During this presentation, you will learn about the latest multimedia trends in Lithuania's public and business sectors. Leveraging 3D/2D design, 360-degree filming, programming, engineering, and other areas, the company 'Gluk Media' has created numerous temporary and permanent installations for over 13 years, not only within Lithuania but also beyond its borders. We will look at the latest extended reality technologies (XR) and provide practical examples of how these technologies are applied in the fields of culture, art, education, business and marketing.

The film crew talk about the challenges of producing a full-length animated film in Lithuania. A detailed presentation on how the film was visually executed, how the characters, the narrative, and the style evolved from the storyboard to the final result.

anima, animae [f.] A = Soul, breath, spirit, life.

Character animation is about giving life, not "just" making a character move.

How do you bring life to the screen? How do you make your character believable and create empathy, so that your audience is moved?

Marie-Laure Guisset will be happy to share the tips and tricks she has gathered in her career of 20+ years in the animation industry (both 2D and 3D), during this 'Acting in Animation' masterclass.

Discussion between graphic designer Mantas Rimkus and animator, director Antanas Skučas. Moderated by Sondra Simanaitienė, Deputy Director of the Sculpture Park, History Museum of Lithuania Minor. The talk will be followed by the game 'Find the sculpture based on the fantasy of artificial intelligence'. Participation in the chat and game is free (1 hour long).

A cosy and informal talk with animation creators from the Lithuanian and Ukrainian competition programmes about their work and all the secret corners of the animation industry.

Just beneath our feet, often overlooked, incredible characters are fighting for their lives. Vines battle for dominance, ants move mountains, and birds change their very nature to survive. Virtual reality has a reputation for distancing us from actual reality, but how can it be used to engage us with the environment and rebuild our relationship with the natural world?

Challenges and cultural differences in the process of making the Armenian-Lithuanian-German docu-animation 'Aurora's Sunrise'.

During his time working in the gaming industry and teaching game programming, the concept of 'flow' became an important topic for Rico Possienka. Staying in the zone while creating is a subject close to his heart, and he'd like to share his thoughts on it.

What is the vision for a game? Where does it come from? What are the first steps in going from an idea to a game? How can you maintain the vision throughout production? Aleksander Kauch explains how 11 bit studios carries its vision for a game through the development process, beginning from the idea and its inspirations and ending with a game that delivers its vision through story, gameplay mechanics and narration.

A deep dive into prize-winning 2D Animated feature film 'Titina'.

While showing its beautiful visuals (from early concept art to final frames), the film's animation director, Marie-Laure Guisset, guides you through Titina's moviemaking process, from director Kajsa Naess' first idea to the final image and sound. Marie-Laure will talk about the challenges of making a 2D animated feature film, and also share some of the magic moments that (working with) animation can bring.

In his enlightening talk, Ata offers a deep dive into the intersection of politics and gaming. He explores the unique development process of Torpor Games, and how they have made innovative use of multiple perspectives to create politically engaging entertainment. Drawing from his personal experiences and professional journey, Ata reveals the challenges and rewards of blending complex political themes with immersive gaming experiences. This talk is essential not only for those interested in the nexus of politics, storytelling and game design, but also those who want to understand the journey of founding and running a games company.

An overview of the adult animation market in Europe.

'Concept artist' is a profession for which there is no Lithuanian term, but it's an indispensable role in any complex creative process. A concept artist is the person who turns the director's ideas into visual material. Based on examples from the film 'Vesper', Vilius explains how to communicate with creative and production people, and how to achieve the best results in your creative project.

Panel discussion dedicated to serious games. Experienced video games critic Vytautas Lukaševičius will be talking to three game developers from very different backgrounds, but with the same goal and mission – to promote positive and meaningful change. Come, listen in, ask questions, and discover the wholesome and empathy-driven side of video games.

Panelists: Alexander Kauch (11 bit studios); Lucie Tvarohová (Charles Games); Michal Gembicki (Remote Control Productions); Moderated by: Vytautas Lukaševičius (Done Right).

An interactive networking evening during which we'll be passing a microphone around to anyone who wants to introduce themselves, present their company, projects or ideas and find like-minded people or colleagues.

A cosy and informal talk with animation creators from the international competition programme about their work and all the secret corners of the animation industry.

In this talk, Šarūnas and Žilvinas will share some of the creative processes during the development of their studio‘s latest adventure game Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit, which became last year‘s Game of the Year in Lithuania.

Screenwriter and director Tadas Vidmantas, along with producer Jurgita Rakauskaitė, will share their behind-the-scenes experiences of creating the first Lithuanian animated series, 'Babookums'.

As a writer who joined the game industry fairly late, by accident and without any actual gamedev experience or education, Märten Rattasepp wants to share his story. He'll talk about writing itself, how he personally prefers to write, based on his experience so far of mainly narrative-and-text-oriented RPGs; how game mechanics play into telling stories; how to adhere to a vision during preproduction, research, production, documentation – and how important that ends up being; how things sometimes do not work out... and when it all goes wrong anyway.

Discussion about recently released feature-length Lithuanian animated films, TV series and their viewers.

How the game development programme at Warsaw Film School was created, and how it is managed: its formal structure, and what informal activities take place around the studies. Why it is so important to focus not only on the technical gamedev side, but also on film, other media and art education. And, as a case study, how the game 'Best Month Ever!' was created within the school‘s programme.

Since being introduced on Xbox and then Steam in the mid-2000s, gameplay achievements have become a staple of gaming. These days, external, platform-powered achievements serve a variety of functions, from promoting social interactions around the game, to extending gameplay time and encouraging exploratory play or specific player behaviour. In a way, designing fun and meaningful achievements has grown to become part of game design, as it can shape the way the player engages with the game. Focusing on indie games on Steam, this talk will outline the ways in which achievements can be designed, used and presented to the player in a way that enhances their experience.

In this presentation, Rokas discusses the popular myths about obtaining intellectual property rights in the production of cinema, animation and video games. He will explain the process of obtaining rights to the results of other authors' work, music, story, etc.; how to formalise the acquisition of rights, and which contracts and consents are necessary. He will discuss when the consent of an author is required if you use part of their work in your creation. He will also cover the main provisions of agreements to acquire the rights to use the works of other authors.

Video games can significantly impact society, and raise the question of whether developers should express political or social views through their creations, or keep them as pure entertainment. While some advocate for neutrality, others argue that games are not apolitical and can be used to promote certain values. Video games uniquely engage players, but taking a stance can be risky and difficult to balance with an enjoyable experience. Game developers must thoughtfully weigh the benefits and risks of taking a stance on political and social issues in video games.

You're invited to join a casual conversation about dreams, challenges, visions, overcoming personal blocks or even finding inspiration in them. The conversation will be led by Ieva Beneckė, an experienced game designer and team lead. She will be joined by Marten, Natasha, and Vladimir – creators and collaborators in well-known narrative and emotional games. Together, they will talk about the desire to reflect personal experiences through games, and try to understand why so many of us never dare to venture into the area of brave, personal and emotionally charged games.

Panelists: Märten Rattasepp (Pentiment; Disco Elysium); Natasha Sebben (Psychotic Bathtub); Vladimir Slav (Late Bird); Moderated by: Ieva Beneckė (Estoty; Dievo Režimas/Godmode)

Three stories from games creators participating in the latest A MAZE./Berlin festival:

Natsha aka Natasha Sebben Meaningful Decision Making – How to Give Our Players' Lives the Illusion of Meaning What makes a decision meaningful? How can we give our players' lives the illusion of meaning? This talk provides answers. And some additional questions.

Harry Tuffs Storytelling at Scale - Social Narrative Design for 4-4000 Players Harry Tuffs, Narrative Lead for Tributary Games, gives an overview of story and script design in King of the Castle, a social narrative game that can be played by up to 4000 players at once! What was done, why it was created, and lessons learned along the way.

Leander Leutzendorff It’s just a talk about Dreams (don’t worry) Let’s talk about dreams. My dreams, your dream, the dreams we have in our dreams. Explore together with the head behind the head of “It’s just a dream (don't worry)”, the source of its initial inspiration and the fascination that comes with indulging into these worlds beyond our waking lives. A trip down memory lane. If the lane were a subconscious one and the memories all made up.

Inside the production of the stop-motion animated feature 'No Dogs Or Italians Allowed' by Alain Ughetto. Was a European co-production the best way to succeed?

HyperTalks are short and fun five-minute knowledge injections. 5-7 artists (+ a special surprise guest) will talk about projects, experiences, failures and sources of inspiration in their work. HyperTalks are a platform for both established artists as well as upcoming talents. This session at BLON is hosted by A MAZE. founder and artistic director Thorsten S. Wiedemann.

Before we leave… let’s gather for the closing panel of the festival with Florian, Gediminas, Ata and everyone who'd like to share their experiences and involvement in local ecosystems. In this panel, we will discuss various types of industry ecosystems and their importance in maintaining a healthy and balanced industry. All of the speakers on the panel are experienced professionals with a strong passion for organising.

Panelists: Gediminas Tarasevičius (No Brakes Games, Lithuanian Game Developers Association); Ata Nowak (Torpor Games); Florian Masuth (medianet berlinbrandenburg e.V.)

What did the earliest AI (artificial intelligence) creations look like? What are the most popular tools in use today? How is the field advancing, and what tools might we see in the near future?

Nowadays, AI is portrayed either as a doom machine that will destroy humanity or as a world saviour that will bring humanity into utopia. However, in reality, it is just a tool, although sophisticated, difficult to understand and transgressing many boundaries. Most importantly – as all other tools – it is built by humans, is used by humans and should be evaluated by humans.

Therefore, we will discuss the most burning questions on the use of AI tools for creative purposes with three professional human beings – one creating such tools, one working with them and one evaluating the legal and ethical boundaries for the use of such tools.