Riga, February 1, LETA. At today’s initiative of the Ministry of Culture (MoC), the government decided to allocate 5.1 million euros of React-EU funding and 900,000 euros of state budget funds to the Latvian film industry to help its workers overcome the negative consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic in the industry.
As Lita Kokale, the head of the Public Relations Department of the Ministry of Culture, informed LETA, it will be possible to shoot six to eight new Latvian feature films and series about the 6 million euros.
According to Kokale, the funding attracted by the Ministry of Culture will allow the creation of high-quality, artistically high-quality Latvian feature films, as well as original series, while preserving jobs for those working in the industry. The new cinematographic works will promote a wider availability of cultural services for domestic audiences.
The Minister of Culture Nauris Puntulis (NA) explains that a significant role in the creation of national cinema was also given to Latvia’s centenary program. In order to maintain the level of development of the industry achieved during the century, it was important to find opportunities to attract additional funding in the coming years.
“During Covid-19, additional funding was provided to the film industry and activities did not stop, on the contrary, many new films were made and produced, thus promoting both employment and purposeful use of professional skills,” Puntulis emphasized.
According to him, with today’s government decision, the industry will have the opportunity to produce six to eight films in two years.
In order to implement the program, the National Film Center (NCC) will select projects – set up an expert council and select project partners – film producers, who will be able to produce six to eight films and series during the project. The NCC Expert Council will assess the artistic and professional quality of the projects. In turn, the supervision of project selection and implementation will be performed by the institution subordinate to the Ministry of Finance – the Central Finance and Contracts Agency.
Kokale pointed out that NKC plans to announce project applications by February 7. The new series and films will have to be shot by the end of 2023. It is envisaged that the Council of Experts will evaluate the projects in accordance with the regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers (CM) on the procedure for granting public funding to projects in the film sector.
As the emergency situation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the measures related to its control in Latvia, as elsewhere in the world, have significantly affected the cultural and creative industries, where the activities of creative persons and organizations have been completely suspended, React-EU funding is available to Latvia , which aims to support the cultural and creative industries in coping with and after the crisis.
The support will be implemented in three directions: support for professional non-governmental organizations in the field of culture, ensuring the availability of versatile professional art in development centers of national or regional significance in Latvia, support for film industry companies, promoting their professional capacity and growth. The conditions of support for each of the directions are planned to be developed in the form of separate regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers.
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