blows, the sounds of clashing weapons, footsteps, or the rustling of clothes—but also natural phenomena, like rain or flickering flames. “Breaking celery […]
The Tallinn Black Nights Flim Festival begins: Conversation With the Programmer, Edvinas Pukšta
On November 3rd, the most important film event in Northern Europe began: the Tallinn Black Nights Flim Festival. In just over two weeks, many important film premieres will take place, cinema industry professionals and film creative teams from all over the world will congregate in the capital of Estonia. Lithuanian film critic and film scout Edvinas Pukšta also contributed to the program compilation of the only A-class festival in Northern Europe. At the beginning of “Black Nights”, he agreed to tell the Vilnius Film Office a few interesting details about the backstage of international festivals, the Baltic countries’ cinema scene and what makes films successful.
Costume designer Rūta Lečaitė: If I work on a film project, I fall in love with it
Rūta Lėčaitė is a costume designer who worked on such films as “Vesper”, “Runner”, “Chernobyl”, “Parade”, “The Generation of Evil” and “Nova Lituania”. This year, In Lithuania the artist was nominated for the “Silver Crane” award for the costumes in the motion picture “January” and in Latvia she won an award in the same category. We meet with Rūta in her studio, where, among many costumes and accessories, work is in full swing for a new film project. She opens up to us about the everyday life of a costume designer and shares her thoughts on the changing film industry in a conversation initiated by the Vilnius Film Office. Rūta, let’s start from the beginning: how did you discover cinema, and why did you choose this particular career path?
Daiva Jurkonytė: when you need a lawyer on the movie set
Daiva Jurkonytė is a lawyer with 14 years of experience in working with audiovisual authors and the organizer of the “Filmo teisių lagaminas“ (“Film rights luggage”) conference; she also conducts training sessions for film professionals and students. In an interview initiated by the Vilnius Film Office, Daiva talks about the daily routine of her work, the most common legal conflicts, and how to avoid them.
Algimantas Puipa on His Latest Surrealist Film In the Making: “I feel safe in my fantasies”
Until mid-October, “Midnight Session”, the latest film by Lithuanian film director Algimantas Puipa, will be shot in Vilnius. Inspired by the writer Jaroslav Melnik’s work, the film will transport the audience to a surreal world, floating between dreams and reality. In a conversation with Puipa initiated by the Vilnius Film Office, we talk about the […]
Creative dou: director Marija Kavtaradze and producer Marija Razgute tell us about the collaboration lessons learned and upcoming premiere
After traveling to many festivals around the world, the romantic film “Slow” is coming back home. Lithuanian cinema-goers will finally have the chance to watch it in cinema theaters. The film’s story centers on the relationship between a contemporary dance performer and a sign language interpreter, which is profoundly changed by the protagonist’s confession of […]
Cinematic locations of Vilnius: the Incredibly Versatile Lukiškės Prison
The Lukiškės prison, a historical building with a complicated history, today is one of the most visited points of interest in Vilnius. It serves as a multifunctional venue, where film screenings, concerts and guided tours take place. No wonder it attracts Vilnius’ culture vultures as well as local and foreign filmmakers. The prison appeared in […]
World-famous location scout L. Balton tells about 30 years in the film industry and her Lithuanian roots
Lori Balton is a location scout and manager who scouts for film locations all around the world. A true professional, with over 30 years of experience in the film industry, she has helped to find impressive scene locations for film directors like Scorsese, Tarantino, Aranofsky and Spielberg, and such world-renowned films as “Once Upon a […]
