About Festival

2ANNAS were born in 1990ies as an alternative film screening, in which the director of the film studio URGA Viesturs Grazdanovics was trying to gather and show young amateur and experimental nonconformist films – a rare phenomenon at that time. He was looking for “those young filmmakers not infected by routine yet, having new understanding of space and armed with new technologies, who could become a new experience and avant-garde (From French “front row”, i.e. being in front).

By 2010 festival has grown into an international film event, which offers films made by young professional filmmakers, winners of international festivals, students and graduates of film schools from all over the world. In our guest programmes we seek for the innovative, experimental, unseen or long-forgotten in the film world.

No idea or event can last without an inner drive or a wish to express something. Therefore when selecting films for 2ANNAS competition programmes we search for works with an individual and unique signature, creativity, aesthetic and technical performance corresponding to the artistic idea. However, above all we crave for the feeling that without creating this film the filmmaker would not be able to fulfil him/her-self, live further. Works, which reflect with the world and the inner life of the filmmaker; works that can be created unless the creator is routine and compromise free. That is what we call – ANN-ishness. That is the ideal. However, cooperation requires compromises.

Currently we are the only short film festival in Latvia. Our aim is to popularize European and international young authors’ films as an alternative to multiplex mainstream cinema products.  We also want to see the development of the Baltic films as an art form and their tendencies in the context of the world; we want to advertise the works created in the Baltic region by creating appropriate environment - a platform for developing new ideas and cooperation projects.

Every May, 2ANNAS offers a range of short film collections – features, animation, music videos, and documentaries – in its original competition and special programs, which are screened in Riga’s cinemas and other venues. The festival hosts lectures and photo exhibitions, as well as theater and music performances, “out-of-box events”, and other activities within the rich city environment and the vibrant multi-talented 2ANNAS atmosphere.

The festival invites special guests – young film directors, VJs and DJs, lecturers, jury members and collaboration partners – from a number of different countries. The festival also draws large crowds of visitors, most of which are young filmmakers, artists, and students from the Baltic and European countries.