List of Latvian submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film

Latvia has submitted films for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film since 1992, few months after restoring independence from the Soviet Union. The award is given annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to a feature-length motion picture produced outside the United States that contains primarily non-English dialogue, and was first presented at the 1956.

As of 2026, Latvia was nominated only once, for Flow (2024), which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

Submissions The academy selection committee reviews all submissions for this award, and votes the five candidates via secret ballot voting. A panel works on behalf of the National Film Centre of Latvia (NFCL). As of 2022, it consists of Latvian Filmmakers Union chairperson Ieva Romanova, Ministry of Culture secretary Dace Vilsone, critic Kristīne Simsone, filmmaker Dace Pūce, film producer Alise Ģelze, and animator Edmunds Jansons. Dita Rietuma, film historian and director of the NFCL, is head of the panel since 2020. They would hold a meeting to decide on the submission, and would often announce the reason for the final decision. Previous members include film historian Viktors Freibergs, director and Latvian Academy of Culture [lv] professor Dāvis Sīmanis, chairwoman of the Latvian Cinematographers Union Zane Balčus, chairman of the Baltic Sea Documentary Film Forum Zane Balčus and Dzintars Dreibergs, as well as film producer Uldis Cekulis.

In 1992, they sent their first-ever film for consideration, a comedy film titled The Child of Man, written and directed by Jānis Streičs. The only filmmaker with two submitted films is Viestur Kairish, with The Chronicles of Melanie (2016) and January (2022).

Latvia's first nominated film was the animation Flow (2024), directed by Gints Zilbalodis, which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, marking the first fully independent animation to do so.

All the films submitted are primary in Latvian, with the exception of Flow, which features no dialogue. Below is a list of the films that have been submitted by Latvia for the award, listed by year and the respective Academy Awards ceremony. Year(Ceremony) Film title used in nomination Original title Director(s) Result 1992(65th) Cilvēka bērns 2008(81st) Defenders of Riga Rīgas sargi [lv] 2010(83rd) Hong Kong Confidential Amaya 2012(85th) Gulf Stream Under the Iceberg Golfa straume zem ledus kalna [lv] 2013(86th) Mother, I Love You Mammu, es tevi mīlu [lv] 2014(87th) Rocks in My Pockets Akmeņi manās kabatās 2015(88th) Modris 2016(89th) Dawn Ausma 2017(90th) The Chronicles of Melanie Melānijas hronika 2018(91st) To Be Continued Turpinājums [lv] 2019(92nd) The Mover Tēvs Nakts [lv] 2020(93rd) Blizzard of Souls Dvēseļu putenis [lv] 2021(94th) The Pit Bedre 2022(95th) January Janvāris 2023(96th) My Freedom Mana Brīvība 2024(97th) Flow Straume 2025(98th) Dog of God Dieva suns Lauris Ābele and Raitis Ābele 2026(99th)Ulya UļaViesturs Kairišs

Shortlisted films YearFilms2008Amatieris · Midsummer Madness2010Rudolf's Inheritance2011Return of Sergeant Lapins2012Kolka Cool · People Out There · Mona2013Dream Team 1935 · Mushroomers2014Then It's Hi! Hi! Hee!2015The Lesson2016Exiled · Mellow Mud · Under the Sun2017Swingers2018Baltic Tribes · Bille · Foam at the Mouth · The Foundation of Criminal Excellence · The Pagan King · Paradise 89 · Van Goghs2019Jacob, Mimmi and the Talking Dogs · Oleg2020The Sign Painter · What Silent Gerda Knows2021In the Mirror · The Year Before the War2022My Love Affair with Marriage · Neon Spring · Sisters · Soviet Milk2023Soviet Milk2024Maria's Silence2025The Exalted · In The Land That Sings

List of Latvian submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film

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