Very soon, Vilnius will become the center of the European film map – on April 4-6, the European Film Academy (Academy) Council meeting, held for the first time in Lithuania. This is an exceptional opportunity not only for the capital, but also for the entire Lithuanian film community - the honor of hosting one of the most important European film institutions here demonstrates the growing visibility and importance of our region in the international film industry.
18 Academy Council members representing 15 different European regions, Academy Director General Matthijs Wouter Knol, Academy Executive Director Jürgen Biesinger, as well as members of the European Film Awards Selection Committee, who have already started the first stage of the 2025 selection process, will arrive in Vilnius. The Council meeting will address current organizational issues, including the selection of films for the prestigious European Film Awards and the planning of the upcoming awards event.
Matthijs Wouter Knol, head of the European Film Academy, notes: "Choosing Vilnius as the city where the Academy Council will meet was easy. In recent years, Lithuania's importance on the European film map has grown significantly: films such as Saulės Bliuvaitė AKIPLĖŠA, nominated for the European Film Award 2024, as well as the abundance of talent living and creating here and the attractive filming locations. We see that support for cinema in Lithuania is bearing fruit. After visiting Vilnius last November during the European Film Festival Scanorama"It's a real pleasure to be back here so soon. We look forward to making new connections."
Among the members of the Council of the European Film Academy that will gather in Vilnius are the most important figures of the European film industry: Irish producer Mike Downey, who serves as the President of the Academy Council, Ada Solomon – one of the most famous Romanian producers, whose works (CHILD'S POSITION, FAILURE TO DUST OR NAUGHTY PORNO) have twice won awards at the Berlin Film Festival, and Giorgos Karnavas – one of the most active Greek film producers (TRIANGLE OF SADNESS, MARIA), who heads the company "Heretic". Also participating will be Hanka Kastelicová, Head of the Documentary Department of "HBO Europe", Danish film industry representative Tine Klint Jensen, one of the founders of the prestigious film sales agency "LevelK", French actress Guslagie Malanda, who became famous in international cinema for her role as Alice Diop in the Venice award-winning film SAINT OMERA; and Leontine Petit, producer of one of the most active Dutch film production companies "Lemming Film". Also visiting Vilnius will be internationally recognized German actress and director Maria Schrader, who won an "Emmy" for the series "
UNORTHODOX and directed the film I'M YOUR MAN, which became Germany's Oscar nominee.
It is important to mention that from 2024, the Council of the European Film Academy will have a representative from the Baltic States for the first time – producer Marija Razgutė (TU MAN NIEKO NEPRIMENI), founder of the film company M-Films, whose films are presented at major international festivals, was elected for the 2024-2025 term.
A special networking event will also take place during this visit. event, which will bring together the Council of the European Film Academy and representatives and decision-makers of the Lithuanian film industry. This will be a great opportunity to establish new contacts, share experiences and present the potential of the Lithuanian film industry in a wider international context. This meeting is another step in strengthening Lithuania's position as an active and ambitious European film country.
