Due to “Lokdauna”, the film award “Kristaps the Great” is carried over to the next year / Article

“We are looking forward to the opportunity to return to the cinema for a Covid-safe event, when we will be able to get dressed and gather to celebrate the brightest achievements of Latvian cinema. Already last year, we were forced to cancel film screenings, hold a ceremony without spectators in the hall, without the opportunity to meet film industry professionals, but these are as important elements of this event as film evaluation. We want the audience to have the opportunity to watch the nominated films, because it is more exciting to follow the presentation of the awards. The closing ceremony in the digital environment is possible, but it is not our priority, so “Kristaps the Great” has been postponed until we can hold it at least in the “green mode”, “the producer of the award Marta Bite commented on the decision.

In 2021, the work of the selection commission of the national film award “Lielais Kristaps” has been completed and at a press conference on October 6 a list of award-winning films and film professionals was announced. The National Film Award was scheduled for November 11 with a closing ceremony on November 14.

The Lielais Kristaps Award was established in 1977 and over time has undergone various changes, the film evaluation system, the image of the award and the time of the award have changed. There have been years in the history of “Big Kristaps” when prizes are not awarded in certain categories, because the vote of LKS members is divided similarly, otherwise the jury has set criteria that are not met by the films submitted in the respective year. There have also been years when there are not enough films to evaluate; For a period of almost 20 years, the screening of “Kristaps the Great” films took place only once every two years. Only since 2014, “Kristaps the Great” has been held again every year, in 2016 it was awarded the status of the National Prize.

Since the beginning of the 21st century, “Kristaps the Great” has traditionally been organized in the autumn months, but, for example, in 2000 it took place in May, in April 2012, and in December 2014, within the framework of the newly established Riga International Film Festival (Riga IFF) and in connection with European Film Academy awards ceremony in Riga, which at that time was the European Capital of Culture.

The traditional form of the National Film Award “Kristaps the Great” is a festival that includes screenings of films nominated for the awards, premieres of new films, meetings of authors with viewers, discussions on issues relevant to the film industry and the like. With the beginning of the 21st century, the Latvian Cinematographers’ Union (with a short break (2005–2009), when the festival was organized by the National Film Center) has retained responsibility for organizing the “Big Kristaps”. The Cinematographers’ Union in cooperation with the National Film Center and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia is supported by the Riga City Council.

CONTEXT:

Covid-19 morbidity Reaching the all-time high in Latvia, declared a state of emergency in the medical sector. Doctors raised concerns about the immediate need for strict restrictions in the country.

The government later ruled the country from October 11 for three months declare a state of emergency, which is the third time in the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, a week later, seeing the spread of the virus grow and Latvia is in the first place in the world In terms of the prevalence of Covid-19, agreed to introduce the so-called “arcade” and housekeeping from 21 October to 15 November. It is planned that after its daily course, it will be possible to resume more widely in the so-called “in green mode“, namely the Covid-19 vaccination or disease certificate.

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