National Film Center distributes EUR 1.5 million among 15 cinematic projects

  • 2021-03-23
  • LETA/TBT Staff

RIGA - As a result of a film production competition, the National Film Center (NFC) has distributed EUR 1.5 million among 15 cinematic projects that will be produced at 11 Latvian film studios. 

As NFC representative Inga Blese informed LETA, the center announced the film production competition on January 15 this year in order to support the production of new feature, animated and documentary films.

By the February 15 deadline, studios had submitted 35 projects in the competition, with the total amount of funding sought for the projects reaching EUR 4 million. The competition included online presentations of 14 feature film projects, 16 documentary film projects and four animated film projects. 

Of the funding available in the NFC competition, EUR 916,596 were awarded for shooting four feature films, EUR 309,933 were awarded for making eight documentaries of various length, and EUR 312,277 were distributed to three animated films, including two feature-length films and one short. 

The filmmakers starting work on new feature films this year include Ilze Kunga-Melgaile, Signe Birkova, Davis Simanis and Liene Linde. Documentaries will be made by directors Andrejs Verhoustinskis, Vitaly Mansky, Ivars Zviedris, Elizabete Mezule-Gricmane, Davids Ernstreits and Inese Klava, Liene Linde-Kalnaelle and Sandijs Semjonovs, Laila Pakalnina, as well as Janis Abele. Meanwhile, Edmunds Jansons, Gints Zilbalodis and Krista Burane will be shooting animated films.