RIGA: Nauris Puntulis (National Alliance) has returned to office as Minister of Culture, following a parliamentary vote on 28 May 2026 leading to a new government cabinet led by PM Andris Kulbergs (United List).

RIGA: The Latvian government has planned an allocation of 3.581 m EUR to support foreign audiovisual productions and the organisation of a major international event in Latvia, in addition to the initial 3.401 m EUR. The funding package will be distributed in two tranches: 2.67 m in 2026 and 911,669 EUR in 2027.

RIGA: The National Film Centre of Latvia announced the results of its annual production grant competition on 6 May 2026. A total of 1,257,775 EUR was distributed to 14 projects including three feature films, seven documentaries (one short) and four animated films (including the second season of a mini-series project, and the launch of another mini-series).

RIGA: The 90s crime drama Red Code Blue and the Soviet-era sports drama Escape Net are the most awarded films at the Latvian National Film Awards “Lielais Kristaps”, held 1 March 2026 at the Riga Congress Centre. In total, awards were presented in 25 categories.

RIGA: Academy Awards winner Flow / Straume (2024) by Gints Zilbalodis remained 2025’s biggest draw with 204,039 admissions, reinforcing its position as the most watched film in Latvia since independence, with a total of 377,577 admissions.

RIGA: Kylie Minogue visited Latvia’s capital city to shoot three music videos for new songs from her recently re-issued Christmas album Kylie Christmas (Fully Wrapped).

RIGA: The Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) has launched the second round call for its Foreign Film Reception and Major Events Support Programme, making 3.26 m EUR available for projects shooting or staged in Latvia in 2025.

RIGA: Viesturs Kairišs is currently in postproduction with a new biographical drama about the world famous basketball player Ulyana Semyonova. The film follows her path from an old-believers community on the South Eastern border of Latvia to international fame, portraying both her personal journey and her symbolic role as a Cold War-era sports icon.

RIGA: The Latvian/Polish/Czech long animated film Born in the Jungle / Laimīgie by Edmunds Jansons is currently in late production. Pre-sales for France, Germany, Spain and Sweden were secured by French sales agent Dandelooo Cinema ahead of the film’s trailer premiere at Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2025.

RIGA: The National Film Centre of Latvia has announced the results of its annual production grant competition on 25 April 2025. A total of 2,444,061 EUR was distributed to 14 projects including four feature films, six documentaries and four animated films (one long film, two short films and one multi-series).