In coordination with the second weekend of the New York Baltic Film Festival (NYBFF) as a virtual event, ASF & NYBFF present a Virtual Film Panel with the three Baltic directors featured in the STRESS & RELEASE Baltic Thrillers Showcase: Vallo Toomla from Pretenders /Teesklejad; Jānis Nords from Foam at the Mouth /Ar putām uz lūpām; and Ignas Jonynas from Invisible /Nematoma, moderated by Maria Reinup. The panelists will discuss the making of their films, as well as contemporary Baltic cinema today.

Session passes to NYBFF: STRESS & RELEASE are available here.

This film panel will take place as a YouTube Premiere video; watch it here in the link below then, or follow the link to watch and chat with us during the event on YouTube.

Ignas Jonynas studied Theatre and TV directing studies at Lithuania Academy of Music and Theatre (LMTA) . Has been working in film & theatre since 1993. In 2003wrote and directed SUNDAY AS IT IS -40 minutes feature which was screened at a number of film festivals. His short THE DANCING WORM won the Audience Award at the Circuitto of Venice International Short Film Festival in 2007 and the Best Photography Award at Luciana Film Festival. The first feature full-length film of Ignas as a writer and director THE GAMBLER had its World premiere at 61st San Sebastian Film Festival (New Directors) and was screened at more than 40 festivals and countries around the world. The film won the Special Jury Award at the 29th Warsaw Film Festival, 6 Silver Crane Awards in Lithuania (including Best Film Award), as well was awarded at 9th L’Europe Autour de l’Europe – Arthouse Film Festival of Paris, France (Prix Sauvage Competition, Special Jury Award and Prix Luna for Best Film) and 30th Festroia International Film Festival of Setúbal (Silver Dolphins for Best Script and Best Actor). Ignas Jonynas has also directed numerous plays at the theatres.

Maria Reinup is a veteran film programmer who has been working in the film industry for the past decade. Reinup began with festival event management and shorts programming during her time in film school. She served as Director of the Haapsalu Horror and Fantasy Film Festival, the only genre film festival in the Baltics, for seven years. She programmed Black Nights Film Festival, the only A-list art house festival in Northern Europe and helmed What The Fest!? in New York as a Creative Director.

Over the years, she worked for notable film festivals like Fantasia and SXSW and has produced and directed short films and music videos. Having also worked on Hollywood films, she has now hidden away into the depth of mystical Estonia, writing her first feature film.