NILS SKAPĀNS

Born in 1969 in Riga, Latvia.In 1987 graduated at high school.  After some time in the Dauka Animation Film Studio – pioneers of hand drawn animation in Latvia –  Nils decided to work on animation, becoming cameraman, animator, script writer and director. In 1989 he worked as cinematographer at Dauka and took part in creating the first full-length animation film in Latvia – Ness and Nessy, along with several shorts. Then he joined the puppet animation studio Animācijas Brigāde – inheritors of the work of the legendary puppet film-master Arnolds Burovs. From 1993 to 1999 at Animācijas Brigāde, the name Nils Skapāns can be found in film credits as scriptwriter, director and animator. Many series were created, and the film, Let’s fly!, won the Glass Bear the Berlinale Children’s Film Festival in 1995. In order to discover new horizons and use new materials, in 2000 Nils created his own brand, Nilsons that has made more than 10 films for young and old. Nils Skapāns returned to Berlinale with his Listen, Rabbit?...Daddy goes to London! (2005) and Wonderful Day (2010). He has made more than 30 films using plasticine as the main material for his puppet animation and he continues classic puppet animation traditions where each of the film’s characters is created by hand. Since 2012 Nils Skapāns and Nilsons works with producer Roberts Vinovskis at his studio Locomotive Productions. Ghost Hour is the second film, completed as a result of this creative union.