Project Description
THE JUMP
In 1970, just off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, Lithuanian sailor and would-be defector Simas Kudirka jumped off his Soviet vessel aboard a US coast guard cutter, asking for asylum. His leap for freedom set off a chaotic series of events, leading to one of the biggest political muddles during the Cold War.
Director: Giedrė Žickytė
Producer: Giedrė Žickytė, Uldis Cekulis
Co-producer: Catherine Siméon, Daniel J. Chalfen
With the support of: Lithuanian Film Centre, Creative Europe – MEDIA Programme of the European Union, Centre National du Cinéma et de l’image animée, PROCIREP – ANGOA, Région Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Production, National Film Centre of Latvia, Vilnius City Municipality, U.S. Embassy in Vilnius Federal Grant, Lithuanian Foundation in Chicago
In co-production with: MDR – Mitteldeutcher Rundfunk; WDR – Westdeutscher Rundfunk; LRT – Lithuanian National Radio and Television, VFS Films (Latvia), Faites Un Voeu (France)
In association with: France televisions, SVT, YLE, LTV, ERR, Naked Edge Films (USA)
International sales: Vesna Cudic for MetFilm Sales, UK
Release: 2020
Pitching Forums
Independent Filmmaker Project, Brooklyn NY (2017)
IDFA Pitching Forum (2016)
Sheffield Doc/Fest Meet Market (2015)
Baltic Sea Forum for Documentaries (2015)
Eurodoc (2015)
Warsaw Film Festival (2020) – Best Documentary Award
Rome Film Festival (2020) – Italian premiere
Doc NYC (2020) – North American premiere
