TFF 2025: The Second Programme Release

Along with the announcement of the visual design, new thematic programmes of the 2025 Tampere Film Festival are revealed. This time, two international programme sections are highlighted, focusing on Mongolia and Lithuania.

The Mongolian theme includes four screenings. The first screening features the full-length documentary Passion (Mongolia, 2010), directed by Byamba Sakhya. The film is an unpredictable and grand road trip by two filmmakers, telling the story of the complex relationship between artists and the system, and the impact of social and political transitions on individual destinies.

– We want to start with a film that offers insights into the challenges of the Mongolian film industry during the transitional period. This film has received numerous awards, and its director has become one of the prominent directors in Mongolia, says Bolormaa Luvsandorji, who curated the programme.

The second screening showcases short films by young directors in collaboration with the Golden Ger International Short Film Festival in Mongolia. The featured films explore themes such as social challenges, love, family, and friendship. Among the films presented is Dancer (Mongolia, 2023) by Nomin Gantulga, about a deaf teenage girl who decides to follow her dreams and audition for a dance company. The latest film in the screening is Morning Will Come (Mongolia, 2024) by Ikhbayar Sarantuya, which delves into the life of a screenwriter struggling with writer’s block. The programme also includes Zulaa Urchuud’s experimental documentary Ulaanbaatarjilt (Mongolia, 2017), which explores the Mongolian urban mentality formed during the socialist era of the 1970s in Ulaanbaatar, when the originally nomadic Mongolians had to adapt to the urban livelihood and environment.

The third screening is a mix of both new and older documentary films about Mongolian society and culture, showcasing nomadic traditions and exploring social and environmental challenges. Among the films is Lady of the Gobi (Mongolia, 2022) by Khoroldorj Choijoovanchig and Ingen egshig (Mongolia, 1986) by Khishigt Demid. Choijoovanchig’s documentary follows a truck driver dreaming of a better life on the Mongolian coal highway leading to China, reflecting the human costs and environmental costs of Mongolia’s mining boom. Demid’s documentary tells the story of camel herders and the adoption culture surrounding orphaned camel calves.

The fourth screening in the programme focuses on animation, an emerging industry in Mongolia. The screening will feature works by young animators, including the eight best anime films from Mongolia’s first animation festival, “ANIMO – 2024.” It will also feature the animations Bumbardai (Mongolia, 2018, dir. Erdenebayar Nambaral) and Wings (Mongolia, 2023, dir. Undram Batdelger).

Lithuanian Short Films

The second thematic programme to be announced comes from Lithuania. This programme includes three screenings, featuring, for example, short fiction films by Vytautas Katkus and Laurynas Bareiša. From Katkus’ works, the screenings will include, for example, Kolektyviniai sodai (Lithuania, 2019), a story about the cold relationship between a father and son, and Miegamasis rajonas (Lithuania, 2020), in which two childhood friends spend their last days in the places where they grew up. From Bareiša, films such as Pirtis (Lithuania, 2017) and Kaukazas (Lithuania, 2018) will be presented. Pirtis portrays a group of teenagers partying and the events that follow the next morning, while Kaukazas tells the story of a girl who takes her grandmother’s dog out for a walk. The grandmother starts to search for her, fearing something terrible has happened.

The Lithuanian film programme will also feature a screening of films by Lithuanian female filmmakers, including documentaries, fiction, and animations. For example, the programme will showcase Marija Stonytė’s documentary Vienas gyvenimas (Lithuania, 2019), which tells the story of raising a butterfly, and Milda Augustaitytė’s documentary Numeris vienas (Lithuania, 2023), which focuses on twelve-year-old Arianas preparing for the Lithuanian standard and Latin dance championships with his partner.

The full programme of the Tampere Film Festival will be announced, and individual tickets will go on sale on 11 February 2025. The competition selections for the 2025 festival will be revealed at the end of January. Serial Cards are already available at discounted pre-sale prices until 6 January 2025, on Lippu.fi’s online store and sales points.