The Fifth Annual New York Baltic Film Festival (NYBFF) presented by Scandinavia House: The Nordic Center in America returns in 2022 as a hybrid festival with both in-person and virtual screenings on November 2-13! From November 2 through 6, in-person screenings and events will take place at Scandinavia House in New York, presented in accordance with new COVID-19 safety guidance and protocols. Following the success of last year’s festival, the online version will once again be available to viewers all across the U.S. via the Elevent streaming platform November 4-13.

On November 5, see Sisters (Māsas, dir. Linda Olte, Latvia/Italy, 2022, Narrative). Anastasija (Emma Skirmante) and Diāna (Gerda Aljēna) are sisters living in a Latvian orphanage. When they hear that an American family wants to adopt them, Diāna cannot wait to move to the States, while her older sister is hesitant: she is still holding out hope that their biological mother, Alla (Iveta Pole), will return to take care of them and create the stability they both need so much. But when Alla does eventually come back into the girls’ lives — and Anastasija does everything she can to establish a relationship with her — their mother has plans of her own.

A thoughtful reflection on the experiences of Latvian “system children” caught between foreign adoption and the desire to find their biological parents, Sisters is a confident first film from director Linda Olte, with a talented cast adding convincing depth.

This film will only be offered as an in-person screening. Tickets to this event must be purchased in advance online at the link above; film screenings will take place in Victor Borge Hall.

About the Director

Linda Olte is a Latvian director, writer, and editor and is currently focusing on social issues, especially on families and children. Olte’s work on the documentary My Father the Banker (2015) earned her a National Film Award for Best Editing. After many years of working in Latvian Television on several successful programs, series, and shorts, Sisters (2022) will be her feature debut. Olte is currently developing her next feature film The Child.

About the NYBFF

Established in 2018, the New York Baltic Film Festival is presented and organized by Scandinavia House in collaboration with the Consulate General of Estonia, Consulate General of Lithuania, and Daris Delins, former Honorary Consul for Latvia in New York and founder of the festival.

Financial support for the festival comes from the Estonian Film Institute, National Film Center of Latvia, Lithuanian Film Center, and the Edhard Corporation with additional sponsorship by the Estonian American National Council, Lithuanian Culture Institute, Lithuanian Foundation, Consulate General of Estonia in New York, Embassy of Latvia in Washington D.C., Permanent Mission of Latvia to the U.N. in New York, Consulate General of Lithuania in New York, American Latvian Association, Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, the PBLA Culture Fund, and Sondra Litvaitytė.

Organizers & Sponsors