The National Film Centre of Latvia unveils the recipients of its latest round of funding
- The country’s film agency has earmarked €2.44 million to back the making of 14 new projects, including Oscar winner Gints Zilbalodis’s new animated feature
The National Film Centre of Latvia (NKC) has unveiled the recipients of its latest round of funding, with a total of €2,444,061 allocated to 14 new projects. On this occasion, the body has supported a diverse range of films, including six documentaries, four animated works (comprising one feature film and a short series project) and four fiction features. Notably, an additional €1 million were invested in the 2025 animated film competition, as decided by the Cabinet of Ministers.
Among the four fiction features supported, notable projects include She-Devil, directed by Dāvis Sīmanis, and produced by Gints Grūbe and Inese Boka-Grūbe for Mistrus Media. The project received €350,000 in funding, with a planned total grant from the NKC of €930,000, set to be delivered over the coming years. Satan and Wagner, staged by Tritone Studio and helmed by Lauris and Raitis Ābele, secured €64,687, bringing its total NKC grant to €761,530.
Other supported features include Legato (a Trickster Pictures presentation, directed by Ilze Burkovska-Jakobsena) and Marry Then Die (a VFS Films production, with Elza Gauja attached as the director), each receiving €64,687 in funding, as well as a total planned NKC grant of €750,000.
The documentary category saw strong submissions, with six projects receiving backing. Among these, A Guide to Grieving, directed by Ivars Zviedris and produced by Documentarist, received €71,465 in funding. Elina Garanca: The Symphony of Life (also produced by Mistrus Media), directed by Signe Birkova, was allocated €100,000, contributing to a total planned NKC grant of €137,000. Meet Me at the Graveyard (with Picture House producing) by Elza Gauja was also supported with €90,000, with a total planned NKC grant of €132,520.
Two more documentaries – Staņislavs Tokalovs’ Cuba. Deprivation and Audrius Stonys’ Herc Frank. Life After Death – received €100,000 and €90,000 in support, respectively. Both pics are being produced by Uldis Cekulis for Riga-based VFS Films. The sixth documentary benefiting from the body’s backing is Kristīne Briede’s Garden of Anna, courtesy of Vino Films. The project received a €48,535 bursary out of a total planned NKC support amount of €78,456.
In the animated category, Dace Rīdūze’s Sphinx Alberta’s Smile, an animated short from Animācijas Brigāde, received €132,196 in funding. Meanwhile, Oscar-winning helmer Gints Zilbalodis’s new effort, Limbo, a feature-length animated film staged by Dream Well Studio, secured a substantial €1,042,004, with a total planned NKC grant of €2,000,000, positioning it as one of the most prominent funded projects. Finally, two more titles – Anete Melece’s short Sunshine for Everyone (courtesy of Studio Locomotive) and Edmunds Jansons’ short series Hello, Oscar! (staged by Atom Art) – received €95,000 and €130,800 (with planned total NKC backing of €1,085,500), respectively.
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