With the 46th Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival - the largest short film festival and market in the world - preparing to kick off on Friday, the 2nd of February, it will be graced by a large Baltic presence as filmmakers, festivals and industry from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania all prepare to attend.

The festival’s International Competition will screen MIISUFY by Estonian director Liisi Grünberg. The film has already gained popularity amongst film festivals, it has been selected for Sundance Film Festival 2024 program and even won the Special Jury Mention at the American Film Institute's AFI Fest. The film tells a story of Miisu, a virtual pet cat, who has had enough of her mistress and begins to rebel. Inspired by Tamagotchis, MIISUFY observes the world through the eyes of virtual animal.

Also two films from Baltic countries have been selected for the festivals special programme “Panorama: European female filmmakers” to explore a new generation of talented directors - LISA, GO HOME! by director Oksana Buraja (Lithuania) and MANIVALD by Chintis Lundgren (Estonia).

The delegation of Baltic Shorts at the Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Market 2024 consists of representatives from PÖFF Shorts (Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival), the Estonian Film Institute, Riga International Short Film Festival 2ANNAS, Riga International Film Festival, Latvian Animation Association, the National Film Centre of Latvia, Vilnius Short Film Festival, and the Lithuanian Short Film Agency “Lithuanian Shorts”. They will be on hand for the duration of the festival at the dedicated Baltic stand to promote shorts from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to the more than 3500 delegates attending the Short Film market.

Euro Connection, the two-day pitching and networking event aimed at fostering partnerships between European and international production companies, will see the Lithuanian project OUT directed by Kristijonas Dirsė as one of the 12 projects pitched to industry professionals. Gaining its place at Euro Connection after being selected at the Baltic Pitching Forum in 2023, the film is a dark yet funny Christmas tale about a closeted gay man, who becomes invisible during a family dinner. He wanders as a ghost in the world where he ceased to exist and encounters his homophobic double – the only person who can see him.

Additionally Latvian producer Agne Skane from film studio ATOM ART will join Producers Focus as one of six producers invited to be part of Euro Connection that gives exclusive opportunity to present their company, and their approach to short films and co-production.

On Wednesday, 7th of February the market will screen Baltic Shorts 2024, a film collection containing the freshest short films from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Seven animation and fiction films will be made available for industry professionals to experience the brightest and freshest new films from the region. Many of the films are work-in-progress or just recently finished and looking for distribution, sales opportunities or festival premieres. The screening will be followed by the Baltic Shorts “Meet & Greet”.