Latvia has raised the budgets of its international co-production rebates. The cash-rebate budget of the National Film Centre, this year totalling €996,000, will be raised to €1.2 million next year, while the Riga Film Fund’s budget for cash rebates this year is €1,140,000.

Dita Rietuma, head of the National Film Centre of Latvia, said: “Our EFA events [the European Film Awards were held in Riga in 2014] have also helped to establish the Latvian industry as being perceived as part of European film culture. As a result, it has made Latvia’s politicians more aware of the needs of our film industry.”

An additional boost to the local industry comes in the shape of Latvia100, an initiative by the National Film Centre of Latvia and the Latvian Producers’ Association to celebrate the country’s 100 years of independence in 2018, with 12 specially commissioned feature-length films, playing to the country’s traditional strength in documentaries and animation: the list includes five features, six documentaries and one animated movie. The total budget set aside for Latvia100 is €7.5 million.