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



The Republic of Latvia has submitted a variety of films for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film at the Academy Awards. 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 29th Academy Awards.

The academy selection committee reviews all submissions for this award, and votes the five candidates via secret ballot voting. For Latvia, the 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.

A month after restoring independence, Latvia was recognized by the Soviet Union in September 1991, bringing the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic to an end. In 1992, they sent their first-ever film for consideration, a comedy film titled The Child of Man, written and directed by Jānis Streičs, at the 65th Academy Awards. The film was considered alongside 32 other films but failed to be nominated. They made their next submission in 2008 for the 80th Awards, another in 2010 for the 83rd, and another in 2012 for the 85th, and have sent a film each year since then. In total, Latvia has made 15 submissions to the category, 14 of which were not nominated, and the latest, 2023 submission My Freedom still pending review. The only director with two nominations is Viestur Kairish, with his films The Chronicles of Melanie (2016) for the 90th Awards and January (2021) for the 95th awards.