Baltic Women in Film Mentorship

Who can apply

The application is available for young women who are citizens of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania or have a right of a permanent residence in the countries mentioned above, and who:
• Working in different areas of film and audiovisual industries;
• Are under the age of 30;
• Are willing to enter the audiovisual industry, change the professional path or continue her career in film/audiovisual industries;
• Willing to deepen professional knowledge or widen her horizons in different areas of film/audiovisual industries;
• Eager to learn/be coached by the industry professional;
• Can attend the program fully – participate in all the online/on-site events.*

Selection criteria:

• Applicant’s motivation will be the key selection criterion;
• Clarity of their specific goal set for the mentorship program;
• Participant’s experience, motivation and professional growth potential.

* organisers may expel the mentee after being absent for three online and/or on-site events.

• Matchmaking: mentees + mentors and their monthly individual meetings;
• Monthly online get together with mentees and industry guests;
• Self-education webinars and workshops;
• Visiting industry events during Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian film festivals.

The program will include the following activities for the selected participants*:

• Program introduction workshop;
• Monthly online meetings for the mentees;
• Online webinars;
• Industry events: attending Riga International Film Festival (Latvia), Black Nights Film Festival (Estonia), Vilnius Short Film Festival (Lithuania), Vilnius International Film Festival (Lithuania) and its industry events.

* the activities’ calendar might change or vary due to unplanned circumstances

Film and/or audiovisual professionals and experts from the Baltic countries, who have been working in the audiovisual field for a minimum of five years.

There is no submission or participation fee. 

For events on-site, participants will be provided with festivals’ (Riga IFF, Tallinn Black Nights, Vilnius International Short Film Festival & Vilnius International Film Festival) accreditations.

Accommodation and travel costs to the mentioned industry events shall be covered* by the selected participants.

* We recommend you contact your local film institutes as they might be able to provide you with financial support for your travel, accommodation and other participation at BWiFM related expenses.

For the first year of this initiative, 44 applications have been submitted. 15 mentees of the three Baltic countries have been chosen to take part in the mentorship activities.

Lithuania:

Jogilė Ramoškaitė, content creator and actress

Indrė Juškutė, film director 

Vilma Razmutė, graphic designer and animator 

Ilona Stankevičienė, producer 

Bon Alog, visual artist

Latvia:

Gunda Bergmane, producer 

Zane Buksa, junior producer 

Līga Požarska, film journalist 

Beatrise Maija Krievina, art director and production designer 

Alise Zariņa, film director and writer 

Estonia:

Jaanika Arum, film director, writer and actress 

Nadya Tjuška, filmmaker 

Birk Rohelend, screenwriter 

Ragne Mandri, film director and writer 

Bojana Babic, film director and writer

Lithuania:

Vesta Tučkutė, film director and producer
Milda Buškevičiūtė, student
Milda Valiulytė, film curator and programmer
Salvija Vaičikonytė, illustrator

Latvia:

Ieva Aleksejeva, filmmaker
Ilze Bloka, director and performer
Linda Rudene, playwright
Anna Konovalova, cinematographer

Estonia:

Doris Tääker, director
Vivian Melder, screenwriter, director and producer
Emel-Elizabeth Tuulik, film critic
Anna-Maria Jams, foley artist

Ukraine:

Vira Kravchuk, scriptwriter

Lithuania:
Martyna Ratnik, curator and filmmaker
Erdvilė Girinkaitė, filmmaker
Rugilė Pranculytė, screenwriter and filmmaker
Saulė Savanevičiūtė, film critic and curator
Pata Popova, producer, filmmaker and artist

Latvia:
Dace Čaure, film critic and curator
Una Cekule, director and producer
Melānija Gulbe, producer
Madara Lote Peizuma, cinematographer
Kate Jansone, film director and animator

Estonia:
Grete Kaio, producer and journalist
Henelis Notton, screenwriter
Alesja Suzdaltseva, director
Inger Põder, producer
Liisbeth Kala, actress and visual artist

Lithuania:
Džiuginta Gabrielė Radavičiūtė, producer
Kotryna Ramanauskaitė, producer
Ana Kazanceva, production coordinator and screenwriter
Vaiva Botyriūtė, director and photographer
Monika Jašelskytė, cinematographer

Latvia:
Līna Brauna, editor
Katrīna Karple, producer
Marta Šleiere, producer
Betija Zvejniece, screenwriter and director
Juta Jākobsone, screenwriter and director

Estonia:
Karmen Mai Karus, actress and director
Mariann Jürior, producer
Merili Laur, producer
Agnes Milla Bereczki, animation director
Katharina Kala, film critic

Lithuania:

Paula Pilkauskaitė
Paula Pilkauskaitė is a film sales and marketing professional with experience across international sales & distribution, film markets, and client relations. She has worked with companies such as Cornerstone and MetFilm Studio, where she coordinated both in-person and online participation at major markets including Berlinale, Cannes, and the American Film Market. With a background in digital marketing and a BA in Content, media and film production, Paula is passionate about connecting films with global audiences and developing her expertise in international sales and distribution

Nadiia Sazonova
Nadiia Sazonova is a composer from Ukraine, working with film scoring. Through the Baltic Women in Film Mentorship, she aims to grow as a creator, explore new approaches to music and sound, and collaborate with other professionals.

Meda Diraitė 
Meda Diraitė has always been inspired by lifelong learning, which led her to complete a master’s degree in international communications with honors at Vilnius University and to earn a scholarship for a semester at the University of Technology Sydney. Although she was unable to take up the opportunity due to the global pandemic, she discovered a passion for the film industry and shifted her focus to production. Over the past few years, she has worked as a production coordinator, contributing to numerous international commercials, music videos and film projects in Lithuania and abroad. Each experience has not only strengthened her professional skills but also deepened her dedication and enthusiasm for the film industry.

Monika Jagusinskytė 
Monika Jagusinskytė is an artist based in Vilnius, Lithuania. Using photography, video and text, the artist captures the human body in everyday life, its constant change in relation to its environment. Her compositions are like phases of weightlessness, blurring the line between reality and dream, beauty and decay. In 2021, she graduated from the Amsterdam Fashion Institute (AMFI) with a Bachelor’s degree in Fashion and Technology. These studies greatly influenced her further work. The fusion of fashion and art is reflected in the artist’s choice of details, materials and textures, with garments and objects creating not only an aesthetic but also a symbolic and historical narrative. Monika’s practice is also shaped by themes of care and domesticity, often drawing on Lithuanian food and folklore as forms of collective memory.

Ugnė Makselytė
Ugnė Makselytė is a Lithuanian composer, vocalist, and sound artist working in experimental electroacoustic music, vocal improvisation, and soundscape composition. Her practice integrates folk traditions, classical voice, and contemporary electronics, exploring the expressive possibilities of the human voice in dialogue with field recordings and electronic arrangements. In addition to her performances and international collaborations, she also works with audiovisual media, composing music and sound for films and installations, and has presented immersive sound installations in Lithuania and Greece. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in composition at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen.

Latvia:

Victoria Alexandria Brikmann
Victoria Alexandria Brikmann is a Latvian filmmaker, writer, actress, stunt performer, and producer with a background in historical battle reenactment, archaeology, and psychological storytelling. Victoria’s work is rooted in authenticity, blending emotional realism with historical precision. Victoria recently completed a mid-length short film, Wrath, a 10th-century drama grounded in medieval combat realism, period accuracy, and psychological unravelling. Victoria handled everything from directing to fight choreography and costume accuracy, often working with minimal resources. Victoria believes film is a tool to expose deeper truths and challenge comfortable narratives.

Karīna Kolendo
Karīna Kolendo is a young film industry professional from Latvia. She has received BA in film production at Latvian Academy of Culture and right now working as a production coordinator or assistant for various projects at Trickster Pictures. Karīna has also been a producer to multiple short films, including a documentary short film Through a Child’s Gaze, that recieved the Latvian National Film award as the best documentary short film. She first fell in love with cinema through documentaries and she is still interested in human relationships with themselves or others told through intimate and personal point-of-view.

Nadīna Anna Larionova
Nadīna Anna Larionova is an emerging film producer based in Riga, Latvia. She graduated in 2025 with a Bachelor’s degree in Audiovisual Arts Production from the Latvian Academy of Culture, completing her studies with the short film I’m Not Crazy. Maybe a Little…, which is currently in post-production. During her studies, Nadīna produced seven short fiction films and two short documentaries, demonstrating a strong commitment to storytelling and hands-on production work. In addition to her academic projects, she gained experience working as an assistant on several feature-length films. She currently works at the film studio Picture House, gaining professional experience in the industry.

Beate Olekte
Beate Olekte made her directorial debut in 2020 with the short film The Buzz in the Void, which was screened at several international festivals and received positive attention. Over the past eight years, she has worked across various departments in the film industry, gaining a broad perspective on the craft. Now, she is ready to return to her own creative work and further develop her artistic voice.

Eva Ansule
Eva Ansule is a Latvian film producer and project manager assistant at the production company Studio Lokomotive. Alongside her professional work, she studies Audiovisual Production at the Latvian Academy of Culture.
In 2025, Eva produced several short film projects, including the animated short “Sajūgs” (Clutch, dir. Daria Vetrova). This experience strengthened her interest in animation production and its creative possibilities, while maintaining her goal to continue working in feature films as well.
In addition to film production, Eva actively engages in film promotion and education. She is one of the organizers and program developers of the outdoor film festival “…glāzi kino, lūdzu!” (…a cup of cinema, please!), which aims to introduce audiences to the short films and animations of emerging Latvian directors created during or shortly after their studies, fostering recognition and dialogue between young filmmakers and viewers. Eva has also worked in theatre as a producer the performance “Spēļu laukuma traumas” (Playground injuries, dir. Mārcis Broks) and were a producer’s assistant at the Valmiera Summer Theatre Festival for choreographic promenade “Utopian Views” by Stefānija Feldbere. These experiences have reinforced her belief in interdisciplinary collaboration and the interaction between different art forms.
Participation in the Baltic Women in Film Mentorship program offers Eva the opportunity to build connections with colleagues across the Baltic states and gain professional insight into both animation and feature film production, as well as their international distribution.

Estonia:

Hanna-Greth Peetson
Hanna-Greth Peetson is a sync agent and music supervisor at Tier Music Publishing, an Estonian company that has established an active network of partners both locally and internationally over the years. Hanna-Greth also serves as the project manager for Music Meets Film, a practical training programme for young film composers that is part of Industry@Tallinn and Baltic Event’s Discovery Campus. This programme takes place alongside Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. In addition to these roles, she manages culture-focused marketing and communication projects at the boutique agency Kultuurikõla and has extensive experience organising events, such as music and film festivals. In 2024, she graduated from the music business programme at the Tallinn School of Music and Ballet.

Ingrid Margus
Ingrid Margus is an Estonian actress whose career spans acclaimed television and film roles, including her breakout as a fearless detective in The Trap. Trained at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York, she has brought depth and versatility to roles in Madam K and Women’s War. Beyond acting, Ingrid has begun taking her first steps as a producer and writer, expanding her creative voice behind the camera. Her passion for storytelling—whether on screen or on the page—reflects a commitment to exploring complex characters and inspiring narratives.

Elisabeth Madisson
Elisabeth Madisson is a young filmmaker based in Tallinn, Estonia. She graduated from the Baltic Film, Media and Arts School in 2024 with a degree in screenwriting. During her studies, she wrote four short films and one feature-length script. She also directed a short documentary and gained on-set experience as a 1st AD, 2nd AD, and later as a production coordinator. Currently, Elisabeth works at Nafta Films as a Film Development Coordinator, where she is involved with a wide range of scripts and projects — supporting each through the development process and helping to ensure they reach production. She is particularly drawn to coming-of-age stories and psychological films that explore the depths of the human soul, and she is developing a feature film adaptation of Sven Mikser’s novel “Vareda”.

Ilo Tuule Rajand
Ilo Tuule Rajand is a freelance writer and critic exploring the borderlands of film, performance, and music. Her background in semiotics and cultural studies shaped her curiosity about images and symbols, as well as her desire to connect with audiences through both vulnerability and analysis.

Anet Õunpuu
Anet Õunpuu is an upcoming film producer with a degree in film production from the Baltic Film and Media School. Since graduating in 2024, she has been working freelance in various production roles, including production coordinator, production manager, and 2nd AD. Alongside her freelance work, Anet is looking for exciting projects to produce and bring to life.