RIGA: The National Film Centre of Latvia has announced the results of its 2021 production grants for new films. The grants in the amount of 1,538,805 EUR have been distributed to 15 film projects: four full-length fiction films, eight documentaries, and three animation films, which will be produced by 11 production companies.

RIGA: Latvian director Māris Martinsons has started production on In the Land that Sings (working title) / Zeme, kas dzied. The historical drama is set in the second half of the 19th century, when the first Latvian Song Festival took place. The initial shooting period ran from 9 to 20 March in Riga and Ramava. The next shooting period is planned for January and the summer of 2022. The film is produced by Linda Krūkle for K Films.

RIGA: The National Film Centre of Latvia gave out the Latvian Co-financing programme grants totalling 1,158,013 EUR to six film projects originating from Germany, Russia, the Netherlands and Denmark.

RIGA: Latvian director Dace Pūce’s debut feature film The Pit / Bedre (2020), whose sales are handled by TVCO (Italy), has been sold to the German distributor Arsenal Filmverleih. The film will be distributed in Germany in 30-35 cinemas, as well as in Austria and the German speaking region of Switzerland, in the autumn of 2021.

RIGA: Latvian box office results show a nearly 70% decrease in 2020 in comparison to 2019. Due to the pandemic, the cinemas were closed in mid-March, allowed to re-open in mid-May with restricted capacity, and closed again at the beginning of November.

RIGA: Latvian film industry experienced disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic since mid-March 2020. The cinemas were closed from 13 March to 9 June and from 9 November until the end of 2020 (the closure being effective until 7 February 2021). Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, film production was subject to special precautions.

RIGA: The feature animation My Favourite War / Mans mīļākais karš, directed by Ilze Burkovska-Jacoben and produced by Trond Jacobsen for Bivrost Film & TV and Guntis Trekteris for Ego Media, has signed distribution deals with Spain and France.

RIGA: Director Anthony Waller has completed shooting in Latvia on the US fantasy/horror film The Piper. The film’s service producer is the Latvian studio Tasse Film. The main shooting period ran from 5 October to 6 December 2020 on location in Latvia.

RIGA: Latvian documentary director Uģis Olte has completed the principal shooting for his debut fiction feature film, a mythological thriller Upurga, produced by Uldis Cekulis and Raitis Ābele at VFS Films.

RIGA: Latvian director Ieva Ozoliņa is in postproduction with her third feature length documentary My Mother the State / Mana māte – valsts, produced by Madara Melberga at Fa Filma (Latvia) and coproduced by Larus Jonsson at Republik (Iceland).