In 2025, New Nordic Films will focus on co-productions with the Baltics, aiming to promote collaboration and co-production opportunities between the Baltic and the Nordic countries.
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Flood by Jorūnė Greičiūtė (NCPM 2025 Lithuanian project)
From August 19th – 22nd 2025, New Nordic Films, in partnership with the Estonian Film Institute, National Film Centre of Latvia and the Lithuanian Film Centre, will host a delegation from the Baltic film industry to participate in a Baltic Focus-program of activities. This will include discussion panels, case studies on co-production between the Baltics and the Nordics, and networking events.
– We are so excited about our Focus on the Baltic countries. Our aim is to unite the Baltic and Nordic film industries and contribute to a mutual discovery of the amazing talents in both areas. We believe our focus will lead to increased awareness, co-productions, and collaboration in the years to come, Head of New Nordic Films Gyda Velvin Myklebust says.
The following six Baltic projects and their directors and producers are selected to participate in the Nordic Co-production Market in Haugesund in 2025:
It is a Milestone
– The Baltic Focus is a welcome and exciting initiative, reflecting the natural closeness between our regions – culturally and geographically. For Lithuania it’s a chance to deepen long-standing creative relationships with trusted Nordic partners while highlighting the unique advantages we bring to international collaborations, including flexible funding tools and a growing talent base. The increasing success of joint projects like The Visitor demonstrates how this regional kinship fosters bold, distinctive cinema. We also see this as an opportunity to exchange valuable expertise – particularly in areas like sustainable filmmaking – and to strengthen a collaborative ecosystem that benefits both sides, Jana Mikulevic, Head of Promotion at the Lithuanian Film Centre says.
– The Baltic Focus is not just an ordinary programme – it is a milestone. An affirmation that the creative exchange and artistic alliance between the Baltics and Nordics is evolving into something deeper, more strategic, and enduring, Edith Sepp, Head of Estonian Film Institute says.
– Estonia enters this dialogue with a distinctive voice: agile producers, bold storytellers, and a unique cinematic language rooted in introspection, and quiet strength, but also formed through emotional precision. As the Estonian Film Institute, we are committed to cultivating that voice – through thoughtful funding, international partnerships, and long-term capacity building. We see this initiative not only as an opportunity to co-produce films in the future, but also more broadly, to co-author a shared cultural presence in European cinema, she continues.
– We’re especially grateful to highlight this Baltic focus, as co-productions between Latvia and the Nordic countries over the past 30 years have been relatively few. Still, some strong collaborations have emerged. One of the most notable is the animated documentary My Favorite War by Ilze Burkovska-Jakobsen, winner of the Contrechamp Award at Annecy in 2020. Another is the fiction film Solomamma, with Latvia as a minority co-producer, set to compete at this year’s Locarno Film Festival Dita Rietuma, director of the National Film Centre of Latvia says.
– A long-standing partnership between Latvian studio VFS Films (producer Uldis Cekulis) and Norwegian producer Morten Traavik has also yielded remarkable work, including Liberation Day (2016) and North South Man Woman (2025), which premiered at Sheffield DocFest. These kinds of collaborations require trust, commitment, and time, and while still rare, they are deeply valued. Encouragingly, opportunities for new connections are growing. We look forward to strengthening our collaboration with the Nordic countries, Rietuma continues.
Bridging the Nordic and Baltic Industries
The goals of Baltic Focus are to build a stronger bridge between the Baltic and Nordic film industries, to facilitate and increase co-production opportunities, and to enhance industry knowledge and foster long-term collaborations.
New Nordic Films will welcome around 30 professional industry delegates from the Baltic countries, representing production companies, festivals, film funds, and distributors from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania this year.
Roundtable on Co-Production Opportunities
The Baltic Focus will provide a discussion on co-production opportunities, funding, and creative partnerships with industry experts on Thursday, August 21st, in collaboration with Estonian Film Institute, National Film Centre of Latvia, and Lithuanian Film Centre, highlighting the strengths of their countries through case studies and practical insights. This provides a unique chance to learn how to maximize the creative and financial advantages of co-producing with the Baltics. The session is ideal for producers, financiers, and creatives seeking new partnerships and production opportunities, led by moderator Wendy Mitchell.
New Nordic Films
Established in 1995, New Nordic Films is a key meeting place for everyone with a professional interest in Nordic feature films. It is an annual film market for Nordic films, and an international co-production and finance market, taking place within the Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund. The selected film projects represent a variety of genres and are chosen for their artistic quality and international potential.
Lithuanian Film Centre
The Lithuanian Film Centre is a national institution dedicated to supporting the development and international visibility of Lithuanian cinema. Its main functions include administering public funding for film production, distribution, and promotion, as well as supporting film education, heritage preservation, and international cooperation. The LFC actively participates in major film markets and festivals, fosters collaborations with European and global partners, and contributes to the strategic growth of the audiovisual sector. By facilitating professional development and creative innovation, the LFC plays a key role in strengthening the Lithuanian film industry and promoting its cultural significance globally.
Estonian Film Institute
Estonian Film Institute (EFI) is engaged in a wide spectrum of activities reaching the whole field of film. EFI funds the development, production and distribution of Estonian films, supports talent development and represents Estonian films at festivals and other cultural events.
EFI also supports minority co-production projects and manages an incentive support scheme FilmEstonia, through which film and TV production companies can receive a cash rebate of up to 30% on eligible local production spend.
National Film Centre of Latvia
The National Film Centre of Latvia is a state institution under the Ministry of Culture, playing a key role in shaping and implementing national film policy. Committed to fostering the growth and international presence of Latvian cinema, the Centre administers state budget funds allocated to the film sector. It is responsible for a broad range of functions aimed at strengthening the Latvian film industry, including funding administration, promoting industry growth and competitiveness, supporting film production and heritage promotion, and facilitating international collaboration. Through these efforts, the National Film Centre enhances the impact and global reach of Latvian cinema.
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