13/09/2013 - The film by Jānis Nords, produced by Film Studio Tanka, to represent Baltic country for Academy Award consideration

Latvia has selected Mother, I Love You [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (photo), directed by Jānis Nords, as its film to go forward to be considered as a possible nominee for the Academy Award as Best Foreign Language Film.

Premiering at the 2013 Berlin International Film Festival – where it won the Grand Prix of the Jury Prize for the Best Feature Film in the Generation Kpluss section – the film is a coming-of-age story told entirely from the point of view of Raimonds, a young boy who has a complicated relationship with his mother. After a lie threatens to spiral out of control, Raimonds must take to the streets of Riga and rebuild their fractured lives together.

Aside from Berlin, the film has also won prizes at the LA Film Festival, Zlin International Film Festival (where it won the European Children’s Film Association Award for Best European feature) and the Grand Prix at the Tel Aviv Children and Youth International Film Festival.

Mother I Love You is produced by Film Studio Tanka and distributed by New Europe Film Sales.

Two other films - Aigars Grauba’s Dream Team 1935 and Ivars Tontegode’s Mushroomers – were also considered for submission.

The Academy Awards will shortlist 9 finalists, then pared down to a list of five nominees to be announced on January 16, 2014