That moment after finally picking what film to see. That moment of quiet anticipation, scanning your ticket through, finding your seat and waiting for the movie to start. And that moment of pretending you did not cry at the end, wiping your face away so nobody else notices. All that and so much more, the experience of a good film is an experience worth having. This is why we celebrate film and the film makers and exactly what you’ll find at the Vilnius International Film Festival.

Vilnius International Film Festival is also known as ‘Kino Pavasaris’, meaning ‘The Spring of Film’ in Lithuanian. The cinema event is the most visited in Lithuania, attracting cinephiles from around the globe. Visitors can enjoy  over 150 films of various genres during the two-week period every single year.

The excitement builds as visitors are invited to meet the creators of the films, making it an unforgettably immersive experience. What is more, Vilnius International Film Festival has its’ own awards: it is a place where otherwise unknown movies are put in the spotlight, receiving the well-deserved credit. It is a place where Lithuanian and international independent films are being recognised and celebrated each year.

The film festival has been around for quite some time now. Over the past 26 years, the event has become increasingly more influential, showing only the best independent films from around the globe, as well as featuring a number of female directors. The cinema event is not only one of the largest in the Baltic region, but is also well recognised for its high-quality film programme, workshops, incentives and other cinematographic events.

Let’s face it: 2020 was a year a lot of us would like to forget. Unlike some film festivals in Europe, Vilnius International Film Festival still pulled through and delivered an online version in an extremely short space of time. Thus, the event organisers had to think outside of the box, and they had to think fast.

Since international travel was at a halt, VIFF brought a drive-in cinema to the runway of Vilnius International Airport. Driving onto an actual runway with your own car and watching a movie on a gigantic screen felt almost forbidden. A brand-new streaming service was also introduced, so that film enthusiasts and professionals can have some sort of comfort during difficult times. Going forward, the digital platform is expected to stay for the upcoming seasons.

I Am Greta by Nathan Grossman

There are not many people who have not heard of the name Greta Thunberg. In this Swedish documentary, a then fifteen-year-old student Greta began to protest climate change. She questioned adults,

‘If you don’t care about my future here on earth, why should I continue going to school?’.

Director Nathan Grossman has followed Thunberg’s protests from day one, witnessing thousands of young people joining the teenager in the name of global warming. The independent film ended up showcasing the rise of a young teenage girl with Asperger’s to one of the most influential activists within the industry.

With almost two hundred films in the mix, Vilnius International Film Festival delivers a diverse range of exceptional quality. The event has proven to be every cinephile’s dream come true amongst the film festivals in Europe over the 25 years.