It is impossible to find and comprehend all the trends, narrative features, and stylistic subtleties of the Latvian short film scene from these five works, which are nuanced fragments of their creators’ worlds, offering various delights and moods. But that is not the aim of this competition, rather, it wants to pull you into the stories made right here, next to you. There is Can’t Help Myself, a scorching and introspective dance of thoughts and words; 81 Meters, an account of the pandemic that rewrites more than 120 years of the history of screens as a destination; then there is Bonds of Time that with its bold filmmaking finds flashes and rhythms of intimate observation; Paperhead, a short film that through human and camera movement reveals the self-reproach that is born in our minds; and finally Where is the Key? that addresses the continuation of our existential condition, our search for a way out, for peace, or for a satiation of our longing. These films draw an exciting map of possibilities with honest feelings and precious skills – longing, nostalgia, hope, imagination, and inventiveness.

Whether they are animated, narrative, documentary, or experimental, the competition is looking for short films with a distinct voice made in Latvia. Up to six short films will be selected.

Entries

We welcome short films and audiovisual works with a running time of up to 30 minutes, and with a completion date of no earlier than 1 January 2021. This competition accepts works by both established professionals and students who are Latvian citizens, were born in, or are long-term residents of Latvia (at least 2 years). We also consider works that have been produced in Latvia, made by a Latvian director abroad, or films that list Latvia as one of its production countries.

Prize

The selected short film titles are judged by an international jury consisting of industry experts, filmmakers, and representatives from the international film festival community. The film that generates the greatest passion and the liveliest discussions about the very essence of cinema will receive the Silver Grass Snake Award (a silver pin featuring the Latvian symbol for the grass snake) and a monetary prize of EUR 1,000.The RIGA IFF Award Ceremony takes place on the second Saturday of the festival.

Candidacy for the European Short Film 2023 Award

The jury selects a single candidate for the European Short Film 2023 award from the films screened in the RIGA IFF National and International Short Film Competitions. Eligible directors must be born in Europe or hold a passport from a European country (the European Film Academy defines Europe as both EU and non-EU countries and includes Israeli and Palestinian passport holders), the film must have been produced in 2021 or 2022, and the running time cannot exceed 30 minutes.

Deadline

The call for submissions opens on 22 March 2022 and closes on 30 June. The submission fee is EUR 10 per entry and all submissions are free of charge for the first month, until 22 April. The results will be announced by 10 September 2022.