On the second Thursday of the Riga International Film Festival (RIGA IFF), 24 October, a unique screening at the festival’s main venue, cinema Splendid Palace, Large Hall, will bring together the best music videos from the Baltics to compete for the title of the winner and the cash prize of 1,000 EUR. Žanete Skarule has joined as the curator and the international jury will include acclaimed representatives of film and music industries from the US, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Submissions are still open till 30 June (more information at enter.rigaiff.lv).

RIGA IFF Baltic Music Video Competition curator Žanete Skarule was selected by MTV Baltic Networks in 2006 as the first professional Latvian VJ. Skarule studied film directing at the California Institute of the Arts and worked at the New York studio of the godfather of avant-garde cinema, Jonas Mekas. She has also curated several film retrospectives and art exhibitions. Her creative scope explores the possibilities of different forms of audiovisual art – fiction, documentary, experimental film, as well as VR. Skarule on her new role as a festival curator:

“Joining the RIGA IFF team as the curator of the Baltic Music Video Competition feels like becoming part of a family. Not only has my personal journey been closely connected to film and music, but I have followed the festival religiously. I truly believe in the power of music videos to affect and inspire viewers across generations and to reflect the culture, ideas, fashion, and politics of their time in the most direct way. I am excited that the sacred match between music and moving images will be celebrated with its own program. With a team of selected professionals, we will be curious to uncover what the Baltic music video scene has to offer, focusing on diversity, originality, and new voices.”

RIGA IFF Baltic Music Video Competition is a singular programme in the scope of the Baltic countries, presenting the highlights of the music video genre from the past year. The competition screening is a special chance to experience the music videos on the big screen at the most lavish cinema in Riga, Splendid Palace, alongside the musicians and video creators. For the participants, it is an opportunity to meet and network with future creative collaborations in mind, and present their work to wider audiences; for the viewers, it is an exposure to the unexpected interplay between the visual image and music, beyond the traditional confines of the audiovisual form.

This fall, RIGA IFF Baltic Music Video Competition will be judged, and the winner awarded a 1,000 EUR cash prize by internationally acclaimed representatives of film and music industries – film, advertising, and entertainment business producer Kris Mathur (US), Kaspar Koppel, Head of Universal Music Estonia and member of the band Bedwetters, Radio Vilnius co-founder, the main artistic force behind the cult bar Amadeus and club Opium, and former MTV Baltic Networks programmer Manfredas (Lithuania); cinematographer Jurģis Kmins (Latvia), visual and installation artist, production designer Viktoria Martjanova (Estonia).

Baltic Music Video Competition submissions are still open till 30 June at enter.rigaiff.lv. The programme typically represents a wide variety of music genres and visual language, however, it especially welcomes videos marked by cinematic ambitions and a keen desire to experiment and seek new fusions of audiovisual expression.

From 17 to 27 October, entering its second decade, RIGA IFF will present internationally acclaimed and distinctive feature and short films, highlighting the current cinema trends and most significant authors of contemporary film. The programme, selected by local and international curators, will be screened over 11 days at the festival’s main venue, cinema Splendid Palace, as well as Forum Cinemas, the National Library of Latvia, and online throughout Latvia. The RIGA IFF FORUM section will comprise a series of events for film industry professionals, as well as multiple events for the general public.

RIGA IFF’s main partner is the media and technology company Tet. The festival is made possible with the support of the State Culture Capital Foundation, EU programme “Creative Europe – MEDIA”, Riga City Council, and the National Film Centre of Latvia.