From “Stranger Things” to “Concrete Music”: Vytautas Riabovas on Locations That Shape Cinema
Some professions permanently change the way you see a city. For a location manager, a building is never just a building, an abandoned factory is not necessarily a ruin, and a place whose owner says, “You won’t find anything interesting here,” may turn out to be exactly what a film crew has been searching for […]
“Becoming” – From Vilnius to Kazakhstan: Co-producer Brigita Beniušytė on the Film’s Journey and Challenges
There are things in cinema that the audience is never supposed to notice. That actors travelled across several countries for just a few minutes on screen. That a single cancelled flight late at night could throw four days of work into disarray. That in a scene that looks like the height of summer, the actresses […]
A Story That Waited for Its Time: Director Ernestas Jankauskas on The Queen of England Stole My Parents, Where Imagination Becomes Stronger Than Reality
Some stories come to life quickly, while others patiently wait for the right moment. Director Ernestas Jankauskas’ family feature film The Queen of England Stole My Parents has been making its way to the big screen for more than a decade – from an award-winning short film that received the Lithuanian Silver Crane Award to […]
Vilnius Inspires a New British Crime Drama: The Creators of ‘An Impossible Way to Die’ on Filming in Lithuania
What makes a crime series stand out in a genre where it seems every story has already been told? Why are more international productions choosing Vilnius, with the city’s real location becoming not just backdrops, but an integral part of the story itself? We spoke with Amber Howorth, producer of the new six-part British crime […]
“Holy Destructors”: Director Aistė Žegulytė on Microfungi, Loss and a Life That Never Truly Ends
What do church painting restorers and microscopic fungi have in common? Why does decay not necessarily mean an ending, and how can death become a story about the continuity of life? These are the questions explored in director Aistė Žegulytė’s documentary Holy Destructors, which has received international acclaim and travelled to numerous film festivals around […]
“Hold Me Closer” Is About More Than Love – It Is Also About Freedom: Screenwriter Birutė Kapustinskaitė on Codependency, Closeness and Relationships
What happens when the desire to be close to someone collides with the fear of losing yourself? Is it possible to preserve a relationship when, in the process, you begin to lose who you are? These are the questions explored in the feature film Hold Me Closer, currently in production, written by playwright and screenwriter […]
From an Abandoned School in Alytus to Cannes: Director Arnas Balčiūnas on Class Photo
This year, the short film Class Photo by young Lithuanian director Arnas Balčiūnas premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. Created as a master’s graduation project at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre’s National Film School, the film was selected for the prestigious Cannes Critics’ Week and competed alongside short films from around the world. […]
Exclusive “Star City” Screening Held in Vilnius: First Episodes Presented to Industry
On May 30th, an exclusive screening of Apple TV’s international series “Star City” took place at Apollo Cinema in Vilnius. Members of the film industry community were invited to attend a special screening of the first two episodes of the series, both filmed in Vilnius. “Star City” is a new Apple TV series produced by […]
“Silver Crane” Awards Presented: What Picture of Lithuanian Cinema Do We See This Year?
With this year’s Silver Crane Awards winners now announced, the broader picture of recent Lithuanian cinema is becoming clearer as well. This year’s awards revealed not only the standout films and creators, but also wider industry trends – a growing diversity of genres, strengthening international co-productions, and the increasing visibility of Lithuanian cinema abroad. We […]
“Silver Crane” – A Celebration and a Mirror of the Industry: Laimonas Ubavičius and Darius Vaitiekūnas on the Significance of Lithuania’s National Film Awards
Every year, the Lithuanian National Film Awards “Silver Crane” bring together the country’s film community and become one of the most important cinematic events of the year.