Trickster Pictures
Trickster Pictures is a Riga, Latvia-based boutique film and theatrical production studio founded in 2022, producing award-winning animated, live-action, and documentary features, plus theatrical productions, for international co-production partners and festival distribution.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersRiga, Latvia
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Trickster Pictures does
Trickster Pictures is an international creative studio and film production company headquartered in Riga, Latvia, founded in 2022 by CEO and Academy Award-winning producer Matīss Kaža (Matīss Kaža). The company operates as a boutique production house spanning four core service lines: feature film production (animation, live action, documentary), a short-film slate, theatrical direction and playwriting, and script consulting / dramaturgy. Its portfolio includes FLOW (2024), the first independently produced animated feature to win both the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature; Drowning Dry (2024), which won two awards in the Locarno Main Competition; Sisters (2022), winner of the Warsaw Film Festival 1+2 Competition; and theatrical productions including Soft Power (2023) and The National Network (2025) at the Latvian National Theatre.
The studio's commercial model is professional services, project-based revenue derived from co-production financing, distribution deals, festival awards, and theatrical commissions. The team comprises approximately three to five members, including Matīss Kaža as CEO/Producer, Junior Producer Nikola Ozola (who oversees the short-film slate), and Dramaturg/Script Consultant Elza Marta Ruža. There is no disclosed institutional funding, parent company, or public listing; the business appears founder-controlled with operating geographies spanning Europe, Asia, USA, and the Baltics via international co-production partnerships.
Trickster Pictures' go-to-market is event-driven and community-led: the studio cultivates visibility through the international film festival circuit (Locarno, Warsaw, Edinburgh, RIGA IFF), strategic partnerships with the Latvian Academy of Culture (which provides a talent pipeline), and reciprocal relationships with theatrical venues including the Latvian National Theatre, New Riga Theatre, Valmiera Summer Theatre Festival, and Dirty Deal Teatro, as well as international venues such as the Czech National Theatre in Prague. The studio's underlying "technology" is human creative authorship rather than proprietary software; no AI/ML capabilities, patents, APIs, or software products are disclosed.
Trickster Pictures firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Trickster Pictures
- Legal name
- Trickster Pictures
- Website
- https://trickster.lv
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Trickster Pictures is a Riga, Latvia-based boutique film and theatrical production studio founded in 2022, producing award-winning animated, live-action, and documentary features, plus theatrical productions, for international co-production partners and festival distribution.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Trickster Pictures industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Film and Theatre Production
- NAICS
- Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (7115)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- 2D (Traditional & Digital) Animation Production (MPADACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Short-Form Animation (Shorts, Web Series) (MPADACAI)
Keywords
Where Trickster Pictures is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Riga
- HQ country
- Latvia
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Trickster Pictures business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Feature Film Production: Producing animated and live-action feature films for international distribution, including co-productions with global partners. Revenue derived from production financing, distribution deals, and festival awards.
- Theatrical Productions: Director and writer credits for stage productions at Latvian National Theatre and other venues.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Trickster Pictures product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Trickster Pictures is an international creative studio based in Riga, Latvia that develops and produces author-driven feature films (animation, live-action, and documentary) for the international festival circuit, alongside a short film slate, theatrical direction and writing at Latvian and European venues, and dramaturgy/script consulting services. The studio's portfolio is unified by its focus on emerging, diverse voices and international co-productions.
Product overview
Trickster Pictures is an international creative studio and film production company based in Riga, Latvia. The company operates as a multi-faceted creative studio offering feature film production (including animated features, live-action dramas, and documentaries), a short film slate, theatre and live performance direction/writing services, and script consulting/dramaturgy. The portfolio is unified by its focus on developing young, brave, and diverse voices in author-driven fiction and documentary film, creating cinematic experiences with international reach.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Feature Film Production Development and production of author-driven feature films in fiction and documentary, including award-winning animated features, live-action dramas, and documentaries distributed internationally via the festival circuit and co-production partners.
- Short Film Slate Production and oversight of short film projects, providing support for emerging filmmakers and new voices in the short-format space.
- Theatre & Live Performance Direction, writing, and dramaturgy for live theatre productions, including critically acclaimed performances at the Latvian National Theatre and other venues in the Baltics and Europe.
Quantifiable outcome
- FLOW won the first ever Golden Globe and Oscar for an independent animated feature
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Trickster Pictures
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Trickster Pictures technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Trickster Pictures partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Locarno Film FestivalcoreLocarno Film Festival's Match Me! programme provides talent development. Nikola Ozola is alumna of this programme. Drowning Dry received two awards in the Locarno Main Competition.
- RIGA IFFcoreNikola Ozola served as Showcase Coordinator for RIGA IFF. The studio has ongoing relationships with the local festival circuit.
- Latvian Academy of CultureminorMatīss Kaža teaches film directing at the Academy. The Academy provides talent pipeline for the studio's projects. Nikola Ozola and Elza Marta Ruža are graduates.
- Latvian National TheatrecoreMultiple theatrical collaborations including Soft Power (2023) and The National Network (2025). Soft Power was nominated for National Theatre Prize.
- The New Riga TheatreminorElza Marta Ruža has collaborated with New Riga Theatre on multiple projects.
- Valmiera Summer Theatre FestivalminorFestival collaboration with Elza Marta Ruža working on productions.
- Dirty Deal TeatrominorTheatre collaboration with Elza Marta Ruža on various projects.
- Czech National Theatre PraguecoreSoft Power was invited to be performed at Czech National Theatre in Prague, representing international expansion of theatrical productions.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Trickster Pictures competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Participant Media: Independent media company financing socially engaged film and media. Comparable as a producer/financier of mission-driven, auteur-led features targeting international distribution and awards recognition.
- Searchlight Pictures: Specialized film division focused on independent and international feature acquisition and production. Comparable as a financier/buyer of distinctive arthouse features from European co-production markets.
- Film4: UK public broadcaster's feature film arm that finances and co-produces distinctive independent films. Comparable as a co-production partner and financier for European auteur features and animation.
- A24: US independent film production and distribution company producing and releasing distinctive auteur-driven features. Operates at much larger scale but addresses the same international arthouse audience and festival-to-distribution pipeline.
- Bleecker Street: US independent film distribution and production company focused on arthouse and festival titles. Comparable as a buyer/distributor in the same festival circuit and audience segment.
- Neon: US independent film distributor that has acquired multiple international festival titles. Comparable as a buyer of arthouse animation and drama at the same festivals (Locarno, Cannes, etc.) where Trickster targets visibility.
Direct peers
- Cartoon Saloon: Irish independent animation studio producing hand-drawn auteur animated features (Wolfwalkers, Song of the Sea, The Breadwinner). Closely comparable in scale, artistic positioning, and indie-animation track record, with multiple Oscar nominations.
- Studio Ponoc: Japanese independent animation studio producing auteur animated features for international audiences. Comparable as a small-studio indie animation producer with international co-production ambitions.
- Dream Well Studio: Latvian animation studio founded by director Gints Zilbalodis and primary production partner on FLOW (2024). Closely comparable in scale, geography (Riga-based), and focus on artist-driven animated features — co-produced the studio's flagship title.
- Inside Job Productions: Estonian independent film production company producing arthouse fiction and documentary. Comparable as a small Baltic-region indie producer targeting international festivals and co-productions.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Trickster Pictures social profiles
Digital presenceTrickster Pictures financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Trickster Pictures leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Trickster Pictures funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Trickster Pictures M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Trickster Pictures
What does Trickster Pictures do?
Trickster Pictures is an international creative studio based in Riga, Latvia that develops and produces author-driven feature films (animation, live-action, and documentary) for the international festival circuit, alongside a short film slate, theatrical direction and writing at Latvian and European venues, and dramaturgy/script consulting services. The studio's portfolio is unified by its focus on emerging, diverse voices and international co-productions.
Is Trickster Pictures a public or private company?
Trickster Pictures is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Trickster Pictures founded?
Trickster Pictures was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Trickster Pictures based?
Trickster Pictures is headquartered in Riga, Latvia, in the Europe region.
How does Trickster Pictures make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Feature Film Production is the primary driver. The others are theatrical Productions.
Who are Trickster Pictures's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Participant Media, Searchlight Pictures, Film4, A24, Bleecker Street and Neon. Direct peers are Cartoon Saloon, Studio Ponoc, Dream Well Studio and Inside Job Productions.
Does Trickster Pictures have an API?
No public API is recorded for Trickster Pictures.
What industry is Trickster Pictures in?
Trickster Pictures's product category is Film and Theatre Production. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADACAA, 2D (Traditional & Digital) Animation Production, with a secondary code of MPADACAI, Short-Form Animation (Shorts, Web Series). Its NAICS code is 7115 and its SIC code is 7812.