02/11/2022
National Film Centre of Latvia has supported four animation films in development:
– THE BOMB by Vladimirs Leščovs;
– FATIGUE by Lizete Upīte
– KARMIC KNOT by Signe Baumane;
– debut short by director Ella Mežule.
Congratulations!
13/10/2022
The biggest film festival in Latvia – Riga International Film Festival – will open with MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH MARRIAGE by Signe Baumane! And WHERE IS THE KEY? by Indra Sproģe is selected for RIGA IFF's National Short Film Competition. See you in cinemas!
19/08/2022
For the Latvian readers – Anna Zača talks to Edmunds Jansons, professor of the Art Academy of Latvia and Ülo Pikkov, professor of Estonian Academy of Arts, about the animation education in Baltics for Latvian online film magazine KinoRaksti. Read HERE.
17/06/2022
The results of the National Film Centre of Latvia film production grants 2022 have been released and it’s announced that our animation bouquet is to become even more colorful with 4 new films!
Support for the first stage of film production has been granted to:
Studija Kokles and Karlis Vitols for their first feature film NORTHEN STAR, VFS Films and Krista Burāne for THE MAGIC WARDROBE and Atom Art and Edmunds Jansons for FREERIDE. But Film Studio "Animacijas Brigade" Ltd and Dace Rīdūze will be able to start and finish the production of their upcoming short Kājām gaisā!
Congratulations! Read more on Cineuropa.
19/04/2022
Starting the journey to the viewers, Signe Baumane film MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH MARRIAGE is to be premiered on 11th June in New York at the Tribeca film festival's International Narrative Competition programme!
10/03/2022
Gints Zilbalodis releases the first teaser of his upcoming feature film FLOW, which is a co-production between Dream Well
(Latvia), Sacrebleu Productions (France), and CINÉ-LITTÉ Productions (Germany), and was pitched during the Cartoon Movie 2022. HERE is the teaser and HERE you can read more about the film via Zippy Frames.
16/11/2021
Lizetes Upītes short film NIGHT WALKS, produced by Atom Art, now is available online! Take a look here.
14/10/2021
Vassilis Kroustallis did an interview with Latvian animation director Zane Oborenko and they talked about her upcoming short film KAFKA IN LOVE (produced by Atom Art), which received CEE Animation Workshop WILD CARD back in 2019. She shares both her inspiration and practicalities of working with sand animation. Read more HERE.
8/9/2021
Ja vēlaties uzzināt vairāk par Latvijas Animācijas asociācijas darbību, aicinām izlasīt Annas Začas rakstu KINO RAKSTOS. Paldies LAA biedriem Dignei Briģei, Anetei Grīnbergai, Lizetei Upītei, Ievai Viesei Vigulai, Robertam Vinovskim, Gintam Zilbalodim, kas piedalījās raksta tapšanā, tāpat pateicamies Egilam Mednim, Nilam Skapānam, Indrai Sproģei, Kārlim Vītolam par rakstā redzamajām skicēm.
19/6/2021
Director Gints Zilbalodis and producer Matīss Kaža won the Cristal Publishing Prize for their upcoming feature film FLOW at the MIFA Pitches during Annecy International Animation Film Festival. Congratulations!
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15/6/2021
The latest short film COMEBACK by Vladimir Leschiov is part of the International Short Film Competition L'officielle. The film tells a story about a long-lost childhood passion, which may return one day. Vassilis Kroustallis did an interview with Vladimir for Zippy Frames, if you want to learn more about the film!
26/05/2021
The National Film Centre of Latvia has supported the development of three animation projects – feature ROACH COACH (Trakmakāns) by director Ilze Burkovska - Jakobsen, producer Guntis Trekteris (Ego Media), feature TWO FINGERS [working title] (Divi Pirksti) by directors Nils Skapāns and Uģis Olte, producer Uldis Cekulis (Vides filmu studija) and first four shorts of series THE WARDROBE OF WONDER by director Krista Burāne, producer Uldis Cekulis (Vides filmu studija).
24/10/2022
Congratulations to several animation producers and directors who have received the development funding via the State Culture Capital Foundation:
– Animācijas Brigāde and their feature BITES;
– Atom Art and their short film BEIGU BEIGAS;
– Studio Kokles and their debut short of director Ella Mežule.
14/09/2022
Agora, the international meeting and market event, will host an event dedicated to Baltic animated film industry – a roundtable “Animation in the Baltics” moderated by Anna Zača, curator and head of the Latvian Animation Association.
It will take place on 23 September at 17:40 at Cultural Center of Hermoupolis and will point out the differences in animated film production in Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia.
Meet the speakers: Gints Zilbalodis (Filmmaker, Animator & part of the Animasyros International & Hellenic Competition Section Jury, Latvia), Janno Põldma (Director, Author, Estonia), Justė Michailinaitė (Producer, Lithuania), Ülo Pikkov (Animator, Estonia).
04/07/2022
Telling Stories Is Like Breathing: A Conversation with Signe Baumane. Olga Bobrowska talks to Signe Baumane for Zippy Frames on the occasion of MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH MARRIAGE – animation feature coming out at the festival circuit.
13/05/2022
See you in Festival international du film d'animation d'Annecy! Together with our Estonian and Lithuanian colleagues you can find us at the Baltic Stand – Nr. C.12! And don't forget about the two Latvian films which have been selected for Annecy Festival: My Love Affair with Marriage by Signe Baumane and Čuči čuči by Māra Liniņa. You can learn more about these films at the Latvian Animation Catalogue!
16/03/2022
Cineuropa writes about this year’s Cartoon Movie and two presented Latvian feature-length projects - BORN HAPPY by Edmunds Jansons and FLOW by Gints Zibalodis. Read HERE.
25/02/2022
Two Latvian projects have been nominated for the Eurimages CO-PRODUCTION DEVELOPMENT AWARD to run for a cash-prize of €20,000.
> BORN HAPPY
Produced by Atom Art (Latvia, prod. Sabīne Andersone) — Co-produced by Letko (Poland) & Pikkukala (Finland)
> FLOW
Produced by Dream Well (Latvia, prod. Gints Zilbalodis and Matīss Kaža) — Co-produced by Sacrebleu Productions (France) & CINÉ-LITTÉ Productions (Germany).
Projects are participating in the Cartoon Movie Pitching Forum, which begins on 8th March, 2022.
07/10/2021
Several of the association's members are nominated for the Latvian National Film Awards Kristaps the Great:
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HUSH HUSH LITTLE BEAR BY Māra Liniņa, produced by Atom Art
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GUARD OF HONOUR by Edmunds Jansons, produced by Atom Art – currently screened during POFF Shorts and afterwards – Interfilm Berlin.
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IN THE PIPE, directed and produced by Jurģis Krāsons, Krasivo Limited
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THE NAP, by late Nils Skapāns, produced by VFS Films, co produced by Moon Makers (LT)
22/6/2021
Riga International Film festival has announced the open call of SHORT RIGA Test Screenings. If you have a short film project in the post production stage in the works, don't hesitate to apply! Various techniques and genres are accepted. Deadline 15th August. More information HERE.
18/6/2021
Latvian State Culture Capital Foundation has supported the development of Kārlis Vītols' first feature film THE NORTHERN STAR which is set to premiere in 2025. As well as a project to develop sound design for 6 new student animation films which will be ready autumn 2021.
14/6/2021
Gints Zilbalodis has teamed up with a producer Matīss Kaža (Latvia) and co-producer Ron Dyens (France), for his new feature FLOW. A story of a stubbornly independent Cat who is forced to share a small boat with a group of other animals. This project is part of the MIFA Pitches 2021 line-up.
19/10/2022
The nominations for the European Film Academy Awards 2022 have just been announced and one of the contenders of Best Animated Feature Film award is Signe Baumane's film My Love Affair With Marriage!
Congratulations and fingers crossed!
14/09/2022
Animasyros International Animation Festival will take place from 20 – 25 September and you are welcome to join us for the “main theme of the festival” – Baltic Focus, which is implemented in collaboration with the Latvian Animation Association and curator Anna Zača.
In the programme TRIBUTE BALTIC ANIMATION WAY you will find a selection of Latvian films:
AWAY by Gints Zilbalodis, DUSTY by Dace Rīdūze, MINOTAUR by Kārlis Vītols, PIGTAIL AND MR SLEEPLESSNESS by Edmunds Jansons and RIGA'S LILAC by Lizete Upīte.
20/06/2022
Congratulations! My Love Affair with Marriage by Signe Baumane receives the Jury Distinction Award at the Festival international du film d'animation d'Annecy!
02/05/2022
The European premiere of MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH MARRIAGE by Signe Baumane will take place at Festival international du film d'animation d'Annecy!
16/03/2022
Latvian animated short film HUSH HUSH LITTLE BEAR is selected for the Annecy International Animation Film Festival Young Audience Short films competition.
More information HERE.
9/12/2021
Vassilis Kroustallis talks to Latvian puppet animation director Dace Rīdūze for Zippy Frames.
Lear more about her upcoming 20-minute puppet environmental film ANGRY BAG, making animation for children's audiences and about the history, the present and the future of prestigious studio Animacijas Brigade! More information here.
25/10/2021
The eighth edition of Riga International Film festival has come to an end, but you still have the opportunity to watch a discussion about co-production between Vladimir Leschiov and the representative of NFB, Canadian producer, Marc Bertrand. It took place during the Baltic Animation Meet-Up, which is organised in partnership with the Latvian Animation Association.
20/9/2021
With deep sadness Latvian Animation association marks the loss of Nils Skapāns (1969-2021). Nils Skapāns was the only Latvian master of plasticine animation, in his short creative career he has produced more than 40 stop motion films. His last film THE NAP will premiere early 2022 and is nominated for the Best Director and Best Short 2021 at the National Film Awards.
22/6/2021
GUARD OF HONOUR by Edmunds Jansons premieres at Anifilm Festival 2021!
For this great occasion Vassilis Kroustallis did an interview with Edmunds for Zippy Frames. You can learn more about how he started his career, how the Atom Art production company was established, and about his upcoming feature THE HAPPY ONES.
17/6/2021
Latvia will be a part of this year's MIFA FOCUS at Baltic Animation – What's New?
Join us on Thursday, 17th June 15:30 CET online for an overview of the Baltic animation scene – funding possibilities, Baltic animation ecosystem and current productions. The presentation of Latvia will be moderated by Anna Zača.
* MIFA badge holders can access the presentation until December.
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8/6/2021
Zippy Frames has published a new country profile, this time about Latvia. Dive in to learn more about the contemporary Latvian animation scene.
Read more here.