The National Film Centre has concluded the calls for film production applications in 2021 with the available funding of EUR 1,538,805; 15 film projects from 11 Latvian film companies were supported.
On 15 January 2021, the National Film Centre (NFC) announced the calls for film production applications in 2021 to support the production of new feature films and full-length animated and documentary films. The submission of projects closed on 15 February, a total of 35 projects were submitted, the combined requested for funding was EUR 4,065,381. 14 feature films, 16 documentaries and 4 animated film projects participated in the online project presentations. After the presentations, the experts compile the evaluation of the projects according to various criteria and provide recommendations to the Head of the National Film Centre regarding the distribution of funding in the relevant category.
Of the funding available in the calls for applications, EUR 916,596 are allocated for features (to start the production of four full-length feature films), EUR 309,933 – for documentaries (eight films of different lengths) and EUR 312,277 – for animation (to start the production of two full-length films and one short film). Ilze Kunga-Melgaile, Signe Birkova, Dāvis Sīmanis, and Liene Linde will start making new features this year, documentaries will be made by directors Andrejs Verhoustinskis, Vitaly Mansky, Ivars Zviedris, Elizabete Mežule-Gricmane, Dāvids Ernštreits, and Inese Kļava, Liene Laviņa-Kalnaella and Sandijs Semjonovs, Laila Pakalniņa, Jānis Ābele, but Edmunds Jansons, Gints Zilbalodis, and Krista Burāne will work with animation projects. See the attachment for breakdown of the supported projects.
This year’s calls for film production applications were evaluated by the following NFC expert commissions: directors Andis Mizišs and Edmunds Jansons, and NFC representative Inga Blese in feature film category; producer Līga Ilma, director Maira Dobele, and NFC representative Lelda Ozola in documentary category; director and playwright Ivo Briedis, film critic Ieva Viese-Vigula, and NFC representative Kristīne Matīsa in animation category.
Concurrently with calls for applications for new projects, calls for applications for films in production are open at the National Film Centre, where projects that received the NFC support in previous years are eligible. Applications for this call are accepted until September and evaluated every month, the available funding is EUR 2,268,374, it is intended for five features (directors Linda Olte, Juris Kursietis, Aigars Grauba, Ināra Kolmane, Māris Martinsons), five documentaries (directors Kārlis Lesiņš, Pēteris Krilovs, Dāvis Sīmanis, Una Celma, Kristīne Briede), and five animations, including two full-length films (directors Roze Stiebra and Jānis Cimmermanis), two short films (directors Dace Rīdūze and Zane Oborenko), and one minority co-production (production company Rija).
Support for production of 8 documentaries:
| Title (Original Title) |
Production Company | Producer | Director | Amount of Support 2021, EUR | Planned Total Support, EUR |
| Kocher and Mara (Kočers un Māra) | Biedrība “Dokumentālists” | Ivars Zviedris | Ivars Zviedris | 30 000 | 45 000 |
| Patricia (Patrīcija) |
SIA “Mistrus Media” | Gints Grūbe, Elīna Gediņa – Ducena |
Dāvids Ernštreits, Inese Kļava |
36 000 | 56 000 |
| Nr.105555 | SIA “Studija CENTRUMS” | Bruno Aščuks | Andrejs Verhoustinskis | 30 000 | 30 000 |
| Against the current (Pret straumi) |
SIA “Skuba Films” | Sandijs Semjonovs, Undīne Buka | Liene Laviņa-Kalnaella, Sandijs Semjonovs | 50 000 | 50 000 |
| 2020 | SIA “VERTOV” | Natālija Manskaia | Vitālijs Manskis | 23 933 | 23 933 |
| The Last Will (Testaments) | SIA “Ego Media” | Guntis Trekteris | Jānis Ābele | 50 000 | 75 000 |
| Scarecrows (Putnubiedēkļi) | SIA “Vides filmu studija” | Uldis Cekulis | Laila Pakalniņa | 50 000 | 70 000 |
| Art equals agony (Mākslas darbi rodas mokās) | SIA “Vides filmu studija” | Uldis Cekulis | Elizabete Mežule-Gricmane | 40 000 | 75 000 |
| Total | 309 933 |
Support for production of 3 animations:
| Title (Original Title) |
Production Company | Producer | Director | Amount of Support 2021, EUR | Planned Total Support, EUR |
| Flow (Straume) |
SIA “Dream Well Studio” | Gints Zilbalodis, Matīss Kaža |
Gints Zilbalodis | 146 277 | 850 000 |
| The Lucky Ones (Laimīgie) | SIA “Atom Art” | Sabīne Andersone | Edmunds Jansons | 140 000 | 850 000 |
| Wardrobe of Wonder (Dziesmiņa par brīnumskapi), short animation | SIA “Vides filmu studija” | Uldis Cekulis | Krista Burāne | 26 000 | 26 000 |
| Total | 312 277 |
Support for production of 4 fiction features:
| Title (Original Title) |
Production Company | Producer | Director | Amount of Support 2021, EUR | Planned Total Support, EUR |
| Life interrupted (Dzīve pārtraukta) |
SIA “Tasse Film” | Aija Bērziņa | Ilze Kunga-Melgaile | 300 000 | 650 000 |
| Maria’s Silence (Marijas klusums) | SIA “Mistrus Media” | Gints Grūbe | Dāvis Sīmanis | 300 000 | 650 000 |
| Lotus | SIA “Studija Lokomotīve” | Dominiks Jarmakovičs, Roberts Vinovskis | Signe Birkova | 158 297 | 500 000 |
| Golden Spot (Zelta punkts) |
SIA “Ego Media” | Guntis Trekteris | Liene Linde | 158 298 | 500 000 |
| Total | 916 595 |
More information on the NFC’s calls for applications:
Inga Blese, Head of Film Production of the National Film Centre
inga.blese@nkc.gov.lv , +37167358862, +37129418305