Latvia has chosen its candidate for the Oscar: the bet is on the film 'Ula'

The National Film Center announced that the film 'Ula' by director Viesturs Kairišs has been nominated by Latvia for the American Academy Awards Oscar in the category of Best International Feature Film. This decision was made by the national expert commission, formed by the National Film Center and approved by the American Academy. Its members included producers Alise Gelze and Matiss Kaza, film critic Kristīne Simson, director and producer Raitis Abeles, as well as the head of the National Film Center Dita Rietuma. This year, two feature films were presented for the commission's consideration — 'In the Net. The Birth of the TTT Legend' by Dzintars Dreiberga and 'Ula' by Viesturs Kairišs. After assessing the artistic merits of the films, the choice was made in favor of 'Ula'. The film's successful international festival history also played a role in its selection. The world premiere of the film took place in May in the 'Un Certain Regard' section of the Cannes Film Festival, where it received high praise from European film critics. The lead actor Kārlis Arnold Avots was awarded the Best Actor prize at the Jerusalem Film Festival. Additionally, 'Ula' has already been included in the programs of several A-class autumn festivals, which may increase the film's recognition among members of the American Academy. For a film vying for an Oscar, participation in major international festivals is of great importance. Festival screenings help attract the attention of the foreign professional audience even before the official Oscar campaign begins. 'Ula' will be released in Latvian cinemas in mid-September, with the national premiere scheduled for September 16. The film was created in co-production with Latvia, Estonia, Poland, and Lithuania. It was produced by Ego Media in collaboration with Allfilm (Estonia), Staron Film (Poland), and Tremora (Lithuania). The screenplay was written by Kārlis Arnold Avots, Līvija Ulmane, Andris Feldmanis, and Viesturs Kairišs. The film's producer is Guntis Trekteris, the cinematographer is Polish filmmaker Wojciech Staroń, and the production designer is Ieva Jurjāne. Latvia has been nominating films for the American Academy Awards since 1991. Among the recent candidates were 'January' by Viesturs Kairišs, 'My Freedom' by Ilze Kunga-Melgaile, 'Flow' by Gints Zilbalodis, and 'God's Dog' by Raitis and Lauris Abeles. Thus, 'Ula' will be the next Latvian film to compete for a spot on the shortlist and then for a nomination for the Oscar.