Latvia Film & Photography Production Services & Camera Crews
Are you a media company, brand, ad agency or production company looking for film / photography production support or shooting crew in Latvia? Contact us for trusted fixers, producers, directors, DoPs, videographers, photographers, and full shooting crews tailored for the specific needs of your project.
Filming in Latvia
For an introduction to shooting in Latvia see below notes on film locations, permits, when to shoot, unique local stories, costs, tax incentives, crews, talent, equipment, communications, art department, studios, post facilities, visas and work permits for filming, transport, film-friendly accommodation, and safety advice.
Latvia Film Locations
The Baltic nation of Latvia offers visiting productions a picturesque landscape of pine forests, lakes, rolling fields, beaches, castles, Soviet-era and Art Nouveau architecture.
Agricultural film locations include wheat and barley fields. Industrial locations include a range of factories and hydroelectric plants.
Latvia is a small country where all film locations are within a 4 hour drive from Riga.
Latvia has hosted productions including Catherine the Great (2019), Justice League (2017),and War and Peace (2016).
Administratively, film locations can be divided into Latvia’s 110 municipalities, and 9 republic cities.
Riga is the capital, the largest city, and the main production centre where local crew and equipment are based. Famous for its Art Nouveau architecture, film locations of note include Riga Town Hall Square, Dome Square, House of the Black Heads, Latvian National Opera, St Peter’s Church, Riga Cathedral, Riga Nativity of Christ Cathedral, Riga Castle, Central Market, Swedish Gate, Riga canal, Latvian National Library, Latvian Academy of Sciences, Museum of the Occupation of Latvia, Bastejkalns Park, Kronvalda Park, and 1960’s Soviet-era concrete housing blocks.
Outside of Riga…
Daugavpils is the second largest city. It has an overwhelmingly Russian-speaking population.
National Parks in Latvia include Gauja National Park, Ķemeri National Park, Slītere National Park, Tērvete Nature Park, and Rāzna National Park.
Castles and palaces of note include Rundāle Palace, Mežotne Palace, Jelgava Palace, Turaida Castle, Cēsis Castle, Jaunpils Castle, Old Sigulda Castle, Bauska Castle, Bīriņi Palace, and Daugavpils fortress. Rundāle Palace hosted Catherine the Great (2019) and War and Peace (2016).
Soviet-era film locations include the University of Liepaja, Līgatne Secret Soviet Nuclear Bunker, Ķegums Hydroelectric Power Station, Port of Ventspils, Ship Repair Yards, abandoned factories, Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre radio satellite dish, and the abandoned Soviet army town of Skrunda which hosted Justice League (2017).
Other Latvian film locations of note include Cape Kolka, Jūrmala Beach, Karosta Prison Hotel, Slītere lighthouse, Mark Rothko Art Center, Liepaja Orthodox Cathedral, Nicgale Catholic Church, Basilica of the Assumption in Aglona, Embassy of Latgale GORS in Rezekne. The Venta waterfall is Europe’s widest waterfall.
Latvia also has winter sport facilities including luge / bobsled / skeleton track, Olympic-size ice skating & hockey rinks, snow parks & quarter pipes for snowboarding, forests & fields for cross-country skiing and biathlon, and alpine skiing locations.
Latvia Film Location Permits
Latvia is a very film friendly country. Permits usually take no more than a week. Please contact us for location specific information.
When To Shoot?
Latvia has a four-season climate. Winters (December to March) are cold and snowy. Spring (April to May) has wildflowers in full bloom. Summers (June to September) are warm. Fall (October to November) brings colourful leaves. Spring through to fall are the best times to film for weather. Mist is common in summer and fall. For monthly weather statistics please see here.
The Latvian Song and Dance Festival is held every 5 years with the next one in July, 2018. Ice fishing is a popular activity in the winter months.
Latvia is a predominately Christian country, so those holidays are observed. The west is predominately Lutheran and the east is mostly Eastern Orthodox. The country is also seeing a resurgence of interest in ancient Paganism.
Public holidays may affect timing, availability and costs. See here for public holiday dates in Latvia.
#BBD0E0 »