Film industry and PM Kulbergs clash over streaming platform contributions
Latvian film industry representatives disagree with Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs' plan to drop contributions from foreign streaming platforms to support national cinema. The dispute was aired on the Delfi programme "Spried ar Delfi".
Representatives of Latvia's film industry and Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs (AS) are at odds over his intention to abandon contributions from foreign streaming platforms to support Latvian national cinema. The disagreement came up on the Delfi programme "Spried ar Delfi". It matters because the way national film is funded depends on these contributions.
The government side
Mārtiņš Brencis (AS), the prime minister's adviser on public administration, said on the programme that Kulbergs' change of view on the contributions is linked to the President's visit to California in the United States.
Objections from the industry
Arta Ģiga, a board member of the Latvian Film Producers Association, said the rules on such contributions were created to make the film sector less dependent on the state budget. She does not trust promises of money from the budget and said: "We really have been cheated and let down so many times."
Dita Rietuma, head of the National Film Centre of Latvia, pointed out that funding for Latvia's film sector is the poorest in the Baltics and in Europe.
The source gives no further details on when or how the prime minister plans to give up the contributions.
