After 11 action-packed days, Riga International Film Festival (16-26 October) came to a close with an awards ceremony that crowned Vytautas Katkus’ The Visitor [+lire aussi :
critique
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interview : Vytautas Katkus
interview : Vytautas Katkus
fiche film] as the winner of the festival’s Feature Film Competition. Nine feature titles from the Baltic Sea region competed for the prestigious prize, including two Latvian films making their world premieres, Krista Burāne’s All Birds Sing Beautifully and Jānis Ābele’s The Last Will. The Feature Film Competition Jury consisted of French curator Thibaut Bracq, Estonian Smoke Sauna Sisterhood [+lire aussi :
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interview : Anna Hints
fiche film] director Anna Hints, Latvian producer Alise Ģelze, Norwegian producer Gudny Hummelvoll and Cannes Director of the Film Department Christian Jeune.

The Visitor follows a man in his 30s living abroad as he makes his way to the Lithuanian seaside where he grew up, seemingly finding himself a stranger in a place he once called home. The film secured the Lithuanian multihyphenate the Best Director award in the main competition at Karlovy Vary earlier this year, where the film made its premiere. Katkus, also well known for his work as a cinematographer (Toxic [+lire aussi :
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interview : Directors Talks @ European…
interview : Saulė Bliuvaitė
fiche film], Renovation [+lire aussi :
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interview : Gabrielė Urbonaitė
fiche film], Animus Animalis [+lire aussi :
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interview : Aistė Žegulytė
fiche film]) and shorts filmmaker, made his feature debut with the work. The jury lauded The Visitor for its “subtle irony and poetic restraint”, calling it a “masterful debut [that] reveals a new, distinct Baltic voice in cinema”.

The same jury presented Oleksiy Radynski’s unique and unsettling documentary Special Operation with the Jury Special Mention, highlighting its transformation of surveillance footage into a “powerful act of witnessing” via “detailed editing and subtle sound design”. Radynski’s work takes raw CCTV footage of Russian troops entering and occupying Chernobyl, revealing the eerie scene that plays out.

Ildze Felsberga’s Where Does the Sun Sleep at Night? was named the Short Film National Competition Winner. Arnis Kalniņš’s The Observer, a documentary of photographer Juris Kalniņš, won the audience award in the same category. The festival’s nomination for the European Film Award for Best Short Film went to Antigone, or the Story of Sara Benoliel by Francisco Mira Godinho. The film will be eligible for the European Film Awards in 2027, alongside over 30 other films selected at different festivals.

Last but not least, the awards ceremony gave out the awards for Riga’s co-production market, Riga IFF Showcase, whose jury consisted of five directors, producers and film executives from Latvia, Ukraine and France. Two projects were granted monetary and services awards provided by TV3 Latvija and BBPostHouse/BBrental.eu.

The list of award winners:

Feature Film Competition

Best Film
The Visitor [+lire aussi :
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interview : Vytautas Katkus
interview : Vytautas Katkus
fiche film] – Vytautas Katkus (Lithuania/Norway/Sweden)

Jury Special Mention
Special Operation – Oleksiy Radynski (Ukraine/Lithuania)

Short Film International Competition

Best Film
Drifting, South – Di Zhang (China)

Special Mention
tiny film about rape – Nebe Motýlová (Czech Republic)

Short Film Candidate for the European Film Award
Antigone, or the Story of Sara Benoliel – Francisco Mira Godinho (Portugal)

Short Film National Competition

Best Film
Where Does the Sun Sleep at Night? – Ildze Felsberga (Latvia)

SWH Audience Award
The Observer – Arnis Kalniņš (Latvia)

Baltic Music Video Competition

Best Music Video
“Dragas” by Lapkričio dvidešimtosios orkestras (Lithuania) – Robertas Nevecka

Synths incentive prize (sound effects synthesizer Echolocator)
“Zeme griežas” by ANNIKA (Latvia) – Ieva Aleksa

Eric Synths incentive prize (drum synthesizer LXR)
“Ir par maz” by Evija Vēbere, E.V. (Latvia) – Dāvis Gauja

Oulu Music Video Festival (OMVF) Special Award
“Interval III” by Tesa (Latvia) – Ieva Balode

Riga IFF Showcase

Best Project (TV3 prize)
The Wedding Day (Latvia) – Marta Elīna Martinsone

BBRental/BBPostHouse prize
Hardsub (Ukraine)– Novruz Hikmet

Short Riga Test Screenings – Best Project
Last Days (Lithuania) – Kornelijus Stučkus