„Lion, Bear and Twig“ returns to Panevėžys: October 3–12 Film Festival at the Stasys Museum Cinema Hall

From October 3 to 12, Panevėžys will host the film festival “Lion, Bear and Twig” – a tradition that has become a true celebration of cinema, inviting audiences to discover the brightest films of high artistic value. This year, the festival will debut in a new, modern venue – the  „Stasys Museum“  Cinema Hall (Respublikos St. 40).

The festival program features impressive works from all over the world: from Europe to Asia and Latin America. Fourteen meticulously selected films from Cannes, Berlin, Locarno, and San Sebastián film festivals, including five Jury Prizes from Cannes and Berlin. Each film speaks to today’s realities – our lives, challenges, and joys.

This year’s festival theme is “The Road Opens as You Walk.” Hope is the driving force of the program, constantly pushing film characters forward – to walk, ride, sail, or fly. This year’s program will unfold in various forms of road movies, whose routes are unplanned and unpredictable.

Program Highlights

The festival opens with the dystopian comedy “Blue Blearest Blue” (dir. Gabriel Mascaro), winner of the Grand Prix at the Berlin Film Festival. From Cannes, we welcome the vibrant techno saga “Sirat” (dir. Oliver Laxe), the cinematic poem “Looking at the Sun” (dir. Mascha Schilinski), and Jury Prize winner “Poetà” (dir. Simón Mesa Soto).

We will also screen the last film of legendary Palme d’Or winner Laurent Cantet – “Enzo”, which was completed after the director’s death by French masters Robin Campillo, the Dardenne brothers, and Jacques Audiard. The program also includes German director Christian Petzold’s drama “Reflections No. 3: A Boat on the Ocean” starring Paula Beer, Academy Award nominee Raoul Peck’s documentary on George Orwell “Orwell: 2 + 2 = 5”, and Hungarian cinema legend György Pálfi’s comedy “The Little Hen”.

This year’s special section presents the Egyptian Trilogy by Swedish-Egyptian director Tarik Saleh, including his latest film “Republic’s Eagles”, premiered at Cannes.

The festival pays special attention to authentic presentation – graphic design is traditionally created by Madis Kivi, the main festival visual by artist Elena Maja, and the original festival music by Rafael Mamedov. Across Lithuania, films will be screened with Lithuanian and English subtitles.

FESTIVAL PROGRAM IN PANEVĖŽYS, STASYS MUSEUM

Venue:  „Stasys Museum“  Cinema Hall (Respublikos St. 40, Panevėžys)

October 3 (Friday)
18:00 – Blue Blearest Blue

October 4 (Saturday)
15:00 – The Animal Whisperer
17:00 – Reflections No. 3: A Boat on the Ocean
19:00 – Sirat

October 5 (Sunday)
14:00 – Enzo
16:00 – The Little Hen
18:00 – Love Me Tenderly

October 7 (Tuesday)
18:00 – Case No. 137: A Personal Matter

October 8 (Wednesday)
18:00 – May the Road Remain Clear

October 9 (Thursday)
18:00 – Poetà

October 10 (Friday)
18:00 – Looking at the Sun

October 11 (Saturday)
16:00 – Blue Blearest Blue
18:00 – Orwell: 2 + 2 = 5

October 12 (Sunday)
14:00 – The Nile Hilton Incident
16:20 – Cairo Conspiracy
19:00 – Republic’s Eagles

Films are screened at the  „Stasys Museum“ Cinema Hall (Respublikos St. 40, Panevėžys). Ticket price: €5, discounts apply. Tickets can be purchased at the  „Stasys Museum“ box office from October 2. More information: stasysmuseum.com

Festival partner – Cinema Center “Garsas”.