The international #youngfilmmaker program brings the latest works from young filmmakers to the audience for the fourth year in a row. The program is divided into three diverse screenings, showcasing the winning films from local film festivals and the Just Film scholarship competition for the first time.
We would like to introduce the amazing directors of the films participating in this year's #youngfilmmaker program, first group! Read on to learn what they wanted to share with you about their films.
"My name is Leela Mia Auväärt, and I am the director of the short film August. The story is about happiness and how differently it can be understood. As a director, I don’t always agree with the protagonist’s views, and I believe that happiness doesn’t really have a 'complete' state—rather, it can be found in moments. I really hope that this film will help the audience think more about what happiness means to them and, through that, perhaps find more joy in life."
"My name is Gloria! I’m 18 years old, a high school student, and a filmmaker. I also attend the Kinomaja Film School. My previous experience in filmmaking includes working as a screenwriter, cinematographer, and sound designer. Almost is my second short film. The people in my life were my biggest inspiration for this film. All the characters in the film are so different, and they’re not just my imagination but also inspired by real people around me!"
Betra Käsper graduated from the Baltic Film, Media, and Arts School with a degree in Audiovisual Media and is currently pursuing a Master's in Contemporary Media at the same school. She enjoys telling stories inspired by real life, always in an honest and direct way. The documentary 40 Days for Inge was created within 24 hours for the Kaader film festival and won the Grand Prix at the same festival in 2023.
"I’m a young, cheerful, and open filmmaker. One of my greatest achievements in my short life has been the honor of winning the Just Film stipendium competition twice. Over the years, I have also been involved in acting, wanting to get a closer look at the film world, and have had wonderful experiences acting in Estonian films, TV series, and commercials. With this year’s film Reality Check, I want to highlight the addiction to habits among young people and bring to the big screen a story about values and choices in the life of a young person who is self-destructive. I’m a huge fan of thrillers and fantasy films, but if I were to be a film genre, I would definitely be an adventure film."
Artur Talpsepp, born in 2005, is a young filmmaker studying theatre, film, and television at Kohtla-Järve Gymnasium. Sunrise is his first serious and biggest project. Before this, his biggest works were short films up to 15 minutes long, made as part of school projects. Sunrise questions the existence of good and evil, exploring themes such as self-centeredness as a fundamental part of a person, the subjectivity of understanding the world, as well as the impact of faith on people and the conflict between morality and desire.
Buy tickets for the #youngfilmmaker 1 screenings here