The Baltic Shorts Residency invites film directors and scriptwriters to submit their latest short film projects.
The 7th edition will take place from May 18 to June 4 at a new location – Trakų Vokė Manor, one of the most impressive architectural ensembles in the Vilnius region.
Submissions are accepted until the 29th of March. Register here!
Eligible applicants are film directors and screenwriters who are citizens or residents of Lithuania, Latvia, or Estonia and who have previously completed at least one short film. Applicants must be developing a new short film project in fiction, animation, or a hybrid form.
Projects must
Participants selected for the Baltic Shorts Residency are required to submit their projects to the 14th edition of the Baltic Pitching Forum, the leading Baltic short film industry event, which will take place in Vilnius in October.
Full regulations available here. (PDF)
Each year, the Baltic Shorts Residency selects three filmmakers from each Baltic country to develop their short film scripts under the guidance of script consultant Anna Ciennik. With many years of experience as a scriptwriting expert, Anna Ciennik has worked with such significant international film industry events and programs: Cannes Film Festival’s "La Résidence du Festival de Cannes", the Locarno Film Festival’s “Locarno Residency” program, the international film training program “Torino Film Lab”, and the “European Short Pitch” program for the development of European short film projects. She also works on feature films as a co-writer or consultant.
The Baltic Shorts Residency remains the only short film scriptwriting residency in the Baltic region dedicated to strengthening screenwriting skills and enhancing filmmakers’ international visibility. Of the 16 projects developed during the Residency, 11 were selected for the Baltic Pitching Forum with five receiving its main awards. Seven projects have already been completed, and four have secured production funding.
Residency alumni continue to gain international recognition. In 2024, Lithuanian director Martynas Norvaišas presented his project Suez at the ShorTO Film Market following an invitation received at the Baltic Pitching Forum. Skin of a Mandarin by Jaanika Arum, developed during the 2020 edition of the Residency, premiered in the PÖFF Shorts programme of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. Latvian director Tīna Zariņa premiered her short film Limo at the Riga International Film Festival, while The Trip by Jorūnė Greičiūtė was presented to Lithuanian audiences at Kino Pavasaris.
The Baltic Shorts Residency is organised by Lithuanian Shorts with the support of the Lithuanian Council for Culture. The project is sponsored by the Vilnius City Municipality. Partners: Trakų Vokė Manor, PÖFF Shorts (Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival), Riga International Film Festival, Riga International Short Film Festival 2ANNAS and Latvian Short Film Agency.