# Karolis Kaupinis

Karolis Kaupinis (born 9 October 1987) is a Lithuanian film director and screenwriter.

## Biography

Karolis Kaupinis was born on 9 October 1987, in Vilnius, Lithuania. He graduated from Vilnius University with a master's degree in Comparative Politics. For five years, Karolis Kaupinis worked as a presenter and editor-in-chief of a weekly television program covering political news for a Lithuanian national channel.
In 2013, he wrote and directed his first fiction short film, The Noisemaker, in collaboration with producer Marija Razgutė and M-Films production company. The project was selected at the Locarno International Film Festival in 2013 and screened at 50 international film festivals.
In 2017, he wrote and directed his second short film, Watchkeeping, also produced by Marija Razgutė (M-Films) and screened at various international festivals.
In 2019, his debut feature film, Nova Lituania, was selected for the co-production market at Les Arcs Film Festival and released in 2020 as a historical black-and-white film. It premiered at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 2020. This collaboration with Marija Razgutė (M-Films) was Lithuania's submission for the 93rd Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category.
His second feature film, Hunger Strike Breakfast, was filmed in Kaunas, Lithuania, in March 2023. The film, produced by Marija Razgutė (M-Films) in co-production with Background Films (Czech Republic) and Tasse Film (Latvia), explores the hunger strike of Lithuanian television employees following the Soviet Union's military occupation of the Vilnius TV Tower in 1991. It was scheduled for release in 2024.

## Filmography

* 2013: The Noisemaker (fiction / short film / Lithuania)
* 2017: Watchkeeping (fiction / short film / Lithuania)
* 2019: Nova Lituania (fiction / feature film / Lithuania)
* 2024: Hunger Strike Breakfast (fiction / feature film / Lithuania)

## Awards and honors

| Festival and Year | Category | Name of the Movie | Result (Win or Nominated) |
| Vienna Independent Short Film Festival 2015 | Special Jury Mention | The Noisemaker | Nominated |
| Vilnius International Film Festival 2015 | Best Lithuanian Short | The Noisemaker | Nominated |
| Premiers Plans Festival in Angers 2015 | International category | The Noisemaker | Nominated |
| Lithuanian Film Awards 2015 | Best Short Film | The Noisemaker | Win |
| Vilnius International Film Festival (Kino Pavasaris) 2017 | Short film competition | Watchkeeping | Nominated |
| IndieLisboa International Film Festival 2017 | International short category | Watchkeeping | Nominated |
| Uppsala International Film Festival 2017 | International short competition | Watchkeeping | Nominated |
| Cairo International Film Festival 2019 | Best Film Nomination | Nova Lituania | Nominated |
| Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2019 | International Competition | Nova Lituania | Selected |
| Wiesbaden International Film Festival 2020 | Best Director | Nova Lituania | Win |
| Lithuanian Film Academy Awards "Silver Crane" 2020 | Best Director | Nova Lituania | Win |
| Lithuanian Film Academy Awards "Silver Crane" 2020 | Best Screenplay | Nova Lituania | Selected |
| Lithuanian Film Academy Awards "Silver Crane" 2020 | Best Films | Nova Lituania | Win |
| Oscars' 93rd Academy Awards 2020 | Best International Feature Film | Nova Lituania | Selected |
| Lithuanian Film Academy National Awards 2021 | Best Director | Nova Lituania | Win |
| Lithuanian Film Academy National Awards 2021 | Best Screenplay | Nova Lituania | Win |