March 7-23. Celebrating its 30th anniversary, “Kino pavasaris” slightly lifts the veil of secrecy of this year’s program and announces the first film – the national premiere of Saulė Bliuvaitė’s highly anticipated film “Akiplėša” will take place at the festival. This film will compete for the main prize in the “Kino pavasaris” competition program. The Lithuanian director’s debut film, which immediately started with an impressive main award at the prestigious Locarno Film Festival and was nominated for the European Film Awards, continues to collect international prizes on its way to Lithuanian screens.
"Saulė Bliuvaitė's introduction to the world with 4 awards at Locarno, including the main Golden Leopard, became a historic event in Lithuanian cinema in 2024. I will admit that our team believed in "Akiplėša" even before the film itself existed - after barely reading the script. And today, as the film continues its impressive journey around the world, we are even more happy to confirm the rumors circulating among film lovers - the audience of "Kino pavasaris" will be the first in Lithuania to see "Akiplėša", - reveals the festival's executive director Konradas Kazlauskas and invites you to reserve your seats at the first announced screening of the 30th festival.
The national premiere of "Akiplėša" at "Kino pavasarys" will take place on March 19, and to celebrate this news, the festival, together with the filmmakers, is revealing two more news to the biggest film lovers: a sneak peek trailer and the opportunity to purchase the first tickets to one of the most anticipated Lithuanian films of this year. The number of screenings of "Akiplėša" during the festival will be extremely limited, and immediately after "Kino pavasarys" the film will continue its journey through Lithuanian cinemas.
"I am really looking forward to the day when "Akiplėša" will finally meet Lithuanian audiences - after all, this film was created for them first and foremost. I am very impatient to receive the first impressions and hope that the audience will appreciate the film, which is not entirely "convenient" in its form and content. I am glad that the premiere will take place at "Kino Pavasarys" - a festival where I once presented my very first short film and over the years I have discovered a variety of directors whose work I follow to this day," says director Saulė Bliuvaitė.
The film "Akiplėša" tells the story of two teenage girls who dream of escaping from a rundown industrial district. Kristina, who is going through a relationship crisis with her father, wants to become a famous model and leave home as soon as possible. Marija, a newcomer to the town who wants to fit in, follows in Kristina's footsteps. The girls do not yet know what beauty and love mean to them, so they are guided by the perceptions of their friends from the yard and repeat what is acceptable in their environment. And here - competition, jealousy, dangerous company and the promise of a better life, forcing them to harm their bodies to increasingly extreme levels.
"Akiplėša" is the debut feature film by Saulė Bliuvaitė. Her previous short documentary "Limousine" premiered at the New Directors/New Films US film festival organized by the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, and won the Best Short Documentary Award at the Warsaw Film Festival. Saulė Bliuvaitė is also a co-writer and one of the editors of the European Film Awards-nominated film "Izaokas" (dir. Jurgis Matulevičius).
The film "Akiplėša" stars debuting actresses Vesta Matulytė and Ieva Rupeikaitė, and also stars Giedrius Savickas, Eglė Gabrėnaitė, and Vilma Raubaitė. Cinematography: Vytautas Katkus, art direction: Paulius Aničas, composer: Gediminas Jakubka, producer: Giedrė Burokaitė, executive producer: Justė Michailinaitė. The film was partially financed by the Lithuanian Film Centre.
The 30th Vilnius City Film Festival "Kino pavasaris" will take place from March 7 to 23. The festival is partly funded by the Lithuanian Film Centre, Vilnius City Municipality, and "Creative Europe" MEDIA.