Reflecting shifts and contemporary trends in cinema, the competition showcases no more than 10 feature-length films made on different sides of the same sea. 

Representing radically different schools, traditions, and artistic visions of cinema from the Baltic Sea region, the Nordic countries, and Ukraine, all works are characterized by innovative cinematic language and a distinctive authorial voice. There are no genre or form restrictions – documentary, fiction, animation, or hybrid works will be considered.

An internationally renowned jury will present the winner with the main Bronze Rooster award along with a monetary prize of EUR 5,000.

Entries

The competition programme is comprised of up to 10 feature films for which the majority of production financing has been provided by countries of the Baltic Sea region (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Sweden), the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, including the autonomous territories of Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and the Åland Islands) or Ukraine. 

There are no genre or form restrictions – documentary, fiction, animation, or hybrid works will be considered.

Minimum running time: 60 minutes.

All submitted films must have been completed after 1 July 2025 and must not have been screened in Latvia prior to RIGA IFF 2026. An exception applies to films produced or co-produced in Latvia: a national premiere at the festival is preferred but not mandatory.

​​Films produced or co-produced in the Russian Federation and Belarus will not be accepted.

Prize

The selected films will be judged by an international jury consisting of industry experts, filmmakers, and representatives of international film festivals.

An internationally renowned jury will present the winner with the main award – the Bronze Rooster – along with a monetary prize of EUR 5,000.

The RIGA IFF award ceremony will take place on 24 October, the second Saturday of the festival.

Deadline

Submissions for the open call are accepted from 24 March to 30 June 2026.

No submission fee applies until 31 March 2026. From 1 April to 17 May, the submission fee is EUR 10 per entry; from 18 May, EUR 15.

The results will be announced by 10 September 2026.

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