Riga International Film Festival
Rīgas Starptautiskais kino festivāls
Also known as: RIGA IFF
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RIGA IFF gives particular attention to cinema from the Baltic Sea region and Nordic countries, while presenting contemporary work from around the world to audiences in Latvia. Its programme pairs new films and debut works with cinema classics, and includes competitions for feature-length films, shorts and Baltic music videos. The festival dates back to 2014.
Screenings centre on Riga’s Splendid Palace, with further venues in the capital and other Latvian cities. The industry programme connects film professionals through events focused on international collaboration and the future of filmmaking. The 2026 edition runs from 15 to 25 October and includes Latvian premieres, Nordic selections and animation for younger audiences.
Country
Latvia
Focus
Animation, Documentary, Experimental, Music
Categories
Animation, Documentary, Experimental, Feature, Music Video, Short
Awards and prizes
The 2026 Feature Film Competition awards the Bronze Rooster and EUR 5,000. The Short Film International Competition awards the Bronze Rooster and EUR 2,000; the Short Film National Competition awards the Bronze Rooster and EUR 1,000. The Baltic Music Video Competition awards the Bronze Rooster and prizes from festival partners. The short-film jury also selects one candidate for the European Short Film – Prix Vimeo award.
Festival rules
For the 2026 competitions, the feature-film section accepts documentary, fiction, animation and hybrid films of at least 60 minutes. The majority of production financing must come from the Baltic Sea region (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland or Sweden), the Nordic countries (including Iceland, Norway, Greenland, the Faroe Islands and the Åland Islands), or Ukraine. Films must be completed after 1 July 2025 and not screened in Latvia before RIGA IFF 2026; Latvian productions and co-productions are exempt from the premiere requirement. Features produced or co-produced in Russia or Belarus are not accepted.
The international and national short-film competitions accept films of up to 30 minutes completed on or after 1 January 2025. The international competition has no geographic restrictions; the national competition focuses on Latvian work. Animation, audiovisual experiments, fiction and documentary shorts are eligible. The Baltic Music Video Competition accepts work from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania completed on or after 1 June 2025.
The 2026 competition open call is closed. Full regulations are published on the festival website; competition inquiries go to enter@rigaiff.lv.
Contacts
- rigaiff.lv
- info@rigaiff.lv — General inquiries
- liene@rigaiff.lv — Festival Director
- sonora@rigaiff.lv — Artistic Director; Head of Film Programme
- marta@rigaiff.lv — Project Coordinator; Film Distribution Manager
- kristine@rigaiff.lv — RIGA IFF SHOWCASE, Baltic Animation Meet-Up and Location Tours
- lauma@rigaiff.lv — Short Film Programme and SHORT RIGA Test Screenings
- leo@rigaiff.lv — Short Film Competitions curator
- lenka@rigaiff.lv — SHORT RIGA Test Screenings curator
- agnesezapane@rigaiff.lv — Head of Film Office
- Baznīcas iela 8-20, Rīga, LV-1010, Latvia — Postal address
- enter@rigaiff.lv — Competition submissions and regulations inquiries