New York, NY—The 8th Annual New York Baltic Film Festival (NYBFF) presented by Scandinavia House: The Nordic Center in America is back this November 5-16, 2025, with a mix of in-person and virtual screenings of the best new films from the Baltic region. From November 5-9, festival-goers can enjoy screenings and events at Scandinavia House in NYC. For those across the U.S., virtual screenings of select films from this year’s program as well as other special presentations will be available from November 10-16.
The full festival program has now been announced. This year’s Opening Night Celebration on Wednesday, November 5 at 6:30 PM will feature the North American Premiere of The Exalted (Cildenie, Latvia/Estonia/Greece, 2024) with a film talk by actor Juris Žagars. Latvian director Juris Kursietis’ return to cinema follows renowned organist Anna (Johanna Wokalek), whose partner Andris (Juris Zagars) is suspected of corruption. As Anna proceeds with a lavish birthday party, she must navigate moral dilemmas, false accusations, and religious uncertainty in a “bracing, sharp-toothed satire” (Wendy Ide, Screen Daily) edited by Oscar-nominated film editor Yorgos Mavropsaridis (Poor Things). The film will re-screeng Thursday, November 6 at 6 PM, also with a talk by actor Juris Žagars.
Other highlights include the New York Premiere on Saturday, November 8 of Rolling Papers (Pikad paberid, Estonia, 2024), with a film talk by director Meel Paliale. The film follows store clerk Sebastian (Mihkel Kuusk), whose monotonous life is shaken up by free-spirit Silo (Karl Birnbaum), enabling him to dream of new possibilities; winner of the Audience Award at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF), Rolling Papers is Estonia’s official entry for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards.
The closing night on Sunday, November 9 is the U.S. premiere of The Visitor (Svečias. dir. Vytautas Katkus, Lithuania/Norway/Sweden, 2025), which follows 30-year-old Danielius as he returns to his hometown to sell his parents’ flat. Praised as “an appealingly offbeat debut” (Guy Lodge, Variety) and “a cinematic meditation on solitude” (Georg Szalai, THR), The Visitor offers an unhurried, gentle journey through the comforts of nostalgia and the meaning of home; winner of Best Director at the 2025 Karlovy Vary Film Festival.
On Thursday, November 6 at 8 PM, the New York Premiere of the Estonian sci-fi parable The Black Hole with a director talk with Moonika Simets. In this absurdist, genre-blending comedic anthology set within a suburban apartment complex, three sets of residents experience otherworldly encounters after a black hole appears in their district, challenging their hopes for the future.
On Friday, November 7, NYBFF presents the North American Premiere of the gripping miniseries The Mutiny (Dumpis, dir. Andrejs Ēķis, Latvia, 2024), with a film talk with producer Dita Cimermane. Based on the true story that inspired The Hunt for Red October,The Mutiny is set in 1975 Riga, where Soviet naval officer Valery Spagin has just been appointed captain to the Storozhevoy; when he discovers military abuse, he incites a dangerous riot. The screening includes the first 4 episodes; full series available virtually.
Screenings on Saturday, November 8 include the North American Premiere of of the documentary Murmuring Hearts (Murmančios Širdys, Lithuania/France/Norway, 2024) at 1 PM, with a talk with film director Vytautas Puidokas. Matas, a 14-year old foster child, arrives at a Lithuanian farm where men recover from addiction and aggression; winner of the Young Europeans Award at International Festival of Audiovisual Programmes (FIPADOC) and a candid glimpse into masculinity, trauma and healing.
Saturday screenings continue at 3:15 PM with the North American Premiere of the documentary Becoming Roosi (Varastatud tulevik, dir. Margit Lillak, Estonia/Germany, 2025), with a talk with director Margit Lillak and Roosi Mai Järviste. In this funny and provocative story of a girl navigating adolescence and climate crisis, Roosi grows from an eight-year-old in an Estonian eco-village to a teenager confronting her generation’s existential concern. At 5 PM, see the New York Premiere of Renovation (Renovacija, dir. Gabrielė Urbonaitė, Lithuania/Latvia /Belgium, 2025), with a talk by actor Žygimantė Elena Jakštaitė and editor Armands Začs. A “curious, delightful beast” (Olivia Popp, Cineuropa), Renovation follows 29-year-old perfectionist Ilona, whose relationship with partner Matas cracks amid repairs to their Soviet-era apartment.
Screenings on Sunday, November 9 kick off at 2 PM with the North American Premiere of the intimate documentary To Be Continued: Teenhood (Turpinājums: Pieaugšana, dir. Ivars Seleckis and Armands Začs, Latvia, 2024) followed by a film talk with director Armands Začs. In this sequel to the 2015 documentary To Be Continued, the directors reunite with the five children featured in the original—now on the cusp of adolescence. At 4:15 PM, a Baltic Short Films session features six short films, two from each of the Baltic countries, including director Anna Hints’ (Smoke Sauna Sisterhood) short film Sauna Day. The in-person portion of the festival wraps up at 6:30 PM with the U.S. premiere of The Visitor (Svečias. dir. Vytautas Katkus, Lithuania/Norway/Sweden, 2025).
Each in-person day of the festival concludes with a reception. For program updates, please subscribe to the festival newsletter at balticfilmfestival.com and Scandinavia House newsletter at scandinaviahouse.org. Stay in the loop by following NYBFF on Instagram and Facebook.