The 9th Annual New York Baltic Film Festival (NYBFF) presented by Scandinavia House: The Nordic Center in America returns this November continuing its tradition of bringing the best new films from the Baltic region to New York audiences!
On Sunday, November 8 at 2 PM, see director Ignas Jonynas’ gripping thriller Borderline (Sienna). Lead actor Šarūnas Zenkevičius and producer Martynas Mickėnas will be present for a film talk and Q&A.
After his wife’s death, mourning 40-year-old ornithologist Vilius (Šarūnas Zenkevičius) is left alone to look after his daughter, Urte. Driving home one day, he accidentally hits a group of smugglers evading border control guards. Impressed by the bird-tracking GPS in Vilius’ car, the criminals offer him a job—and seduced by the high pay and an escape from his daily struggles, Vilius agrees. Soon he begins tracking smuggled goods across the border, rather than migrating birds. But then one day a smuggler assigned to watch his house attacks Urte, placing Vilius in an impossible situation. When he receives his next job, he must make sure it won’t be his last.
Borderline was awarded Best Baltic Film at the PÖFF (Tallinn Black Nights) in 2025, and actor Šarūnas Zenkevičius received the European Shooting Star at Berlinale (2025) and Best Actor for Borderline at Lithuania’s Silver Crane Awards (2026).
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
Šarūnas Zenkevičius, one of Europe’s rising stars. Recognized as one of the continent’s top emerging actors, Zenkevičius was selected for the 28th edition of European Shooting Stars, an initiative by EFP, that highlights ten standout talents each year. The Lithuanian actor has already made a name for himself on the global festival circuit. His previous work includes roles in Cannes-premiering Frost (2017) and Venice-selected The Flood Won’t Come (2020). In Borderline, Zenkevičius takes on the main role his gripping performance has impressed the Shooting Stars jury, who praised his ability to build tension with restraint: “While the intensity rises in the film, he keeps all that tension inside him, without bursting. It’s very easy to be melodramatic, which he avoids. Instead, he contains all the energy, and he is like a bomb that is waiting to explode.” With his growing list of international credits and his ability to deliver deeply nuanced performances, Zenkevičius is fast becoming one of our region most compelling screen talents.
Martynas Mickėnas is Lithuanian producer with more than 20 years of experience. Together with Rūta, Martynas runs Baltic Productions, a feature film and creative documentary production company known for its authentic cinematic aesthetic. The company produces original content and co-produces films with both local and foreign directors. Martynas Mickėnas is a major shareholder of KINO STUDIJA, Lithuania’s primary film studio and one of the country’s largest film service providers. This facility offers staging and post-production space designed to accommodate major feature films and high-end television projects.