On November 12th the 2018 National Film Award ceremony was held at cinema Splendid Palace in Riga, Latvia. The awards were handed by an international jury comprised of cinema theoretician Dr. Yuri Tsivian (USA), Hollywood actress Rutanya Alda (USA), film critic Dr. Elīna Reitere (Germany), Riga International Film Festival artistic director Sonora Broka, film and theatre director Viesturs Kairišs and film producer Linda Krūkle.
12.11.2018. “Lielais Kristaps”, National Film Award 2018 Cinema “Splendid Palace”.
Four Awards went to the WWII drama THE MOVER – to Dāvis Sīmanis as The Best Director, to Ilze Blauberga as The Best Actress in a Supporting Role, to Andrejs Rudzāts as The Best Cinematographer and to Kristīne Jurjāne as The Best Production Designer.
The documentary TO BE CONTINUED got three awards – Ivars Seleckis as The Best Director of a Documentary Feature, Andra Doršs received the prize for The Best Editing and Valdis Celmiņš – as The Best Cinematographer of a Documentary. In addition, this Mistrus Media production is also the Latvian submission for the US Academy Awards nomination in the categories Best Foreign Language Film and Best Documentary.
Best Feature Film Award went to BILLE by Inara Kolmane.
Full list of National Film Award Lielais Kristaps winners 2018
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD – cinema critics and theoretics Mihails Savisko and Ābrams Kleckins
BEST FILM – BILLE, dir. Ināra Kolmane, 100′, Latvia/Lithuania/Czech Republic, 2018
BEST DOCUMENTARY – BRIDGES OF TIME, dir. Kristīne Briede, Audrius Stonys, 80′, Latvia/Lithuania/Estonia, 2018
BEST SHORT – THE ELECTRICIAN’S DAY, dir. Vladimir Leschiov, 8’, Latvia, 2018
BEST DEBUT – A MAN AND DAHLIAS, dir. Guntis Bojārs, 38’, Latvia, 2018
BEST SCRIPT – OSKARS RUPENHEITS, The Criminal Excellency Fund, 121’, Latvia, 2018
SPECIAL JURY AWARD – KRISTĪNE ŽELVE, Mērija’s Journey, 80′, Latvia, 2018
BEST DIRECTOR – DĀVIS SĪMANIS, The Mover (Tēvs nakts), 90′, Latvia, 2018
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHER – ANDREJS RUDZĀTS, The Mover (Tēvs nakts), 90′, Latvia, 2018
BEST ACTRESS – ELITA KĻAVIŅA, Riga (Take one) (Rīga. Dublis 1), dir. Siegfried, 140’, Latvia/France, 2017
BEST ACTOR – VILIS DAUDZIŅŠ, Foam at the Mouth (Ar putām uz lūpām), dir. Jānis Nords, 110′, Latvia/Poland/Latvia, 2017
BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – ILZE BLAUBERGA, The Mover (Tēvs nakts), 90′, Latvia, 2018
BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – ANDRIS DAUGAVIŅŠ, The Criminal Excellency Fund, 121’, Latvia, 2018
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGNER – KRISTĪNE JURJĀNE, The Mover (Tēvs nakts), 90′, Latvia, 2018
BEST COSTUME DESIGNER – LIENE ROLŠTEINA, Homo Novus, dir. Anna Viduleja, 90′, Latvia, 2018
BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING – BEATA RJABOVSKA, Baltic Tribes (Baltu ciltis), dir. Lauris Ābele, Raitis Ābele, 90′, Latvia, 2018
BEST DOCUMENTARY DIRECTOR – IVARS SELECKIS, To Be Continued (Turpinājums), dir. Ivars Seleckis, 95′, Latvia, 2018
BEST DOCUMENTARY CINEMATOGRAPHER – VALDIS CELMIŅŠ, To Be Continued (Turpinājums), dir. Ivars Seleckis, 95′, Latvia, 2018
BEST ANIMATION DIRECTOR – VLADIMIRS LEŠČOVS, The Electrician’s Day, 8’, Latvia, 2018
BEST ANIMATION ARTIST – LIZETE UPĪTE, Night Walks (Nakts pastaigas), 5,50’, Latvia, 2018
BEST COMPOSER – VESTARDS ŠIMKUS, Breathing Into Marble (Elpa marmorā), dir. Giedrė Beinoriūtė, 97′, Latvia/Lithuania/Croatia, 2018
BEST SOUND DESIGN – ĢIRTS BIŠS, Night Walks (Nakts pastaigas), 5,50’, Latvia, 2018, Lumberjacks (Zāģeri), dir. Ivars Zviedris, Andris Kalnozols, 90′, Latvia, 2017
BEST EDITING – ANDRA DORŠS, To Be Continued (Turpinājums), dir. Ivars Seleckis, 95′, Latvia, 2018
BEST STUDENT FILM – Viestur Kairish Comes Out of the Woods (Viesturs Kairišs iznāk no meža), dir. Marta Elīna Martinsone, comedy, 35’, Latvia, 2018
FIPRESCI AWARD – Mērija’s Journey (Mērijas ceļojums), dir. Kristīne Želve, 80′, Latvia, 2018
DELFI READERS AWARD – The Criminal Excellency Fund (Kriminālās ekselences fonds), dir. Oskars Rupenheits, 121′, Latvia, 2018
Rīgas name/Splendid Palace AUDIENCE AWARD – Homo Novus, dir. Anna Viduleja, 90′, Latvia, 2018
National daily newspaper DIENA AWARD – Mērija’s Journey (Mērijas ceļojums), dir. Kristīne Želve, 80′, Latvia, 2018
There were a total of 58 submissions, and a bumper crop of state-funded centenary films made the competition particularly fierce this year. The National Film Award of Latvia Lielais Kristaps has been held since 1977.