Making its NYC Premiere at the New York Baltic Film Festival, Summer Survivors /Išgyventi vasarą will be followed by a Q&A with director Marija Kavtaradzė, moderated by Lukas Brasiskis.

Indre is an ambitious young psychologist, keen to get ahead at the psychiatric unit where she works. In exchange for research privileges at the clinic, she reluctantly agrees to accompany two patients cross-country as they travel to another unit located in a seaside town. Indre quickly finds herself the leader of a rather disparate group: whereas the outgoing Paulius suffers from bipolar disorder, prone to manic mood swings, the introverted Juste’s wounds are more hidden from sight. But as they navigate through the journey, their internal struggles prove increasingly similar, and what would appear to be a carefree summer trip with friends could actually be the beginning of a meaningful healing process. Summer Survivors is a refreshing, if bittersweet story that — just like the start of every summer — is full of hopes, surprises, and the promise that anything is possible. Directed by Marija Kavtaradzė (Lithuania, 2018)

Born in 1991, film director and scriptwriter Marija Kavtaradzė graduated from the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre in 2014. One of her latest short fiction films, I’m Twenty Something (2014), won Best Student Film at the Lithuanian Film Academy Awards in 2015. Kavtaradzė also co-wrote the feature film The Saint, directed by Andrius Blazevicius, which premiered at Busan IFF and played at the Warsaw ISFF in 2016, going on to have a very successful theatrical run in Lithuania in 2017. Kavtaradze received support from the Lithuanian Film Centre for her debut feature film Summer Survivors.

.

Festivals and Awards:
Toronto International Film Festival, Discovery section
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (Best Baltic Film)
Vilnius International Film Festival: (Audience Award Best Lithuanian Film & Best Actor (Paulius Markevičius))
Lecce European Film Festival (Audience Award)
Reykjavik International Film Festival
Lubeck Nordic Film Days
Riviera International Film Festival (Sky Special Award)

ASF is pleased to co-present the second New York Baltic Film Festival at Scandinavia House with motion pictures from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. This year’s programming encompasses the theme of togetherness: on a personal level as well as in relationships and family history, and through the cooperation of various Baltic co-productions. It also shines through in films attempting to incorporate difficult or previously untold stories into contemporary national consciousness.

Coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the Baltic Way — when over 2 million people stood together in human chain linking the 3 capitals of Talllinn, Riga and Vilnius to peacefully call for their independence from the Soviet Union — this year’s festival aims to highlight the diversity of stories that make up the Baltic States. As a chain is made up of links, so a nation is made up of stories.

The 2019 New York Baltic Film Festival is presented by Scandinavia House and organized by the Consulate General of Estonia, Consulate General of Lithuania and Consulate of Latvia in New York. Programming is supported by the Estonian Film Institute, National Film Center of Latvia, and Lithuanian Film Center. Funding for the festival is courtesy of the governments of the Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and by the generous donations of members of the Baltic community in New York. Additional support to the festival is provided by the Lithuanian Culture Institute, and the American Scandinavian Foundation.