Join us for an afternoon of BALTIC SHORTS on Saturday, November 7 in NYBFF 2026!The 9th Annual New York Baltic Film Festival (NYBFF) presented by Scandinavia House: The Nordic Center in America returns this November, bringing the best new films from the Baltic region to New York audiences. In today's program, we'll present contemporary live-action short films from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗬 (𝗢𝗺𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗮) | Dir. Ieva Ozolina
6 min. In Latvian with English subtitles (Latvia, 2026)
Pickles, sweet tea, strawberries and a warm smile. This is how we are greeted by director Ieva Ozoliņa’s grandmother, Aina—an 88-year-young woman. Health concerns and medication, which she jokingly calls “narcotics,” have become inseparable parts of her everyday life. Yet Aina’s outlook on life is surprisingly light: there is no shortage of understanding, humor, or ability to laugh at herself and the world around her. The five phrases she uses most often are her keys to a life lived to its fullest.
𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗧𝗘 𝗞𝗜𝗗𝗦 (𝗕𝗲𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗼 𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗸𝗮𝗶) | Dir. Saulius Baradinskas
20 min. In Lithuanian with English subtitles (Lithuania, 2026)
This short film tells the story of kids who grew up in the courtyards of the Soviet apartment district of Lithuania. Lacking the attention and love of their parents, they needed to survive and free themselves from the violence in the streets every single day.
𝗠𝗬 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗦𝗧 𝗙𝗨𝗡𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗟 (𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝘀 𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗺𝗮̄𝘀 𝗯𝗲̄𝗿𝗲𝘀) | Dir. Līva Klepere
15 min. In Latvian with English subtitles (Latvia, 20260
Mare looks at the world with wonder and curiosity. When her family gathers to mourn a recently deceased relative, the eight-year-old girl finds herself in an unfamiliar world, filled with dark clothing, unknown traditions and incomprehensible emotions. The more she sees, the less it makes sense to her. She opts instead for the company of her relative’s dog, hiding in a pleasantly simple, imagined reality.
𝗔 𝗠𝗜𝗖𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗗 (𝗠𝗶𝗸𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗲𝗮𝘀) | Dir. Robert Raska Ly
12:44 min. In Estonian with English subtitles (Estonia, 2025)
Hilja discovers that Joonas, who died in a car accident, is able to contact her through a haunted karaoke microphone. To move on to the afterlife, Joonas asks his heartbroken fiancée to visit his mother and deliver a final message—that he is gay.
𝗦𝗜𝗚𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗣𝗔𝗧𝗛 (𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗼 𝗸𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗮𝘀) | Dir. Eglė Razumaitė
20 min. In Lithuanian/German/English with English subtitles (Lithuania/Germany, 2026)
Liepa and her daughter move to Germany in search of a fresh start, but soon have to deal with her family’s disapproval and the challenges of metropolitan life. Director Eglė Razumaitė states: “My intention with this short film was to highlight the shift in the sex industry and to ask: How do we redefine prostitution on screen? Despite societies moving toward legal and political recognition of sex workers, we still tend to stigmatize, discriminate against, and violate their rights.”
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𝗧𝗜𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚
𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 & 𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀: https://go.amscan.org/NYBFF2026
𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀 ($15/$10 ASF Members) *All Films Except Opening Night
𝗜𝗻-𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘀 ($125/$95 ASF Members) grants access to all in-person screenings at Scandinavia House except the Opening Night.
𝗩𝗜𝗣 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘀 ($425) grants access to all in-person and virtual screenings, two Opening Night tickets, six additional in-person screening tickets for a guest, an NYBFF mug and a personal acknowledgment on the NYBFF website.
𝟱-𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗺 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗮𝗴𝗲 ($65/$45 ASF Members) grants access to five screenings.
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𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗬𝗢𝗥𝗞 𝗕𝗔𝗟𝗧𝗜𝗖 𝗙𝗜𝗟𝗠 𝗙𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗔𝗟
Established in 2018, the New York Baltic Film Festival is presented and organized by Scandinavia House in collaboration with the Embassy of Estonia to the U.S., Consulate General of Lithuania in NYC, Permanent Mission of Latvia to the United Nations in New York, and Honorary Consulate of Latvia in Vermont. Generous support has been provided by Edhard Corporation. Other financial support for the festival comes from the Estonian Film Institute, National Film Center of Latvia, and Lithuanian Film Center, with additional sponsorship by the American-Scandinavian Foundation, American Latvian Association, Estonian Ministry of Culture, Estonian American National Council (EKRÜ), World Federation of Free Latvians (PBLA), Honorary Consulate General of Latvia in New York, Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA).
Event venue
58 Park Ave, New York, NY, United States, New York 10016
Tickets
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