Kingpins
Run Paula Run! A heist comedy fuelled by adrenaline, romance, film references, and killer tunes.
Struggling actress Paula races from one failed audition to another, still wearing a Little Red Riding Hood costume when she arrives late for her shift at a bowling alley. There, she slips into another role under the watchful eye of her boss Gastons. At home, unpaid bills pile up while her boyfriend Kaspars embraces matcha, Zen rituals and a string of bad investments.
Paula is tired of being told what she can and cannot do. When she learns that cash from Gastons’ businesses is kept in the office safe until the tenth of each month, she sees her chance. With Gastons away on a business trip to Tallinn, Paula and Kaspars plan the perfect inside job: masks, a getaway car, copied keys, and an alibi. They can already picture a life without overdue bills and cheap food. But even the perfect plan can take an unexpected turn.
Kristians Riekstiņš’s debut crime comedy brings an “Ocean’s Eleven” spirit to a decidedly less glamorous bowling-alley heist, packed with twists, suspects and youthful ambition.
Edvinas Pukšta
Director's note
"Kingpins" explores the struggles young people face when their dreams and aspirations clash with reality. Paula, the film's main character, is a talented actress –often underestimated and relegated to minor roles –who turns to robbery as both a financial solution and a desperate attempt to prove her worth.
The heist becomes Paula's ultimate ‘performance:' a chance to embody the daring, complex character she believes exists within her. However, when the plan goes awry, she must reassess her views on money, success, and self-reliance.
In developing this project, I've drawn on my own experiences as an aspiring creative and my desire to explore early-adulthood alienation in a fun, entertaining, and slightly ironic way. What makes this project special is how it transforms the familiar crime genre into a story about artistic ambition –using the bowling alley heist as a metaphor for the risks we take to be truly seen and valued.
"Kingpins"is ultimately a story about moving beyond the need for validation, finding dignity in small roles, and discovering love and fulfilment in unexpected places –told with explosive energy and a punk-rock attitude.
Biography
Kristians Riekstins (1993) is a Latvian filmmaker, writer and editor, and a graduate of the directing programme at the Latvia's National Film School. He has worked professionally as an editor, specialising in advertising and film trailers, while also directing short films including “Undercurrent” (“Apakšstraume”, 2016) and “Eva” (2018). His debut feature “Kingpins” won the Script Pool Award at Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event 2024. In his free time he enjoys winter sports, homebrewing, solving crossword puzzles, and the culinary arts.
Filmography
Kingpins (2026)
Award for Best Baltic Film, grant of 5000€ from Piletilevi
Screenings
