5th Season of Baltic Women in Film Mentorship Program Announces Participants
Next week, the fifth season of the Baltic Women in Film Mentorship Program (BWiFM 2025–2026) will launch at the Riga International Film Festival. The program features 15 women from Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, representing various fields of the audiovisual industry, including directing, producing, screenwriting, cinematography, acting, composing and film criticism. The participants will learn from experts in the Baltic audiovisual industry, enhance their professional skills, expand their networks, and gain insights into film festivals.
As the first regional initiative of its kind, the Baltic Women in Film Mentorship Program is designed to support women in the audiovisual industry by providing guidance from experienced mentors, empowering the selected participants to pursue their professional goals with confidence while deepening their knowledge and competencies. The program aims to foster a strong, supportive network that not only promotes gender equality but also facilitates the exchange of experience, knowledge, and contacts, ultimately contributing to the growth of the Baltic film industry.
BWiFM lasts for seven months (October 2025 – April 2026). During this period, selected mentees will engage in regular meetings with their mentors – professionals from the Baltic audiovisual sector. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to attend webinars and workshops on topics such as mental health, leadership, self-promotion, and more. They will also expand their professional networks at key industry events, including the Riga International Film Festival, Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, Vilnius Short Film Festival, and Vilnius International Film Festival “Kino Pavasaris.”
The program selected five participants from each Baltic country. From Lithuania: sales agent Paula Pilkauskaitė, visual artist Monika Jagusinskytė, production coordinator Meda Diraitė, composers Nadiia Sazonova (UA) and Ugnė Makselytė. The Latvian participants include producers Viktorija Brikmane, Karīna Kolendo, Nadīna Anna Larionova, Eva Ansule and director Beate Olekte. The Estonian participants are music supervisor Hanna-Greth Peetson, film critic and curator Ilo Tuule Rajand, screenwriter Elisabeth Madisson, producer Anet Õunpuu, and actress Ingrid Margus.
The mentorship program is organized by the Lithuanian short film agency “Lithuanian Shorts” in collaboration with the Women in Film and Television Association (WIFT LT). Institutional partners include the European Women Audiovisual Network (EWA, Belgium), Riga International Film Festival, Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, Vilnius Short Film Festival, and Vilnius International Film Festival “Kino Pavasaris.” The program is financed by the Lithuanian Council for Culture, Nordic Culture Point, the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Program for Culture, and the audiovisual authors’ association “AVAKA.”
