Different perspectives on animation of today in three keynotes
The programme opens on 22 October with three keynotes drawing on the experience of internationally accomplished producers and filmmakers. Jean-François Le Corre, founder of Vivement Lundi! – French co-producer of the triple Oscar-nominated Flee and producer, alongside Foliascope, of the European Film Award-winning No Dogs or Italians Allowed – will examine the challenges of animated documentary in Producing Animated Documentaries. Emmanuèle Petry, co-founder of Dandelooo, the company behind the International Emmy Kids Award-winning The Treehouse Stories, will unpack the process of adapting books for the screen in From Book to Animation: Finding the Right Form. Meanwhile Croatian director and creative producer Marina Andree Škop will explore how films can become tools for inclusion and social change in Designing Impact Through Film.
Award-winning Baltic and French animation studio presentations
On 23 October, the focus shifts to the studios themselves, with two presentation sessions offering international professionals a concentrated introduction to the scope, talent, and international reach of Baltic animation, while giving Baltic studios an opportunity to meet potential collaborators and partners from abroad.
The line-up brings together an acclaimed group of European animation companies whose work has reached some of the world’s most prominent festivals and awards. Among the French participants are Miyu Productions, whose credits include the Palme d’Or and Annecy Cristal-winning short 27 and the César-winning feature Chicken for Linda!; Vivement Lundi!, Dandelooo, Foliascope, whose award-winning work spans documentary, children’s animation, and auteur filmmaking; and Special Touch Studios.
French animation studio presentations will meet a strong representation of the Baltic animation scene, offering a vivid snapshot of a Baltic animation that is deeply rooted, artistically distinctive, and increasingly international in its ambitions and reach. In the line-up Latvia is represented by Atom Art, Animācijas Brigāde, Studija Kokles, and Studio Locomotive, reflecting the country’s range across auteur animation, stop-motion, children’s content, and international co-production. Lithuania is represented by Akis Bado and Art Shot, the latter known for international co-productions recognised at Sundance, TIFF, Annecy, Locarno, Rotterdam, and Clermont-Ferrand, and for films that have received four Lithuanian national film awards. Estonia is represented by Alexandra Film, Fork Film, AAA Creative – co-producer of the Oscar-shortlisted animated short Sierra – and Nukufilm Studios, the world’s oldest still-running stop-motion studio, established in 1957 and with more than 250 international awards to its name.
Conversation on independent animation by Bill Plympton and Signe Baumane
On 24 October, BAMU participants will have a rare opportunity to hear from one of the defining figures of independent animation. Legendary American animator and two-time Academy Award nominee Bill Plympton, whose unmistakable hand-drawn style and fiercely independent career have made him an icon of auteur animation, will join acclaimed Latvian animator Signe Baumane for a conversation on what it takes to build and sustain a career outside the corporate animation system. Together, they will reflect on creative freedom, longevity, and the realities of making uncompromisingly personal work on one’s own terms.
Special animation screenings in RIGA IFF public programme
As a special extension of the BAMU programme, the Riga International Film Festival (15–25 October) will present two special animation screenings. On 24 October, Bill Plympton’s feature Cheatin’ will be followed by a Q&A moderated by Signe Baumane. On 25 October, a programme curated by the French Animation Film Association (AFCA) will offer a snapshot of contemporary French animation through a selection of seven short films from the Rennes National Animation Film Festival.
Organised in partnership with the Latvian Animation Association and supported by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France and the Institut Français, Baltic Animation Meet-Up, RIGA IFF FORUM’s platform for cross-border connections between animation professionals, will take place from 22 to 24 October. Participation in BAMU and other RIGA IFF FORUM events is available with a RIGA IFF industry accreditation.
For updates and further information, visit forum.rigaiff.lv and follow RIGA IFF and RIGA IFF FORUM on social media. RIGA IFF is made possible with the support of the State Culture Capital Foundation, the EU programme “Creative Europe – MEDIA”, Riga City Council, the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia / Mission Latvia, and the National Film Centre of Latvia. RIGA IFF FORUM is also supported by the French Republic, the French Institute in Poland, the Finnish Film Foundation, BBposthouse/BBrental, Studio BEEP and Lights On.
