Riga International Film Festival returns in October

The 11-day program includes cult films, films from the Cannes and Berlin film festivals, as well as premieres of several Latvian works, among them Laila Pakalniņa’s “I’m Thinking of the Cat/Es domāju par kaķi” and Reinis Kalviņš’s “In the Open Beyond the Forest/Klajumā aiz meža.” Meanwhile, the festival’s retrospective section this year focuses on Eurothrillers, according to festival organizers. The festival’s visual identity was created by Valters Kalsers and Agnese Bebre. “You Are Here” is at once a coordinate, an affirmation, and a greeting. These are three words we encounter daily at airports, on transit maps, in museums, or on hiking trails – they help us locate ourselves and understand where we are. In the context of the Riga IFF, we give them a broader meaning. It’s a reminder of the most important starting point – you are here. In this moment. In this life. In this place. Facing the movie screen and alongside other viewers,” explains Riga IFF Director Liene Treimane, describing the festival’s theme and call to be present. She adds: “To move forward, you first need to know where you are. The cinematic experience, too, begins with presence – with a willingness to set aside the noise of daily life for a moment and fully immerse yourself in someone else’s story. Nowadays, when our attention is constantly divided by countless stimuli, the opportunity to spend two hours in the same space and at the same time alongside a film and other viewers becomes a special experience. Cinema doesn’t change where we are. It changes the vantage point from which we view the world.” The 13th season of the Riga IFF will take place from October 15 to 25 at the festival’s home venue, the “Splendid Palace” movie theater, as well as at “Forum Cinemas,” the National Library of Latvia, the Rothko Museum in Daugavpils, the “Siguldas devons” cultural centre in Sigulda, and other venues. Running parallel to the festival will be the industry program “Riga IFF Forum,” which will bring together film professionals from around the world in Riga to foster international collaboration and the development of new projects.