Red Code Blue and Escape Net emerged as the most awarded films of the ceremony, with five awards each: Red Code Blue winning Best Film, and Escape Net securing the Best Feature Film award. Three awards went to the rotoscoped animation Dog of God, which was previously nominated for the European Film Awards and submitted for the Academy Awards, as well as to the coming-of-age dramedy Flesh, Blood, Even a Heart.
This year, a total of 85 films were considered for nomination: six feature films, five TV series, 11 minority coproductions, 14 short fiction films, 11 long documentaries, eight short documentaries, three animated films (including one long animated film), and 27 student films.
The nominees were selected by two committees (one for fiction and animation, and one for documentary), composed of experienced film professionals, including film directors, screenwriters, cinematographers, film critics, and researchers.
The laureates were chosen by an international jury of film and audiovisual professionals: Ilka Matila (film producer, Finland), Marge Liiske (Head of Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event, Estonia), Juris Poškus (film director, Latvia), Maria Razgute (film producer, Lithuania), Zane Valeniece (Head of Acquisitions, the Latvian Television), and Guna Zariņa (actress, Latvia).
This year’s Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to stuntman Uldis Veispals, who was among the first to develop the profession in Latvia and the Baltics.
Established in 1977, “Lielais Kristaps” is organised by the Latvian Cinematographers’ Union.
FULL LIST OF WINNERS:
Best Film:
Red Code Blue / Tumšzilais Evaņģēlijs (Latvia)
Directed by Oskars Rupenheits
Produced by KEF Studio
Coproduced by Vino Films, Juris Podnieks Studio
Supported by the State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia, the Latvian Mobile Telephone, the Latvian Television, DEPO, Vino Films
Best Feature Film:
Escape Net / Tīklā. TTT leģendas dzimšana (Latvia)
Directed by Dzintars Dreibergs
Produced by Kultfilma
Supported by ERAF React EU, Creative Europe MEDIA, DEPO
Best Short Fiction Film:
Slush / Žļurga (Latvia)
Directed by Jēkabs Okonovs, Aivars Šaicāns
Best Long Documentary:
All Birds Sing Beautifully / Visi putni skaisti dzied (Latvia)
Directed by Kirsta Burāne
Produced by VFS Films
Supported by the National Film Centre of Latvia
Best TV Series:
Collective (2nd season) / Kolektīvs (Latvia)
Directed by Juris Kursietis, Ance Strazda, Rūdolfs Gediņš, Artūrs Zeps, Jānis Ābele, Roberts Kuļenko
Produced by fon films, the Latvian Mobile Telephone
Coproduced by the Latvian Television
Supported by the State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia, the Education, Culture, and Sports Department of Riga City Council
Best Minority Coproduction:
Solomamma (Norway, Latvia, Lithuania, Denmark, and Finland)
Directed by Janicke Askevold
Produced by Bacon Pictures
Coproduced by Mistrus Media
Supported by the Norwegian FilmInstitute, the Oslo Film Commission, the National Film Centre of Latvia, the Lithuanian Film Centre, the Finnish Impact Film Fund
Best Debut Film:
Rider’s Voice / Jātnieka balss (Latvia)
Directed by Iveta Auniņa
Produced by Skuba Films
Supported by TV3 Group, Go3, Bite Latvia
Best Student Film:
My First Funeral / Manas pirmās bēres (Latvia)
Directed by Līva Klepere
Best Scriptwriters:
Ivo Briedis, Raitis Ābele, Lauris Ābele, Harijs Grundmanis for Dog of God (Latvia, USA)
Directed by Lauris Ābele, RaitisĀbele
Produced by Tritone Studio
Coproduced by Lumiere Lab
Supported by the National Film Centre of Latvia, ERDF REACT-EU
Best Fiction Director:
Oskars Rupenheits for Red Code Blue / Tumšzilais Evaņģēlijs (Latvia)
Best Fiction Cinematographer:
Mārtiņš Jurevics for Lotus (Latvia, Lithuania)
Directed by Signe Birkova
Produced by Studio Locomotive
Coproduced by Studio Uljana Kim
Supported by the National Film Centre of Latvia, the Lithuanian Film Centre, Eurimages
Best Leading Actress:
Agnese Budovska in Escape Net / Tīklā. TTT leģendas dzimšana (Latvia)
Directed by Dzintars Dreibergs
Best Leading Actor:
Raitis Stūrmanis in Red Code Blue / Tumšzilais Evaņģēlijs (Latvia)
Directed by Oskars Rupenheits
Best Supporting Actress:
Leonarda Ķestere-Kļaviņa in Flesh, Blood, Even a Heart / Nospiedumi (Latvia)
Directed by Alise Zariņa
Produced by Mima Films
Supported bythe National Film Centre of Latvia
Best Supporting Actor:
Gatis Maliks in Flesh, Blood, Even a Heart / Nospiedumi (Latvia)
Directed by Alise Zariņa
Best Production Design:
Toms Jansons for Red Code Blue / Tumšzilais Evaņģēlijs (Latvia)
Directed by Oskars Rupenheits
Best Costumes:
Sandra Sila for Escape Net / Tīklā. TTT leģendas dzimšana (Latvia)
Directed by Dzintars Dreibergs
Best Makeup:
Elīna Gaugere for Red Code Blue / Tumšzilais Evaņģēlijs (Latvia)
Directed by Oskars Rupenheits
Best Documentary Film Directors:
Elizabete Gricmane, Ramune Rakauskaite for Art Born in Agony / Mākslas darbi rodas mokās (Latvia, Lithuania)
Produced by VFS Films
Coproduced by Studio Nominum
Supported by the National Film Centre of Latvia, the Lithuanian Film Centre, LATGA, LRT, the Latvian Television, the Latvian Mobile Telephone
Best Cinematography for a Documentary:
Māris Maskalāns for Scarecrows / Putnubiedēkļi (Latvia, Lithuania)
Directed by Laila Pakalniņa
Produced by VFS Films
Coproduced by Moonmakers
Supported by the National Film Centre of Latvia, the State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia, the Lithuanian Film Centre, LATGA, LRT, the Latvian Television
Best Animated Film Directors:
Raitis Ābele, Lauris Ābele for Dog of God (Latvia, USA)
Best Artist for an Animated Film:
Harijs Grundmanis for Dog of God (Latvia, USA)
Directed by Lauris Ābele, Raitis Ābele
Best Original Music:
Paulius Kilbauskas, Vygintas Kisevičius for Scarecrows (Latvia, Lithuania)
Directed by Laila Pakalniņa
Best Sound:
Aleksandrs Vaicahovskis for Escape Net / Tīklā. TTT leģendas dzimšana (Latvia)
Directed by Dzintars Dreibergs
Best Editing Director:
Armands Začs for Flesh, Blood, Even a Heart / Nospiedumi (Latvia)
Directed by Alise Zariņa
“Lielais Kristaps” LSM.lv Audience Award:
Escape Net / Tīklā. TTT leģendas dzimšana (Latvia)
Directed by Dzintars Dreibergs
Lifetime Achievement Award:
Stuntman Uldis Jānis Veispals
