Baltic Sea Docs set to begin this week, gathering 26 projects

The 29th edition of Baltic Sea Docs, the long-running documentary co-production forum in Riga, is set to run from 31 August to 5 September. The forum will feature 26 documentary projects within its industry programme, alongside film screenings for audiences in Riga and multiple regional towns.

Originating in Denmark and, since 2006, organized by the National Film Centre of Latvia, Baltic Sea Docs has served as a documentary hub in the region for nearly 30 years. The forum is dedicated to showcasing feature-length creative documentary projects that originate from, or focus on, the wider Baltic Sea region, Eastern Europe, and the Caucasus.

“​​We are delighted to witness the continuous growth of the forum, both in its international reach, through attending guests and decision-makers, and in the increasing interest from observers, which is especially strong this year,” says Zane Balčus, Baltic Sea Docs manager. “We look forward to welcoming both established filmmakers – including Audrius Stonys, Elwira Niewiera, Ivan Sautkin – and strong emerging talent to Riga to present their new projects. Also, this year, we are proud to host the highest number of partners’ awards, a wonderful sign of collaboration and mutual support, and above all, a source of new opportunities for filmmakers.”

This year’s forum line-up includes 22 new projects in development and production, and four returning projects in post-production, representing 14 countries altogether. Returning teams in the ‘Coming Soon’ section seek festival partnerships and sales agents, while new projects benefit from intensive training and potential financing partners. The selection features a strong presence from the Baltic states, alongside projects from Ukraine, Finland, Poland, and other countries in the region.

Ahead of the pitching sessions, project teams will take part in a preparatory workshop led by documentary consultants Tue Steen Müller and Mikael Opstrup (Denmark). The tutor team also includes directors Salomé Jashi (Georgia) and Mia Halme (Finland), producer Darya Bassel (Ukraine), sales agent Liselot Verbrugge (the Netherlands), and editor Phil Jandaly (Sweden).

On 4–5 September, the projects will be pitched to a panel of decision-makers, including representatives of sales companies (e.g. Lightdox, Rise and Shine, Dogwoof, CAT&Docs); broadcasters (NHK, TG4, ZDF/Arte, TV3, SWR, Suspilne, LRT); film festivals (PÖFF, goEast FF, EBS International DOC FF, IDFA, Thessaloniki IDFF,); and production companies (Corso Films, Éclipse Film, Tanjo Films), among others, followed by one-to-one meetings.

As the forum continues collaboration with notable industry partners, projects presented at Baltic Sea Docs can receive various awards, ranging from post-production services to expert consultancy sessions, and accreditations at leading forums and festivals such as IDFA, Sheffield DocFest, DOK.forum Munich, East Doc Platform, and Movies That Matter. Additional awards include the BBposthouse Award (€3,000 in post-production services) and the TV3 Group Award, offering a broadcast slot on TV3 channels and TV3 Play, as well as Baltic Sea Docs consultancy award.

In collaboration with Baltic Creative Europe MEDIA Desks and Association Avantis, Baltic Sea Docs will host the seminar “Factual Content for Young Audiences – Challenges and Opportunities” on 3 September. Filmmaker Sigrid Klausmann (Germany) will share her experience creating documentaries specifically for young viewers, while Róisín Ní Thuairisg (TG4, Ireland) will discuss strategies to reach young audiences through social network campaigns. From the US, Johnny Ramos and Jesse Perez Antigua (DCTV) will present their work with youth and media, followed by a panel debate on engaging young audiences across platforms.

Baltic Sea Docs film programme will open on 2 September at Riga’s Splendid Palace with Dmytro Hreshko’s “Divia” (2025), an observational film on environmental destruction during the Russian full scale invasion of Ukraine, which was pitched at Baltic Sea Docs in 2023. The film programme will also feature previous Baltic Sea Docs projects “9-Month Contract” (2025, Human:Rights award at CPH:DOX) by Ketevan Vashagashvili, “Letters from Wolf Street” (2025, premiered at Berlinale) by Arjun Talwar and “On Sacred and Profane” by Giedrė Beinoriūtė, among other titles.

Baltic Sea Docs is organized by the National Film Centre of Latvia and supported by the Creative Europe MEDIA programme and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia. More information about the participating film projects and the full programme is available on the Baltic Sea Docs website: http://balticseadocs.lv/.