Dima (Jamie Day) and Kostas (Bruce Ross) in The Writer. Romas Zabarauskas: 'I believe that we cannot allow ourselves to isolate. And these isolationist tendencies are happening on both sides of the political spectrum' Lithuanian director Romas Zabarauskas’ The Writer sees two former lovers Kostas (Bruce Ross) and Dima (Jamie Day) reconnect over the course of a day and night after an absence of 30 years. The film reveals their relationship history but also explores more philosophical and political questions about left and right, conflict and gender identity. We caught up with Zabarauskas at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival - where the film is in the Baltic Film Competition - to talk about its themes.
You’re still quite young but you’ve chosen older characters to work with in this film, can you tell us a bit about that?
Rz: For this project, I was impacted by Russia's...
You’re still quite young but you’ve chosen older characters to work with in this film, can you tell us a bit about that?
Rz: For this project, I was impacted by Russia's...
- 11/17/2023
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Breaking into the world of filmmaking is never an easy prospect.
And when you are a queer filmmaker who wants to focus on LGBTQ subjects, and lives in a traditional, Catholic, former Soviet Eastern European country, the bar to success is set pretty high.
Romas Zabarauskas’ career proves that with grit, determination — and, as he says, “no bitterness” — it is possible to create your own path on the international stage.
The 32-year-old producer and director — currently in production of his first English-language feature, “The Writer,” the second in a trilogy of films examining gay relationships — says being in the public spotlight as a queer filmmaker is a “complex issue.”
“In Lithuania, the reality of my country is complex; on the one hand, here I am engaged to my fiancé Kornelijus, but we cannot get married because Lithuania does not recognize same-sex partnerships, but on the other hand, I am here...
And when you are a queer filmmaker who wants to focus on LGBTQ subjects, and lives in a traditional, Catholic, former Soviet Eastern European country, the bar to success is set pretty high.
Romas Zabarauskas’ career proves that with grit, determination — and, as he says, “no bitterness” — it is possible to create your own path on the international stage.
The 32-year-old producer and director — currently in production of his first English-language feature, “The Writer,” the second in a trilogy of films examining gay relationships — says being in the public spotlight as a queer filmmaker is a “complex issue.”
“In Lithuania, the reality of my country is complex; on the one hand, here I am engaged to my fiancé Kornelijus, but we cannot get married because Lithuania does not recognize same-sex partnerships, but on the other hand, I am here...
- 2/20/2023
- by Nick Holdsworth
- Variety Film + TV
‘The Writer’ and ’The Activist’ will follow ’The Lawyer’.
Lithuanian writer-director-producer Romas Zabarauskas has unveiled the next two parts of a queer genre-driven trilogy at the Baltic Producers Spotlight as part of the EFM’s Baltic Countries in Focus.
Following first film The Lawyer, Zabarauskas has cast Jamie Day and Bruce Ross to star in the English-language romantic drama The Writer about two former lovers reconnecting in New York 30 years after serving together in the Soviet army.
The €350,000 co-production between Zabarauskas’ own Vilnius-based production outfit Naratyvas, Glenn Elliott’s Berlin-based Artysta Management and Aidan Tumas of New York’s Dead Heat Pictures,...
Lithuanian writer-director-producer Romas Zabarauskas has unveiled the next two parts of a queer genre-driven trilogy at the Baltic Producers Spotlight as part of the EFM’s Baltic Countries in Focus.
Following first film The Lawyer, Zabarauskas has cast Jamie Day and Bruce Ross to star in the English-language romantic drama The Writer about two former lovers reconnecting in New York 30 years after serving together in the Soviet army.
The €350,000 co-production between Zabarauskas’ own Vilnius-based production outfit Naratyvas, Glenn Elliott’s Berlin-based Artysta Management and Aidan Tumas of New York’s Dead Heat Pictures,...
- 2/18/2023
- by Martin Blaney
- ScreenDaily
The panel will take place on Friday (May 20).
Mia Bays, director of the British Film Institute (BFI) Film Fund, will today be leading a discussion on how producers and funders can adapt to a streamer-led marketplace, as part of the UK Pavilion industry programme at Cannes.
The UK Pavilion, previously known as the UK Film Centre, runs from May 19 to May 24, and is based at the Cannes Marché International Village.
Bays’ panel is titled ‘Insights into changing markets’ (11:00-12:00) and will comprise of René Bourdages, vice president, cultural portfolio management, Telefilm Canada; Matt Brodlie, co-president, Upgrade Productions; Makhosazana Khanyile,...
Mia Bays, director of the British Film Institute (BFI) Film Fund, will today be leading a discussion on how producers and funders can adapt to a streamer-led marketplace, as part of the UK Pavilion industry programme at Cannes.
The UK Pavilion, previously known as the UK Film Centre, runs from May 19 to May 24, and is based at the Cannes Marché International Village.
Bays’ panel is titled ‘Insights into changing markets’ (11:00-12:00) and will comprise of René Bourdages, vice president, cultural portfolio management, Telefilm Canada; Matt Brodlie, co-president, Upgrade Productions; Makhosazana Khanyile,...
- 5/19/2022
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
Modern Films’ Eve Gabereau, Emu Films’ Mike Elliott and Element Pictures’ Ed Guiney are also taking part.
Mia Bays, Matt Brodlie, Graeme Mason, Eve Gabereau and Ed Guiney are among the industry speakers taking part in the UK Pavilion industry programme at Cannes, previously known as the UK Film Centre, which will run from May 19 to May 24.
The series of industry events will be open to festival and market delegates as well as press attending the festival. It includes a series of Talent Talks with filmmakers with films making their world premiere in the festival.
The industry talks include an...
Mia Bays, Matt Brodlie, Graeme Mason, Eve Gabereau and Ed Guiney are among the industry speakers taking part in the UK Pavilion industry programme at Cannes, previously known as the UK Film Centre, which will run from May 19 to May 24.
The series of industry events will be open to festival and market delegates as well as press attending the festival. It includes a series of Talent Talks with filmmakers with films making their world premiere in the festival.
The industry talks include an...
- 5/11/2022
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
The Lithuanian production helmed by Romas Zabarauskas is shortly to head to the Efm in Berlin. The Lawyer, which has a script penned by director Romas Zabarauskas, tells the complicated love story between two men. Life drifts by for gay corporate lawyer Marius (played by Eimutis Kvosciauskas), who spends his days teasing friends and chasing young lovers. One day, Marius’ estranged father dies. Mourning turns to love as the lawyer finds he has an unanticipated connection with a sex-cam worker, Ali (Turkish thesp Doğaç Yıldız), a Syrian refugee stuck in Belgrade. The feature, budgeted at €314,300, received support from the Lithuanian Film Centre, which earmarked a €197,500 production and development grant for it. The production also benefited from the local tax incentive, raising a further €75,000. The rest of the budget was raised through smaller grants, private donations and a pre-sale for Lrt, Lithuania’s pubcaster. Sales are entrusted to France's...
The Lithuanian helmer’s third feature is the first Baltic production to explore the theme of male homosexual love; France's Wide Management will be selling it at the impending Efm. Update (11 February 2020): The script of The Lawyer, penned by director Romas Zabarauskas himself, tells the complicated love story between two men. Life drifts by for gay corporate lawyer Marius (played by Eimutis Kvosciauskas), who spends his days teasing friends and chasing young lovers. One day, Marius’ estranged father dies. Mourning turns to love as the lawyer finds he has an unanticipated connection with a sex-cam worker, Ali (Turkish thesp Doğaç Yıldız), a Syrian refugee stuck in Belgrade. The feature, budgeted at €314,300, has received support from the Lithuanian Film Centre, which earmarked a €197,500 production and development grant for it. The production also benefited from the local tax incentive, raising a further €75,000. The rest of the budget was...
Kosovo on track to join Creative Europe; Lgbt road movie scores Us, UK deals.
Polish filmmaker Jan Matuszynski’s The Last Family has continued its successful festival run by being named best film in the New Europe - New Names competition at the Vilnius International Film Festival (23 March - 6 April).
Matuszynski’s feature debut - which is being handled internationally by New Europe Film Sales - had its world premiere at last year’s Locarno Film Festival and received the special jury award at the Sofia International Film Festival as well as four prizes at the national Polish Film Awards last month.
The competition’s international jury of Gothenburg Film Festival’s programmer Freddy Olsson, Russian film critic and programmer Boris Nelep and Fipresci president Alin Tasciyan presented its best director prize to the Bulgarian directorial duo Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valcahnov for their second feature Glory which also picked up the Cicae Art Cinema Award.
Moreover...
Polish filmmaker Jan Matuszynski’s The Last Family has continued its successful festival run by being named best film in the New Europe - New Names competition at the Vilnius International Film Festival (23 March - 6 April).
Matuszynski’s feature debut - which is being handled internationally by New Europe Film Sales - had its world premiere at last year’s Locarno Film Festival and received the special jury award at the Sofia International Film Festival as well as four prizes at the national Polish Film Awards last month.
The competition’s international jury of Gothenburg Film Festival’s programmer Freddy Olsson, Russian film critic and programmer Boris Nelep and Fipresci president Alin Tasciyan presented its best director prize to the Bulgarian directorial duo Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valcahnov for their second feature Glory which also picked up the Cicae Art Cinema Award.
Moreover...
- 4/7/2017
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Lgbt road movie goes to Optimale; Slingshot Films picks up Ivan.
UK-based Wavelength Pictures has sold all rights for French-speaking territories to Optimale for You Can’t Escape Lithuania, the second feature by Lithuania’s openly gay filmmaker Romas Zabarauskas.
The Lgbt road movie – which was also co-produced by Wavelength’s John Flahive – had been presented as a work in progress at last year’s Meeting Point Vilnius (Mpv) during the Vilnius International Festival and was released theatrically in Lithuania in November.
Mpv’s head of industry Rita Stanelyte revealed that this year’s work in progress section this April will be casting its nets further to include all Central and Eastern European countries after previously focusing on the Baltic states and the Eastern Partnership countries from the former Soviet Union
Further pick-ups
Elsewhere, Manuela Buono’s Trieste-based sales company Slingshot Films has picked up Slovenian filmmaker Janez Burger’s latest feature Ivan, starring one of...
UK-based Wavelength Pictures has sold all rights for French-speaking territories to Optimale for You Can’t Escape Lithuania, the second feature by Lithuania’s openly gay filmmaker Romas Zabarauskas.
The Lgbt road movie – which was also co-produced by Wavelength’s John Flahive – had been presented as a work in progress at last year’s Meeting Point Vilnius (Mpv) during the Vilnius International Festival and was released theatrically in Lithuania in November.
Mpv’s head of industry Rita Stanelyte revealed that this year’s work in progress section this April will be casting its nets further to include all Central and Eastern European countries after previously focusing on the Baltic states and the Eastern Partnership countries from the former Soviet Union
Further pick-ups
Elsewhere, Manuela Buono’s Trieste-based sales company Slingshot Films has picked up Slovenian filmmaker Janez Burger’s latest feature Ivan, starring one of...
- 2/12/2017
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
The festival’s industry event featured 20 work-in-progress projects.
Bulgarian filmmaker Svetla Tsotsorkova’s Thirst and the Czech directorial duo Petr Kazda and Tomás Weinreb’s I, Olga Hepnarova [pictured] were declared joint winners of the Best Film in the New Europe - New Names competition at this year’s Vilnius International Film Festival (March 31 - April 14).
Speaking at the awards ceremony in the Lithuanian capital’s historic National Philharmonic Hall, International Jury member and Chilean film critic Pamela Biénzobas explained that the splitting of the top prize was “to acknowledge the diversity of cinematographic styles.”
Other awards included best acting prizes to Thirst’s Monika Naydenova and Our Everyday Life’s Uliks Fehmiu, and Best Director to Poland’s Agnieszka Smoczynska for her feature debut The Lure.
Meanwhile, the Best Film honour in the Baltic Gaze competition was won this year by Vitaly Mansky’s documentary Under The Sun ahead of such titles as Tomasz Wasilewski’s United...
Bulgarian filmmaker Svetla Tsotsorkova’s Thirst and the Czech directorial duo Petr Kazda and Tomás Weinreb’s I, Olga Hepnarova [pictured] were declared joint winners of the Best Film in the New Europe - New Names competition at this year’s Vilnius International Film Festival (March 31 - April 14).
Speaking at the awards ceremony in the Lithuanian capital’s historic National Philharmonic Hall, International Jury member and Chilean film critic Pamela Biénzobas explained that the splitting of the top prize was “to acknowledge the diversity of cinematographic styles.”
Other awards included best acting prizes to Thirst’s Monika Naydenova and Our Everyday Life’s Uliks Fehmiu, and Best Director to Poland’s Agnieszka Smoczynska for her feature debut The Lure.
Meanwhile, the Best Film honour in the Baltic Gaze competition was won this year by Vitaly Mansky’s documentary Under The Sun ahead of such titles as Tomasz Wasilewski’s United...
- 4/15/2016
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
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