Latvia&rsquo. s Film Submissions to the Academy Awards

Latvia has been submitting films for consideration for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film since 1992, shortly after regaining independence from the Soviet Union. As of 2025, the nation has submitted 16 films, with Gints Zilbalodis’s animated film Flow receiving the country’s first nomination. Flow also won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

History of Submissions

The Academy Award for Best International Feature Film recognizes outstanding films produced outside the United States with primarily non-English dialogue. Latvia’s submissions are reviewed by an academy selection committee, which then votes on five candidates via secret ballot [1].

The National Film Centre of Latvia (NFCL)

In Latvia, the selection process is managed by the National Film Centre of Latvia (NFCL). The panel responsible for choosing the submission consists of Latvian Filmmakers Union chairperson Ieva Romanova, Ministry of Culture secretary Dace Vilsone, critic Kristīne Simsone, filmmaker Dace Pūce, film producer Alise Ģelze, and animator Edmunds Jansons. Dita Rietuma, film historian and director of the NFCL, has headed the panel since 2020 [1].

Past Panel Members

Previous members of the selection panel include film historian Viktors Freibergs, director and Latvian Academy of Culture professor Dāvis Sīmanis, chairwoman of the Latvian Cinematographers Union Zane Balčus, chairman of the Baltic Sea Documentary Film Forum Zane Balčus and Dzintars Dreibergs, and film producer Uldis Cekulis [1].

First Submission

Latvia’s first submission to the Academy Awards was Jānis Streičs’s comedy film, The Child of Man, submitted for consideration for the 65th Academy Awards in 1992 [1]. Dita Rietuma, Head of the NFC, noted her fond memories of visiting Streičs at his Lithuanian family home with colleagues Dairas Āboliņas and Ināras Slutkas, describing their conversations as “long, thorough and on various topics.” She also highlighted his continued creativity and clear mind even while facing health challenges [2].

Restored Latvian Cinema

The National Film Centre of Latvia has also been actively involved in restoring classic Latvian films, making them available worldwide through the portal filmas.lv. This initiative includes 13 feature-length fiction films (1930-1991), three documentaries (1961-1988), and three animation films (1966-1979), all with annotations and English subtitles [2]. Jānis Streičs was the first director chosen for a restoration project [2].