The SHORT RIGA International Competition looks for new auteur films of various genres and techniques from all over the world. This is one of 24 international short film competitions that presents a selected film with a candidacy in the short film category of the European Film Awards. The curator and selection committee evaluate submissions, individually look for works in the programmes of other film festivals as well as film and art schools, and reach out to independent makers of short films. There are as many films as there are opinions, and as many authors as there are stories. The only things the selected films have in common is a maximum running time of 30 minutes and the presence of a strong personality. Audience members are guaranteed to quarrel, laugh, or even shed a tear or two!

In the category of short film, the local film scene is particularly dynamic. For the national short film competition, we select works of various genres and forms that have been made within the last two years. The competition is judged by an international jury to ensure acknowledgement of the unique features of Latvian-made films from a broader perspective. In the opinion of RIGA IFF, however, every film included in the selection is already a winner.

The most popular short films of 2019 and 2020. These films have been presented in so many different festivals around the world and enchanted so many audiences and professionals that you must see them too!

Gunhild Enger represents the new generation of Norwegian directors and has earned the attention of world film festivals. Her works are characterised by a distinctive aesthetic and rhythm, as well as robust self-irony mixed with the black humour of traditional cinema.

What is a music video? We ask this question every year, and every year we discover something we never thought of before. The basic gist of the answer does not change, however: a music video is an audiovisual event that must be experienced together. Sometimes it’s like an arena for bold experiments; at other times it reaches new technological summits, redefining the possibilities of the genre. And then there are videos that, although they use an already familiar audiovisual language, manage to say something utterly unexpected. We are interested in getting to know this always new and changing playing field where image and music interact according to laws unique to them. The Baltic Music Video Competition screening welcomes viewers, festival guests, filmmakers and musicians to come together and experience music videos in all their glory and craziness. A screening event you are sure to remember!

The official opening of SHORT RIGA, at which RIGA IFF celebrates the premieres of locally made short films and introduces the Norwegian short film author Gunhild Egner. Respecting and cherishing even the shortest of works, we believe that each of the films selected to premier this evening deserves a round of applause as it appears on the big screen for the very first time.