The Fourth Annual New York Baltic Film Festival (NYBFF) presented by Scandinavia House: The Nordic Center in America returns in 2021 as a hybrid festival with both in-person and virtual screenings on November 3-14! From November 3 through 7, in-person screenings and events will take place at Scandinavia House in New York, presented in accordance with new COVID-19 safety guidance and protocols. Following the success of last year’s festival, the online version will once again be available to viewers all across the U.S. via the Elevent streaming platform November 3-14.
On November 6, see Wild East (Kur vedīs ceļš, dir. Matīss Kaža, Latvia, 2021, Narrative). Eva is a 16-year-old aristocratic orphan living under the tutelage of the Baron, a local landowner in rural Latvia in the late 19th century. The Baron schemes to lay his hands on Eva’s family inheritance by marrying her off, but Eva has different plans and won’t let her free spirit be tied down, escaping on the day of her arranged wedding. Determined to track her down, the Baron sends a search party after her — at the same time, there is a murder investigation underway at the manor and everyone is a suspect! Thus starts a long journey on horseback through wild landscapes in director Matīss Kaža’s colorful and thrilling first Latvian Western. Will Eva manage to escape? Will her shotgun skills and her new-found love protect her?
Tickets to this event must be purchased in advance online at the link above; film screenings will take place in Victor Borge Hall. All attendees are required to present proof of vaccination upon arrival in compliance with New York State government; read more here. Attendees are required to follow all Scandinavia House safety protocols, including wearing masks during the program and observing social distancing rules in signage. Please read our full safety protocols here.
Virtual screenings of this film will take place from November 7-14. To read more and purchase virtual passes, please click here.
About the Director
Matīss Kaža (b. 1995) is a Latvian director, writer and producer. He holds a degree in Film & TV from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. He directed the award-winning documentary ONE TICKET PLEASE (2017) as a student, and has been working on both fiction and documentary films ever since.
Believing that one debut film is not enough, Kaža is set to release three feature films in the near future, beginning with the first Latvian western WILD EAST (2021), followed by the youth drama NEON SPRING (2022) and the comedy THE TASTE OF WATER (2022). As a producer, he is working on several projects, including Linda Olte’s debut SISTERS (2022), and the next animated feature by Annecy-winner Gints Zilbalodis (AWAY).
About NYBFF
Established in 2018, the New York Baltic Film Festival is presented and organized by Scandinavia House in collaboration with the Consulate General of Estonia, Consulate General of Lithuania, and Permanent Mission of Latvia to the United Nations in New York.
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 Lithuanian Culture Institute, American Latvian Association, LV-100, Printful, PBLA Culture Fund and the Lithuanian Foundation and the Embassy of Latvia in Washington DC.
Organizers & Sponsors
