“This year is special because of the 80th anniversary of the director Jānis Streičs, whose film Unfamiliar Feelings is included in the opening programme of the festival. Our great director will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award and the audience will get to know his talent in details and perhaps get an answer to the question: how to achieve greatness and still remain close to your own people”, the minister of Culture Dace Melbārde said at a press conference.

Most of the competing films are supported by the National Film Centre of Latvia and the Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia.

National film awards Lielais Kristaps were founded in 1977. The gala is organised by the Association of Latvian Guild of Cinematographers in collaboration with the National Film Centre of Latvia, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia. The event is supported by Riga City Council and Alfa.

FULL LIST OF NOMINATIONS:

Best Feature Film

Dawn (Latvia, Estonia, Poland)
Directed by Laila Pakalniņa
Produced by Kompānija Hargla
Coproduced by Digitaalne Sputnik, Staron-Film, Miracle Worker
Supported by the National Film Centre of Latvia, Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia, the Polish Film Institute, the Estonian Film Institute

Mellow Mud (Latvia)
Directed by Renārs Vimba
Produced by Tasse Film
Supported by the National Film Centre of Latvia, Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia, MEDIA

Exiled (Latvia, Lithuania)
Directed by Dāvis Sīmanis
Produced by Locomotive productions
Coproduced by Studio Uljana Kim
Supported by the National Film Centre of Latvia, Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia, MEDIA

Best Long Documentary

The Burning (Latvia)
Directed by Jānis Putniņš
Produced by Film Angels Studio
Supported by the National Film Centre of Latvia, Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia, MEDIA

Jānis. Elza. Mīlas grāmata (Latvia)
Directed by Linda Olte
Produced by Latvian Television
Supported by Latvian Television

BrainStorm: In-between Shores (Latvia)
Directed by Audinga Kucinskaite, Sandijs Semjonovs, Gundars Rēders, Edgars Dubrovskis
Produced by Skuba Films
Supported by the National Film Centre of Latvia, Lattelecom

Under the Sun (Czech Republic, Russia, Germany, Latvia, North Korea)
Directed by Vitaly Mansky
Produced by Vertov, Hypermarket film, Czech TV, Saxonia Entertainment GmbH
Supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, Mitteldeutsche Medienforderung, State Cinematography Fund Czech Republic, Korean Film Export & Import Corporation

Best Short Fiction Film

Bez nosaukuma (Latvia)
Directed by Pjotrs Bombins

Dārznieks (Latvia)
Directed by Madara Dišlere

Vienreizējā (Latvia)
Directed by Daniils Silovs

Best Short Documentary

Mēness nogurdinātais (Latvia)
Directed by Dace Pūce

Rīgas kungi (Latvia)
Directed by Adriāna Roze

Rumba (Latvia)
Directed by Laila Pakalniņa

Best Long Animated Film

Gaidot Jauno gadu (Latvia)
Directed by Vladimirs Leščovs
Produced by Lunohod
Supported by the National Film Centre of Latvia, Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia

Mīnotaurs (Latvia)
Directed by Kārlis Vītols
Produced by Air Production
Supported by the National Film Centre of Latvia

Pacelšanās (Latvia)
Directed by Signe Birkova
Produced by Camera Obscura

Best New Director

Rūdolfs Anže for Flames on the Soil (Latvia)
Produced by Deep Sea Studios LV

Dace Pūce for Mēness nogurdinātais (Latvia)
Produced by Marana Productions, Latvian Academy of Culture
Supported by Latvian Academy of Culture

Liene Laviņa-Kalnaell for Tev, Rūķi! (Latvia)
Produced by Jura Podnieka studija
Supported by the National Film Centre of Latvia, Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia, Valmieras pilsētas dome

Best Screenwriter

Arno Jundze for Jānis. Elza. Mīlas grāmata
Jānis Putniņš, Pauls Bankovskis for The Burning
Renārs Vimba for Mellow Mud

Best Fiction Film Director

Dāvis Sīmanis for Exiled    
Laila Pakalniņa for Dawn
Renārs Vimba for Mellow Mud

Best Fiction Film Cinematographer

Agnar Thorisson for Mellow Mud
Andrejs Rudzāts for Exiled
Wojciech Staroń for Dawn

Best Actress

Agnese Cīrule for Exiled
Elīna Vaska for Mellow Mud
Madara Botmane for Jānis. Elza. Mīlas grāmata

Best Actor

Andžejs Jānis Lilientāls for Mellow Mud
Maksims Lazarevs for The Man in the Orange Jacket
Ulrich Matthes for Exiled
Vilis Daudziņš for Dawn

Best Supporting Actress

Liena Šmukste for Dawn
Rēzija Kalniņa for Mellow Mud
Ruta Birgere for Mellow Mud

Best Supporting Actor

Andris Keišs for Dawn
Dmitrijs Jaldovs for Exiled
Leonīds Lencs for Exiled
Pēteris Liepiņš for Exiled

Best Production Designer

Aivars Žukovskis for Mellow Mud
Jurģis Krāsons for Dawn
Kristīne Jurjāne for Exiled

Best Costume Designer

Kristīne Jurjāne for Exiled
Līga Krāsone for Mellow Mud; Jānis. Elza. Mīlas grāmata
Natalia Czeczott for Dawn

Best Make up

Dzintra Bijubena for Dawn
Dzintra Bijubena, Sarmīte Balode for Exiled
Maija Gundare for The Man in the Orange Jacket

Best Documentary Director

Jānis Putniņš for The Burning
Linda Olte for Jānis. Elza. Mīlas grāmata
Vitālijs Manskis for Under the Sun

Best Documentary Cinematographer

Andrejs Rudzāts for The Burning
Andrejs Verhoustinskis for Musica Serena. Komponists Pēteris Vasks, Īvāns
Andris Priedītis for Jānis. Elza. Mīlas grāmata
Juris Pīlēns for Rīgas kungi

Best Animated Film Director

Kārlis Vītols for Mīnotaurs
Signe Birkova for Pacelšanās
Vladimirs Ļeščovs for Gaidot Jauno gadu

Best Animated Film Production Designer

Indra Sproģe for Awesome Beetles Colors
Kārlis Vītols for Mīnotaurs
Vladimirs Ļeščovs for Gaidot Jauno gadu

Best Composer

Andris Dzenītis for Exiled
Edgars Rubenis for Karaliskā maiņa
Vestards Šimkus for Dawn

Best Sound Designer

Ernests Ansons, Verners Biters for BrainStorm: In-between Shores
Ernests Ansons for The Burning; Karaliskā maiņa
Anrijs Krenbergs for Dawn; Under the Sun
Toms Veismanis for Musica Serena. Komponists Pēteris Vasks

Best Editor

Andris Grants for The Burning; Rīgas kungi
Andris Grants, Aiks Karapetjans for The Man in the Orange Jacket
Kaspar Kallas for Dawn
Georgios Mavropsaridis for Mellow Mud

Student Film Competition

Arta
Directed by Dārta Putniņa
LUCA School of Arts, Belgium

Baroni
Directed by Dāvis Dreimanis
Latvian Academy of Culture, Latvia

Konvertīti
Directed by Kārlis Lesiņš
Latvian Academy of Culture, Latvia

Mašīnista grēksūdze
Directed by Artūrs Buharins
RISEBA, Latvia

Mažora dienas, minora naktis
Directed by Dita Celmiņa
Latvian Academy of Culture, Latvia

Medību diena
Directed by Ivo Skanstiņš
Latvian Academy of Culture, Latvia

Meldra
Directed by Monta Gagāne
Latvian Academy of Culture, Latvia

Paldies, vecais!
Directed by Pēteris Rozītis
Latvian Academy of Culture, Latvia

Pasts
Directed by Andrew Scott, Cameron Mitchell, Laura McMahon
University of Dundee, Scotland

Saulīte
Directed by Līva Vilnīte
Baltic Film, Media, Arts and Communication School, Estonia

Tango
Dicted by Dace Pūce
Latvian Academy of Culture, Latvia

Telpa bez ūdens jeb pelēkie fraktāļi
Directed by Elīna Veira
Latvian Academy of Culture, Latvia

To Light
Directed by Nora Sarak
Baltic Film, Media, Arts and Communication School, Estonia

Zeme ir visvientuļākā planēta
Directed by Liene Linde
Latvian Academy of Culture, Latvia