Latvia celebrates centennial with $8.5m film fund

Scroll down for full list of projects

Latvia is celebrating the country’s centennial in 2018 by funding a slate of 16 feature-length films.

With a total budget of $8.5m (€7.5m) from the National Film Centre of Latvia, an independent jury selected projects out of 31 submissions in a bid to highlight a wide range of filmmaking talent and genres from the country.

The selected projects - six features, two animation films, eight documentaries - go into production this year and will premiere in 2018.

National Film Centre director Dita Rietuma said: “Our aim was to select artistically high-quality films of diverse genres and significant for society by examining Latvia’s national identity and history.

“We are especially happy to note that the selection includes as many as nine female directors from various generations such as one of our leading directors Inara Kolmane (Billie), but also newcomers like Madara Dislere (Paradise ‘89) in addition to David Simanis (Boy With A Dog), whose Escaping Riga premiered at CPH:DOX in 2014.”

Jury members included poet Mara Zalite, film directors Janis Streičs and Peteris Krilovs, film theoretician Viktors Freibergs, representative of the National Cultural Council Gundega Laiviņa, US composer Lolita Ritmanis, patron of culture Boris Teterev and deputy director of the National Film Centre Uldis Dimiševskis.

Cash rebate budget increase

The uptake on Latvian production coincides with an increase in the budget for the cash rebate run by the National Film Centre of Latvia, going from $724,000 (€646,000) this year to $1.34m (€1.2m) for the next year.

One of the projects recently selected for a cash rebate is A Gentle Creature by Sergey Loznitsa, who returns to Latvia after shooting Cannes Competition title In The Fog in the country. Loznitsa’s upcoming feature is produced by Marianne Slot (France) with Film Angels Studio handling the Latvian production.

The total cash rebate of the National Film Centre of Latvia and Riga Film Fund - which can be used in tandem in 2017 - is increased to $2.6m (€2.3m). Both cash rebate schemes offer open deadline for submissions.

The country has traditionally been known for its high quality animation and documentariesRecent Latvian successes include Renars Vimbars’ Mellow Mud, which won the Berlin Crystal Bear for Best Youth Film.

Full list of supported feature-length films premiere in 2018

FICTION

• 1906, dir. Gatis Smits, prod. Tanka (Augustinas Katilius)
• Bille, dir. Inara Kolmane, prod. Devini (Janis Juhnevics, Marta Romanova)
• Homo Novus, dir. Anna Viduleja, prod. Film Angels Productions (Ivo Ceplevics)
• Paradise ’89, dir. Madara Dislere, prod. Tasse Film (Aija Berzina, Alise Gelze)
• Boy with a Dog, dir. Davis Simanis, prod. Mistrus Media (Gints Grube)
• Granddad More Dangerous than Computer, dir. Varis Brasla, prod. Studio F.O.R.M.A. (Gatis Upmalis)

ANIMATION

• Jekabs, Mimi and Talking Dogs, dir. Edmunds Jansons, prod. Atom Art (Sabine Andersone)
• The Sun Rides up into the Sky, dir. Roze Stiebra, prod. Locomotive Productions (Roberts Vinovskis)

DOCUMENTARIES

• Eight Stars, dir. Askolds Saulitis, prod. Studio Centrums (Bruno Ascuks)
• Baltic New Wave, dir. Kristine Briede, Audrius Stonys, prod. VFS Films (Uldis Cekulis)
• Baltic Tribes, dir. Raitis Abele, Lauris Abele, prod. Tritone Studio (Dace Siatkovska)
• The Wounded Rider, dir. Ilona Bruvere, prod. Kinolats (Ilona Bruvere)
• Kurts Fridrihsons, dir. Dzintra Geka, prod. Sibirijas berni (Dzintra Geka)
• Lustrum, dir. Gints Grube, prod. Mistrus Media (Elina Gedina-Ducena)
• Merija’s Journey, dir. Kristine Zelve, prod. Vivat! (Elvita Ruka)
• Continuation, dir. Ivars Seleckis, prod. Mistrus Media (Antra Gaile)