Latvia’s National Film Center Announces 2026 Expert Commissions

The National Film Center of Latvia (NKC) has announced the composition of its expert commissions for 2026, responsible for evaluating film projects across feature film, documentary, and animated film competitions. The appointments follow a review process conducted by the Film Council on February 11th, selecting experts from nominations by Latvian film industry organizations and individual applications.

Latest Experts Appointed to NKC Commissions

The newly appointed experts will begin their work with the 2026 new film production competition, with applications accepted until March 19th.

Feature Film Commission

• Kristine Simson (nominated by the Latvian Film Producers Association) – Film critic
• Andris Gauja (individual application) – Director, producer, and film distributor
• Daira Aboliņa (NKC delegated representative) – Film scholar, cultural journalist, and artistic director of k/t Splendid Palace

Documentary Film Commission

• Maris Prombergs (nominated by the Latvian Film Producers Association) – Cinema Kino Us manager, festival curator, and social anthropologist
• Inga Pērkone (nominated by the Latvian Film Producers Association) – Film scholar and head of the Latvian Cinema Museum of the Latvian Academy of Cinematography
• Andis Mizish (NKC delegated representative, nominated by the Latvian Cinematographers Union) – Director

Animated Film Commission

• Ieva Viese (nominated by the Latvian Film Producers Association) – Cinematographer
• Jurgis Krāsons (nominated by the Latvian Film Producers Association) – Artist, director, and screenwriter
• Dzintars Krumins (NKC delegated representative) – Director, artist, and educator

About the National Film Center of Latvia

Cinema United, founded in 1948, is the largest exhibition trade organization in the world, representing over 31,000 movie screens in the United States and more than 30,000 screens in 80 countries worldwide. Cinema United represents theatres of all sizes.

According to a February 2026 industry analysis by IBISWorld, the US movie theater industry is currently valued at $16.3 billion, with a projected 0.8% increase in revenue for 2026. IBISWorld notes that while the industry has rebounded from pandemic lows, it remains $2.0 billion shy of pre-2020 levels due to competition from streaming services.