Vilnius Short Film Festival

17—23.01.2024

There’s hardly a festival I have better memories of, although the conditions seemed less than ideal: the middle of January, the icy wind whistling through the city’s pretty alleys, while everyone tried to organise their year after the Christmas break. But in Vilnius, it all works out perfectly: cozy venues, a warm and welcoming team, and if you’re in luck, you’ll find yourself walking along the banks of the Neris River in the early evening, covered in thick snowflakes before you get to warm up with a Suktinis mead nectar. Sounds romantic, doesn’t it?

But that alone doesn’t account for the charm and appeal of the Vilnius International Short Film Festival, which has been active since 2006. The festival was closely linked with the Lithuanian industry, which turned out in large numbers to discuss film policy issues and to watch and reflect on the best international and national productions of the year. This connection is presumably also related to the festival’s background, which is organised by the short film agency Lithuanian Shorts and financed mainly by the Lithuanian Film Center. One visit to Vilnius, and you have the opportunity to get to know (and love) a large part of the local industry in a short time. Sounds great, doesn’t it?