The

Republic of Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...

has submitted a variety of films for the

Academy Award for Best International Feature Film The Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (known as Best Foreign Language Film prior to 2020) is one of the Academy Awards handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to a ...

at the

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

. The award is given annually by the

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motio ...

to a

feature-length A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...

motion picture produced outside the United States that contains primarily non-English dialogue, and was first presented at the

29th Academy Awards For the 29th Academy Awards, the Best International Feature Film was introduced as a competitive category, instead of only a Special Achievement Award. The first winner in this new category was Federico Fellini's ''La Strada'' with Anthony Qu ...

. The academy selection committee reviews all submissions for this award, and secret ballot voting is used to determine the five nominees each year. For Latvia, the panel deciding on submissions works on behalf of the National Film Centre of Latvia (NFCL), consisting of Latvian Filmmakers Union chairperson Ieva Romanova, state secretary of the

Ministry of Culture Ministry of Culture may refer to: *Ministry of Tourism, Cultural Affairs, Youth and Sports (Albania) * Ministry of Culture (Algeria) *Ministry of Culture (Argentina) *Minister for the Arts (Australia) *Ministry of Culture (Azerbaijan) * Ministry of ...

Dace Vilsone, critic Kristīne Simsone, film historian Viktors Freibergs, director and Latvian Academy of Culture lv.html" ;"title=":lv:Latvijas_Kultūras_akadēmija.html" ;"title="nowiki/> lv">:lv:Latvijas_Kultūras_akadēmija.html"_;"title="nowiki/>:lv:Latvijas_Kultūras_akadēmija">lv/small>_professor_Dāvis_Sīmanis,_as_well_as_producer_and_head_of_VFS_Films_Uldis_Cekulis._Dita_Rietuma,_film_historian_and_director_of_the_NFCL,_was_elected_as_the_head_of_the_panel_in_2020._In_2021,_chairwoman_of_the_Latvian_Cinematographers_Union_Zane_Balčus,_as_well_as_film_director_and_chairman_of_the_Baltic_Sea_Documentary_Film_Forum_Dzintars_Dreibergs,_was_elected._They_would_hold_a_meeting_to_decide_on_the_submission,_and_after_announcing_it,_would_give_an_explanation_as_to_why_said_film_was_chosen. A_month_after_On_the_Restoration_of_Independence_of_the_Republic_of_Latvia#Further_developments.html" ;"title=":lv:Latvijas Kultūras akadēmija">lv">:lv:Latvijas_Kultūras_akadēmija.html" ;"title="nowiki/>:lv:Latvijas Kultūras akadēmija">lv/small> professor Dāvis Sīmanis, as well as producer and head of VFS Films Uldis Cekulis. Dita Rietuma, film historian and director of the NFCL, was elected as the head of the panel in 2020. In 2021, chairwoman of the Latvian Cinematographers Union Zane Balčus, as well as film director and chairman of the Baltic Sea Documentary Film Forum Dzintars Dreibergs, was elected. They would hold a meeting to decide on the submission, and after announcing it, would give an explanation as to why said film was chosen. A month after On the Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Latvia#Further developments">restoring independence, Latvia was recognized by the Soviet Union in September 1991, bringing the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic to an end. In 1992, they sent their first-ever film for consideration, a comedy film titled ''The Child of Man'', written and directed by Jānis Streičs, at the

65th Academy Awards The 65th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored films released in 1992 in the United States and took place on March 29, 1993, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles beg ...

. The film was considered alongside 32 other films but failed to be nominated. They made their next submission in 2008 for the 80th Awards, another in 2010 for the 83rd, and another in 2012 for the 85th, and have sent a film each year since then. In total, Latvia has made 13 submissions to the category, all of which were not nominated, the latest being the

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...

submission '' The Pit''.

List of submissions

Submission reasoning

External commentaries

Notes

References

External links