JURIS PODNIEKS STUDIO
Riga, Latvia

JURIS PODNIEKS STUDIO (JPS) started its work as an independent entity already in 1989, when it produced a five hour programme “Hello, Do You Hera Us?” for Channel 4 (UK) about the Soviet Union just before it collapsed. This was Juris Podnieks, a well known Latvian documentary filmmaker and his crew who were the first to split from the Riga Film Studio and work as an independent company.  As the Soviet Empire crumbled, he with his filming crew was there as a witness for the world - brave, unblinking and compassionate. With the films he made, whether on problems of young people or showing an inspiring record of the outpouring of feelings at the Song Festival of the Baltic countries in “Homeland”, or predicting the end of the Soviet Empire, he earned a reputation as an honest and uncompromising film maker. This is what the Studio still keeps high as the main value in its work.

Today JPS continues to produce documentaries  – on modern and historical topics, revealing the events which have changed peoples’ lives during the change of the political and economical systems in Latvia, collapse and rise of the banks or complicated World War II situations, like in “The Baltic Saga”. We have collaborated with Channel 4(UK), TVE (UK), NHK (Japan), ARTE, Russian Television and others.  JPS produces several documentaries per year.

JPS works also in the field of animations. Every year Studio produces a short animation film. The film “Listen, Rabbit, Daddy Goes to London!” was selected for  Berlin Film Festival.

Juris Podnieks Studio has started to work on feature film projects as well. The first script “Celebration of Life” was developed with the support of Media Development. In 2006 we produced the first short film “Neighbour” as well as we have provided the filming and post production processes for several features.

JPS works as an independent production company, offering a wide range of facilities for film making – research (also in Russia), filming (film and video), producing, editing (off-line, on-line), sound recording, editing, dubbing, mixing, etc. Studio has its own premises in the center of Riga. JPS has its sound studio, which provides facilities, using the latest technologies. Our sound directors have collaborated on numerous feature and documentary film projects carried out in Latvia. Many of the films have received a wide recognition at various Film Festivals. Studio  works on dubbing of full length Disney/Pixar animation films, e.g. “Cars”, “Ratatouille”, “Wall-E”, “UP”,and a lot of documentaries and TV programmes.

Our main target is to produce and co-produce films which move people and make them believe that they can live in better world!