During the conversation, the ins and outs, motivations, and difficulties of organizing this festival were shared. How it has reached its 15th edition and what this year has to offer.

This year marks the 15th edition of Litauisches Kino Goes Berlin. As the founder of the festival, could you tell us how it all began and what ideas inspired you to start this project?

Ms. Giedrė Simanauskaitė answered how her personal background and history brought her to found the Lithuanian Film Festival in Berlin. After gaining several experiences in film programming and film festivals both in Lithuania and abroad, she applied as film curator and programmer for the NIPKOW program in Berlin, a scholarship for young filmmakers to support them in developing film projects. When she had to choose an idea for her project, she immediately thought that it could be meaningful to create a festival on Lithuanian cinema, which was the one she knew the best. She immediately understood the potential of her idea, considering that at the time there were no spaces for Lithuanian film projections and a widespread lack of knowledge about Lithuanian culture.

Thus, the festival started in 2011 as a platform where cinema could be a powerful medium to communicate the Lithuanian identity, capable of shaping cultural understanding and contributing to position Lithuania within the cultural consciousness of Berlin.

The festival was born as a one-time event; however, due to the interest shown by the audience, the founder decided to transform it into a recurring event every year.

Who are the main partners of the festival, and in which ways do the institutional partnerships — especially the one with the Lithuanian Embassy in Germany — play a role in the festival’s funding, promotion, or influence?

The Lithuanian Embassy in Germany helped the organizers since the beginning of the festival in 2011, providing financial assistance to filmmakers.

With the growing of the festivals in terms of numbers and expenses, she and her team applied for additional support from the Lithuanian Council for Culture. However, over the years the Lithuanian cultural policy funding changed and currently the main funding partner is the Lithuanian Film Center, with additional support from the Lithuanian Embassy in Berlin through its cultural attaché. The collaboration with the Embassy is crucial for the publicity and the information about the festival. On this point, Ms. Simanauskaitė stressed that spreading information is a vital form of support and crucial for the festival’s visibility and success.

Furthermore, the partnership with the Embassy allows the festival to develop special programs, like for example the program they’ve created to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the renown Lithuanian painter and musician, Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis.

The festival also gets private sponsorship and support from the Lithuanian Foundation, Inc, a US based non-profit foundation dedicated to foster Lithuanian culture abroad.

On the possible influence that the institutional and private partners might have, all the parties have the same goal: to promote Lithuanian culture abroad and make it more visible and more attractive to their foreign audience, as well as to Lithuanian expats.

Cinema is a universal language that can build bridges between cultures. How does your festival contribute to intercultural dialogue, and what role do you see yourselves playing in promoting cultural diplomacy between Lithuania and Germany?

Ms. Simanauskaitė explained that it serves multiple purposes: on one hand, it promotes Lithuanian culture abroad, providing a platform for audiences to engage with Lithuanian films and it also functions as a meeting point for Lithuanians from different locations and international guests. She noted that over the last 15 years, since the beginning of the festival, many personal and professional collaborations have emerged from these interactions.

Furthermore, she highlighted a collaboration between the Baltic countries with the purpose of expanding the festival’s scope, attracting audiences from across the region and diversifying the program. However, this partnership was paused later on due to the change in funding and other circumstances and because maintaining a distinct Lithuanian identity is important for the festival.

What difficulties might someone encounter when organizing a festival with this dimension?  How do you approach the storytelling and the order of the projections?

Organizing a festival of this scale involves both logistical and creative challenges. Financial limitations are always a primary concern, influencing human resources and other organizational aspects. Despite these challenges, the festival operates successfully due to the devotion and commitment of the team, who are motivated to continue what they have created.

Regarding programming and storytelling, she emphasized that while she works with a team, she personally focuses on the programming, drawing on her experience from working in various festivals in Germany, Lithuania and Spain. When selecting short films, she carefully considers the sequence of films, thinking about the emotional journey of the audience: what emotions should be evoked at the beginning and how the audience should feel at the end.

Programming decisions also depend on practical matters, such as the availability of filmmakers for screenings, agreements with the cinemas, the age and type of the films, and the intended message of the program. For example, the festival’s opening on Thursday showcases five short films primarily as a social gathering, allowing participants to meet, while the weekend includes special programs, readings, and talks, scheduled when audiences are more available.

The festival also maintains a cinema brunch that can also serve as a platform for professional networking and informal discussions, supporting potential collaborations and connections within the film community.

For this year’s edition, what is the central aim of the festival? Which stories are you most eager to highlight, and what impact or outcomes do you hope the festival will generate for audiences?

Ms. Simanauskaitė explained that the central aim of the 15th anniversary edition is to celebrate the milestone of the festival, which the opening short film program, “The Five Ways of Celebration” perfectly reflects. She recalled that the 10th anniversary in 2020 coincided with the pandemic, which made the celebration limited and difficult, as only a few team members could attend screenings due to safety measures. Therefore the 15th anniversary provides an opportunity for a more festive atmosphere.

This year’s program also includes four new films, the “Festival Pearls,” which have received recognition at other festivals demonstrating the evolution of Lithuanian cinema over the past 15 years. She noted that while other festivals now showcase Lithuanian films, careful programming allow them to maintain distinctive identity and lasting impact.

The festival opens with a special short film programme, “The Five Ways of Celebration,” which explores Lithuanian ways of marking life’s key moments. What do these “five ways of celebration” reveal about Lithuanian society today, and why did you choose this theme for the festival’s anniversary edition?

The “Five Ways of Celebration” program examines how the Lithuanians mark significant moments in their life, such as holidays like Easter or New Year to funerals. This is important to show the variety of cultural approaches to celebrations, highlighting both joyful and solemn moments, offering the audiences insight into national traditions.

Lastly, this theme was chosen to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the organization of this Festival.

When organizing a festival, it’s not only about showing films or holding screenings — there are also other ways of bringing people together. Could you expand a bit on this idea? Specifically, how do elements such as the Q&A sessions with directors and actors contribute to enriching the festival experience? And over the years, have you noticed that these exchanges bring not just more knowledge, but also new and different perspectives to the conversation?

Beyond film screenings, Ms. Simanauskaitė explained that she sees a film festival as much more than just a series of projections. With a background in cultural management, she approaches programming with the belief that events deserve to be called festivals only when they meet certain cultural and experiential standards.

According to her, a film festival should include not only screenings but also a variety of side programs and complementary events that provide deeper insight into film, culture, and opportunities for collaboration. For this reason, Q&A sessions with directors and actors have become an essential part of the festival. She believes they give the audience the chance to engage with the films on a deeper level. Without such exchanges, the experience would remain incomplete — viewers would simply watch the film and leave.

Through Q&As or detailed introductions before screenings, audiences can reflect more on what they have seen and gain a richer understanding of the work. Ms. Simanauskaitė emphasized that these side programs significantly enhance the cultural experience of the festival.

Every year, the festival also includes special events and programs, such as book presentations related to cinema or audiovisual arts. Even if only loosely connected to film, she believes these activities add meaning and depth to the festival, reinforcing its identity as a platform for cultural exchange and reflection.

To conclude our conversation, we’d like to ask if you have any specific expectations for this year’s festival. What do you hope to see from the audience or from the kind of discussions and debates that might emerge during the event?

Ms. Simanauskaitė feels that every year the festivals brings in something new, so it is hard to predict. Moreover, currently we live in times where everything seems so fragile, thus prediction becomes hard for the matter as well. Rather than expecting something, she has expressed the wish that the festival could serve as “a small oasis of celebration amid the madness of the world we are living in.”

The ICD team wants to thank Ms. Simanauskaitė for her generous availability and insightful answers, which give us an understanding of everything that goes into organizing a festival of this scale and its cultural importance in sharing Lithuanian art and identity. We wish all the best and hope that the festival will be held successfully.

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