BLON Festival Programme Features Lithuanian Premieres, International Competitions and Creators from Around the World

Returning for its 12th edition, BLON is the only festival in the Baltic States that brings together creators and fans of video games, digital art and animation. This year’s programme includes internationally acclaimed feature-length and short animated films, five competitive animation programmes, the international Aware Game Awards competition and an immersive exhibition of virtual reality works.

“Every year, we see BLON growing and strengthening its position as an international festival. We receive more and more submissions from different parts of the world, while creators themselves are increasingly eager to take part in the festival and come to Klaipėda. This year, we will welcome guests not only from across Europe, but also from the United States, Argentina, China, Canada and beyond. Over the years, together with the BLON team, we have built an international community of creators and audiences that continues to grow with every edition,” says Festival Director Laura Almantaitė.

According to Svetlana Bezuglova, Head of the Festival’s Animation Programme, this year’s selection brings together stories about people and their relationship with an ever-changing reality – from personal memories and questions of identity to historical turning points, community ties and collective memory. Filmmakers from different countries use animation to explore universal human experiences, offering audiences a glimpse into the ideas and concerns shaping contemporary independent animation around the world.

“This year’s films are about what it means to be human in a constantly changing world. They explore how major historical events find their way into personal stories, how our connections with others help us endure, and how identity is continuously being reshaped. From childhood to adulthood, from intimate memories to collective memory, animation becomes a universal language for speaking about what connects us all. We wanted to select films that not only surprise audiences with their visual language, but also leave a lasting emotional impression,” says Bezuglova.

Competitive short film programmes remain at the heart of BLON. Five competition programmes will showcase some of the latest animated works from around the world, bringing together emerging voices and internationally recognised filmmakers whose work reflects the themes and creative directions shaping independent animation today.

One of the highlights of this year’s programme will be the Lithuanian competition, featuring no fewer than seven new animated short films making their Lithuanian premieres.

The animation programme will also feature a selection of feature films, including a special return to the big screen for Marjane Satrapi’s legendary Persepolis. Two special programmes will also be presented: Voices of Southern Europe, showcasing standout recent animation from Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece and Cyprus, and A Magical Connection, a children’s programme presented in collaboration with the French Institute in Lithuania.

The themes and trends emerging across the animation programme will continue in this year’s video game exhibition, featuring more than a dozen games from around the world. Drawing on their creators’ personal experiences, emotions and stories, these works provoke, raise uncomfortable questions and invite audiences to see games as another form of contemporary storytelling.

Festival visitors will not only be able to explore the games on display, but also play them themselves. Many are designed to be intuitive and accessible, requiring no previous gaming experience. Here, technical skill or achieving a high score matters less than the player’s emotional response and the experience itself.

Alongside the exhibition of finalists from the Aware Game Awards competition, the festival will showcase works by independent Lithuanian creators, board games and video games, as well as host meetings with creators, workshops and other activities.

Virtual reality also remains an integral part of BLON. At the Pranas Domšaitis Gallery, visitors will be able to experience internationally acclaimed VR works demonstrating how new technologies are expanding the possibilities of storytelling and creating increasingly personal and immersive encounters with stories.

As always, BLON invites audiences not only to watch films, but also to meet the people behind them. The festival will feature film presentations and discussions, alongside creative workshops designed for participants of different ages.

Comics take centre stage at this year’s festival, with the programme featuring talks, creative workshops and special guest appearances dedicated to the medium. Among the highlights will be a visit from Lithuanian-American animation and comics creator Kazimieras Gediminas Prapuolenis, better known as Kaz.

From 10–13 September, festival events will take place across Klaipėda at the Kultūros Fabrikas creative industries centre, Herkus Kantas cultural and meeting space, Arlekinas cinema, Klaipėda Puppet Theatre and the Pranas Domšaitis Gallery.

Tickets for festival events are available at www.blon.lt. Early-bird prices are available until 1 September.

The festival is funded by Klaipėda City Municipality, the Lithuanian Film Centre and the Lithuanian Council for Culture.