Baltic Sea Docs Pitch Getting Closer

I am sitting here on the 11th floor of the Albert Hotel in Riga, where the Baltic Sea Docs, edition 21 is taking place. The filmmakers have been preparing their presentation since wednesday, many trailers and verbal texts have been changed, it is very intense and yet a relaxed, non-hysterical atmosphere. There is nothing better than helping each other… after quite many years this is my experience with the documentary community. They do so.Tomorrow and sunday it’s show time. 24 projects are to be pitched to a panel of so-called decision makers: 7 minutes of presentation and 7 minutes of feedback followed by individual meetings.

On the photo you see one of the pitching teams, Latvian Marta Bite, Ivars Zviedris and Haralds Ozols. Their project is called ”The Smugglers”, takes place at the border of Russia and Latvia, where Vietnamese people come to Latvia, with the help of local people, hoping to have a better life there or in another Western country. The filmmakers have been filming for one year, will continue for another year to make this film about a small community, where you survive through breaking the law. The material shown is very promising and for those who remember Ivars Zviedris brilliant ”The Documentarian”… you can only have high expectations.

http://balticseadocs.lv/ 

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Tue Steen Müller
Tue Steen Müller

Müller, Tue Steen
Documentary Consultant and Critic, DENMARK

Worked with documentary films for more than 20 years at the Danish Film Board, as press officer, festival representative and film consultant/commissioner. Co-founder of Balticum Film and TV Festival, Filmkontakt Nord, Documentary of the EU and EDN (European Documentary Network).
Awards: 2004 the Danish Roos Prize for his contribution to the Danish and European documentary culture. 2006 an award for promoting Portuguese documentaries. 2014 he received the EDN Award “for an outstanding contribution to the development of the European documentary culture”. 2016 The Cross of the Knight of the Order for Merits to Lithuania. 2019 a Big Stamp at the 15th edition of ZagrebDox. 2021 receipt of the highest state decoration, Order of the Three Stars, Fourth Class, for the significant contribution to the development and promotion of Latvian documentary cinema outside Latvia. In 2022 he received an honorary award at DocsBarcelona’s 25th edition having served as organizer and programmer since the start of the festival.
From 1996 until 2005 he was the first director of EDN (European Documentary Network). From 2006 a freelance consultant and teacher in workshops like Ex Oriente, DocsBarcelona, Archidoc, Documentary Campus, Storydoc, Baltic Sea Forum, Black Sea DocStories, Caucadoc, CinéDOC Tbilisi, Docudays Kiev, Dealing With the Past Sarajevo FF as well as programme consultant for the festivals Magnificent7 in Belgrade, DOCSBarcelona, Verzio Budapest, Message2Man in St. Petersburg and DOKLeipzig. Teaches at the Zelig Documentary School in Bolzano Italy.

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