The Latvian Cinematographers’ Union (LKS), as the organizer of the national film award “Lielais Kristaps”, announces that this year’s award ceremony will be postponed to February 24-27, 2022. The decision was made after a strict household meeting announced by the government until November 15, which includes the time of the planned event.
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“We are looking forward to returning to the cinema for a safe event, when we will be able to get together and gather to celebrate the brightest achievements of Latvian cinema. Last year we were forced to cancel film screenings, hold a ceremony without spectators in the hall, We want viewers to be able to watch the nominated films, as it is more exciting to follow the awards ceremony. until we can organize it at least in “green mode”, “comments the award producer Marta Bite.
In 2021, the work of the selection commission of the national film award “Lielais Kristaps” has been completed and the list of films and film professionals nominated for the awards was announced at a press conference on October 6. The National Film Award was scheduled for November 11 with a closing ceremony on November 14.
According to M. Bite, the “Big Kristaps” award was established in 1977 and over time has undergone various changes, the film evaluation system, the award image and the time of the award have changed. There have been years in the history of “Big Kristaps” when prizes are not awarded in certain categories, because the vote of LKS members is divided equally, otherwise the jury has set criteria that are not met by the films submitted in the respective year. There have also been years when there are not enough films to evaluate; In a period of almost 20 years, the screening of the “Great Kristaps” films took place only once in two years. Only since 2014 “Lielais Kristaps” takes place again every year, in 2016 it was awarded the status of a national prize.
Since the beginning of the 21st century, “Kristaps the Great” has traditionally been organized in the autumn months, but, for example, in 2000 it took place in May, 2012 – April, and in 2014 – December, within the framework of the newly established Riga International Film Festival (“Riga IFF”) and in connection with the European Film Academy Awards ceremony in Riga, which at that time was the European Capital of Culture.
The traditional form of the National Film Award “Kristaps the Great” is a festival that includes screenings of films nominated for the awards, premieres of new films, meetings of authors with viewers, discussions on issues important to the film industry and the like, M. Bite points out. With the beginning of the 21st century, the Latvian Cinematographers’ Union has retained responsibility for organizing the “Big Kristaps” (with a short break in 2005-2009, when the festival was organized by the National Film Center), since 2012 the national film award “Lielais Kristaps” is again organized by the society “Latvian Cinematographers’ Union” in cooperation with the National Film Center and the Ministry of Culture, is supported by the Riga City Council.
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