Exactly a year ago in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard, Gints Zilbalodis’s Latvian feature animation Flow began its journey to the Oscars, where it won best animated feature in March 2025.
A year on and several high-profile Cannes festival films demonstrate how Latvia is building its reputation as a trusted international production partner — and Flowproducer Matīss Kaža is back to deliver a keynote speech about the films’ path from Croisette to global awards’ success, culminating in the Academy Award.
Like Flow, the first of this year’s Cannes films with a major Latvian connection is screening in Un Certain Regard: The Chronology Of Water, for which actress-turned-
director Kristen Stewart travelled to Latvia for shooting in the summer of 2024. The Baltic country was perfectly placed to give Stewart access to top-quality crew and production infrastructure — as well as a degree of calm away from the media glare.
Locations in and around the capital Riga stood in for the US Pacific northwest, with Imogen Poots playing a woman transcending a lifetime of trauma.
Local partners
Yulia Zayceva, Max Pavlov and Svetlana Punte of local outfit Forma Pro Films were the partners on the ground, working closely with Nevermind Pictures, Stewart’s company with Maggie McLean and Dylan Meyer, which has a first-look deal with Fremantle. Further partners were France’s CG Cinema International and US-UK banner Scott Free.
“Latvian producers bring extensive experience in working with international film crews, providing both production services and creative talent,” says producer Gints Grube of Mistrus Media, head of the national producers’ association. “The Latvian Minority Co-Production Fund, combined with tax incentives, allows Latvia — despite being a small filmmaking country — to be a strong partner in international co-productions.”
Ukrainian director Sergei Loznitsa’s Competition title Two Prosecutors is the second high-profile Cannes film to have been forged by talent in the Latvian production sector. Working with Latvian partner White Picture, it is a co-production with France’s SBS Productions, Loznitsa’s Netherlands-based Atoms & Void, Germany’s Looks Film, Romania’s Avanpost Media and Lithuania’s Studio Uljana Kim.
Loznitsa filmed in Latvia over 18 shooting days in October 2024, using locations in and around Riga. Most of the settings were authentic — including a real prison located near the city centre — adding a sense of realism to the story. “Latvia is a great place for filming — not only because of its locations, but also because of the creative talent it offers,” notes White Picture producer Alise Gelze.
The production teams for filmmakers of the calibre of Lotznitsa and Stewart were drawn to Latvia, a country equipped with a generation of internationally focused film and TV producers who can work as minority co-producers. It offers a location-based tax rebate of up to 30%, managed by the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, and an additional rebate of up to 20% from Riga Film Fund.
“We are seeing a steady rise in international co-productions, with partnerships expanding not only across Europe — in countries like France, the UK, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Greece — but across the ocean,” says Gelze. “The local crew base is strong and constantly evolving, and international recognition has helped bring attention to Latvian talent.”
Back on the Croisette, Latvia has a presence in the market via producer Kristele Pudane, founder of Sunday Rebel Films. She is travelling to Cannes as one of 20 individuals selected for European Film Promotion’s prestigious Producers On The Move programme, which showcases rising talent and fosters international co-productions. Pudane’s credits include experimental animation, documentaries and comedies.
In Cannes Docs, Uldis Cekulis, one of Latvia’s leading creative documentary producers, is presenting several projects. The include Laila Pakalniņa’s Scarecrows, a Latvia-Lithuania co-production exploring the secret rules of airports. The project won the €5,000 ($5,600) best production prize at Meeting Point Vilnius in Lithuania earlier this year.
Furthermore, Latvian director Oskars Rupenheits’ Red Code Blue is screening as part of the PÖFF Goes To Cannes showcase for works in progress previously presented by Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. Set in the early 1990s, as Latvia regained its independence from Soviet rule, Red Code Blue is backed by Latvia’s KEF Studio and co-produced by Vino Films, Jura Podnieka Studija and Fon Films.
Meanwhile, the National Film Centre of Latvia (NKC) is a key partner in Cannes’ Animation Day. Flow co-writer and producer Kaža will deliver a keynote speech detailing the film’s journey from Latvia to global awards recognition and worldwide box-office success.
“It’s an exciting time. It truly feels like Latvia, along with the wider Baltic region, is becoming a serious player in the European film scene,” says Gelze.
