International success for Tartu-funded shorts

Estonian auteur short films “Sauna Day” and “The Weight of Light”, supported by the Tartu Film Fund, received a total of four awards at two prestigious international film festivals in early April.

The short fiction film “Sauna Day”, directed by Anna Hints and Tushar Prakash, won Best Short Film at the 29th 2ANNAS International Film Festival in Riga. According to the jury, the film “masterfully captures the delicate balance between masculinity and intimacy, tradition and transformation,” offering “a raw and deeply honest cinematic experience.”

The second film by the same creative duo, “The Weight of Light”, won three awards at the FIFOI festival on Réunion Island: the Best Short Film Award, the Youth Jury Award, and the Domini Special Award for a forward-looking perspective on environmental, social, or cultural issues. The film was described as “a quiet yet powerful cry for those whose stories remain unseen.”

Both films have received recognition at numerous festivals and are available to watch on Telia TV and Elisa Huub. The films were produced by Stellar Film and partners and supported by the Estonian Film Institute, the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, the Tartu Film Fund, and several international funding bodies.

https://tartufilmfund.ee/en/movie/sauna-day

https://tartufilmfund.ee/en/movie/the-weight-of-light/