International Co – Production Support Fund Eurimages, which has been operating since 1988 and held its 160th session in October, this time supporting the production of 18 feature films and 11 documentaries for a total amount of EUR 5,692,700. Among the directors of the supported projects are many well-known professionals in Europe, including Oleg Sencov from Ukraine, Sergei Loznica, who works in the international arena, and others. In the studio Mistrus Media the upcoming Viesturs Kairiss feature film January, to which the main funding was awarded in the competition of the National Cinema Center, from Eurimages receives production funding in the amount of 190,000 euros – 13.09% of the total budget of the film.
Feature films January Production support was granted in the autumn of 2019, in the thematically specialized full-length film competition of the National Film Center, which encouraged films to strengthen national identity and nationality by increasing the share of films as national content and their competitiveness in Latvian culture and information. In the studio Mistrus Media Viesturs Kairiss’s feature film produced in 1991 tells about the events of 1991 and is an almost autobiographical story of barricades. Representative of Latvia Eurimages Inga Blese, Deputy Director of the National Film Center, admits that the film ‘s theme and its artistic solution have addressed representatives of many Eastern European countries, and this is one of the reasons why the project received support in the expert vote.
Feature film January is currently in preparation, filming will begin in December this year. The film has also been supported by the Lithuanian Film Center and the Polish Film Institute, and this summer the project has also received support from the Latvian Foundation. The cinematographer of the film is the award-winning Polish professional Vojteks Starons (who also shot Laila Pakalniņa’s feature film Ausma, 2015), film artist – Ieva Jurjāne, producers – Inese Boka-Grūbe and Gints Grūbe.
Viestura Kairiša January is the first this year Eurimages supported project from Latvia (the main producer of the film is a Latvian studio), previously the fund also supported Viesturs Kairiss’s feature film Chronicle of Melania (2014), which also occurred in the studio Mistrus Media.
Funds Eurimages founded in 1988 and promotes the film industry across Europe by supporting international co-productions: the film is eligible for financial support for feature films produced by at least two countries from Eurimages a circle of members covering 37 European countries and Canada. Eurimages The annual budget is around € 25 million, which is divided into four sessions for the projects. Latvia is Eurimages member since 2002, during which time financial support from Eurimages received 14 feature films, three documentaries and four full-length animated films, in the production of which the Latvian film studios and film professionals involved have used the opportunity to improve their skills at the international level.
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