Season 2, Episode 5: Behind every summer is a community that keeps Fire Island alive. This episode explores the history of the beloved Pines Pantry through the eyes of its iconic Pantry Girls, alongside the volunteer firefighters of The Pines and Cherry Grove who protect the island from fires, hurricanes, beach erosion, and an uncertain future.
New York Baltic Film Festival to Present Premieres and Director Talks
The festival will feature documentaries, animated shorts, and narrative films with filmmaker discussions at the Nordic Center in America.
By: Rachel Stone
The 9th Annual New York Baltic Film Festival (NYBFF), presented by Scandinavia House: The Nordic Center in America, is set for November 5-8, 2026, continuing its tradition of bringing the best new films from the Baltic region to New York audiences. Over the four-day program, festival-goers can attend screenings at Scandinavia House in New York alongside director talks and Q&As, receptions and other events, including a Friday night afterparty at .
Thursday, November 5 — Opening Night
6:30 PM: A Goodnight Kiss (Irena, dir. Giedrė Žickytė); East Coast Premiere. A documentary about writer/human rights activist Irena Veisaitė—who inspired Für Alina by her lifelong friend, Estonian composer Arvo Pärt—A Goodnight Kiss tells the story of an extraordinary woman who survived tragedies under the Nazi and Soviet occupations of Lithuania, yet retained an unabating belief in life free from hatred. Film talk with director Giedrė Žickytė follows the screening. Reception follows.
Friday, November 6
6:30 PM: Baltic Animated Shorts. Six shorts, highlighting unique and innovative animated films from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania: Cleanliness; Facade; Family Album; Kyiv Cake.
7:30 PM: Scarecrows (dir. Laila Pakalniņa); North American Premiere. A gripping, visually composed documentary of Riga International Airport's 'runway rangers' and their encounters with beings of nature. Film talk with director Laila Pakalniņa. Afterparty follows at Estonia House with DJ Gediminas Jakubka (film composer of Holy Destructors).
Saturday, November 7
2 PM: Baltic Shorts. Five live-action short films from the Baltic region: Portrait of Granny; Concrete Kids; My First Funeral; A Microphone in the Head; Signal Path.
3:30 PM: Morten (dir. Ivan Pavljutškov); North American Premiere. A coming-of-age film set between reality and the mystical in the Estonian countryside; winner of three awards at Italy's Giffoni Film Festival. Film talk with director Ivan Pavljutškov.
5:45 PM: Holy Destructors (dir. Aistė Žegulytė); U.S. Premiere. Two powerful forces—both driven by hunger for life—collide in this powerful documentary about the invisible world of organisms. Film talk with composer Gediminas Jakubka.
8 PM: Ulya (dir. Viesturs Kairišs); North American Premiere. A biopic of legendary athlete Uļjana Semjonova, the film follows Ulya's life from her early teen years, when her height began approaching two meters, to the fraught world of athletic stardom with Latvian women's basketball team TTT. Latvia's entry for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards. Film talk with director Viesturs Kairišs. Reception follows.
Sunday, November 8
12 PM: My Family and Other Clowns (dir. Heilika Pikkov and Liina Särkinen); North American Premiere. A moving portrait about the fragile balance between art and parenthood; winner of the Special Jury Prize at Doc@PÖFF Baltic Competition, Tallinn Black Nights and the Cultural Endowment of Estonia's Annual Prize for Best Documentary. Film talk with co-director Liina Särkinen.
2 PM: Borderline (dir. Ignas Jonynas), New York Premiere. Tense Lithuanian thriller about a grieving ornithologist roped into a smuggling operation, for which lead actor Šarūnas Zenkevičius received the European Shooting Star at Berlinale (2025) and Best Actor at Lithuania's Silver Crane Awards (2026), and was awarded Best Baltic Film at PÖFF (Tallinn Black Nights) in 2025. Film talk with actor Šarūnas Zenkevičius and producer Martynas Mickėnas.
4:30 PM: The Child (dir. Linda Olte), North American Premiere. A poignant drama exploring a modern Latvian couple's increasingly grueling efforts to conceive, and the fallout in their relationship, family, and sense of selfhood. Film talk with director Linda Olte.
7 PM: Our Erika (dir. German Golub); New York Premiere. Selected as Estonia's contender for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards, the film follows the captivating story of Estonian track bicyclist Erika Salumäe, who fought her way from a troubled childhood to the highest podium level of the Olympic Games. Film talk with director German Golub. Reception follows.
In-person screenings and events will take place at Scandinavia House in New York (58 Park Ave, 10016) from November 5-8. For program announcements, audiences can subscribe to the festival newsletter at balticfilmfestival.com and the Scandinavia House newsletter at scandinaviahouse.org. For more immediate updates, NYBFF can be followed on Instagram and Facebook.
Additional Pass & Ticket Information
An In-Person Pass ($125/$95 ASF Members) grants access to all in-person screenings at Scandinavia House except the Opening Night. The Virtual All-Access Pass ($80/$60 ASF Members) grants access to all of the virtual films screening at New York Baltic Film Festival from November 10-16, 2025, except Opening Night. The 5-Film Package ($60/$40 ASF Members) grants access to five in-person or virtual screenings or a combination of both. A VIP Package ($425) grants access to all in-person and virtual screenings, as well as 2 opening night tickets, 6 additional in-person guest passes, a complimentary NYBFF mug, and acknowledgement on balticfilmfestival.com.
About the New York Baltic Film Festival
Established in 2018, the New York Baltic Film Festival is presented and organized by Scandinavia House in collaboration with the Embassy of Estonia, Consulate General of Lithuania, Permanent Mission of Latvia to the United Nations in New York, with financial support from Edhard Corporation. Additional support for the festival comes from the Estonian Film Institute, National Film Center of Latvia, and Lithuanian Film Center, with additional sponsorship by the American-Scandinavian Foundation, American Latvian Association, Estonian Ministry of Culture, Estonian American National Council (EKRÜ), Honorary Consulate General of Latvia in New York, Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, Sondra Litvatytė.
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