Viesturs Kairišs (b.1971) is a Latvian film director, scriptwriter, theatre and opera director. Previous features The Sign Painter (2020) and The Chronicles of Melanie (2016) premiered at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival and have enjoyed a good festival circuit. The documentary Pelican in the Desert (2014) was selected for the Visions du Réel competition and received a special jury prize at the Let’s Cee Film Festival. Feature Leaving by the Way (2002) premiered at the Karlovy Vary competition and won the FIPRESCI award. His latest film January (2022) premiered at the Tribeca film festival and won the main prize: Best International Narrative Feature. Since 2020 artistic director of Dailes Theatre in Riga.