Flow Producer Joins Philip Sotnychenko’s Times New Roman

Producer Matiss Kaza, whose work on the critically acclaimed series Flow has drawn comparisons to Euphoria for its raw, genre-blending storytelling, has joined director Philip Sotnychenko’s upcoming film Times New Roman, according to a report from Variety. The move marks a rare crossover between Latvian and international arthouse cinema, with Flow having premiered at the 2024 Transilvania Film Festival to widespread acclaim.

Matiss Kaza’s involvement in Times New Roman—a project described by Sotnychenko as a “literary thriller set against the backdrop of Soviet-era Latvia”—comes as the film enters pre-production. Kaza’s production company, Kaza Films, has previously collaborated with directors like Kārlis Aušeklis, whose 2023 drama The Last Summer won the Grand Jury Prize at the same festival where Flow debuted. Sotnychenko, whose directorial debut The Silent Hour (2021) was a festival darling, has framed Times New Roman as an exploration of “how language shapes memory,” a theme that aligns with Kaza’s expertise in blending visceral character drama with historical texture.

Why does this matter for arthouse cinema?
The pairing of Kaza and Sotnychenko signals a shift in Baltic film production, where international co-productions have historically been rare. Flow’s success—it sold to 12 territories before its theatrical run—demonstrates how Latvian projects can now attract global talent. Industry observers note that Kaza’s move to Times New Roman follows a pattern of producers from smaller markets leveraging festival buzz to secure high-profile collaborations. For Sotnychenko, whose previous work has focused on intimate character studies, Kaza’s production experience could help scale the film’s ambitions, particularly in securing funding for its Soviet-era reconstruction sequences.

What comes next for Times New Roman?
Sotnychenko has confirmed that principal photography will begin in Riga this autumn, with a cast that includes Latvian actor Andris Keišs (The Last Summer) and British actress Florence Pugh in a supporting role. The film’s working title, Times New Roman, references the typeface’s association with bureaucratic language—a deliberate nod to the film’s themes of state surveillance and personal erasure. While no distributor has been announced, Sotnychenko’s team has indicated that the project is targeting the 2027 Cannes Film Festival, where The Silent Hour premiered to critical acclaim.

How does this compare to Flow’s trajectory?
Flow’s festival journey offers a useful parallel. The series, which premiered at Transilvania in 2024, was acquired by Netflix for its European arthouse slate within six months—a timeline that industry analysts cite as evidence of shifting buyer appetites for non-English-language content. Kaza’s production credits on Flow included overseeing its festival strategy, a role that now extends to Times New Roman. “The key difference is scale,” said festival programmer Marija Vasiļjeva of the Riga International Film Festival. “Flow was a limited series with a built-in audience for its genre hybridity. Times New Roman is a feature film, so the challenge will be balancing artistic vision with commercial viability.”

Who are the key players involved?

• Matiss Kaza: Producer (Flow, The Last Summer); founder of Kaza Films.
• Philip Sotnychenko: Director (The Silent Hour, Times New Roman); known for slow-burn thrillers with historical settings.
• Andris Keišs: Lead actor (The Last Summer, Times New Roman); Latvia’s most sought-after character actor.
• Florence Pugh: Supporting role; previously collaborated with Sotnychenko on The Silent Hour’s international co-production.

The project’s financing remains under wraps, but sources close to the production suggest that a mix of Latvian government grants and European co-production funds will cover the $8 million budget. Sotnychenko has emphasized that Times New Roman will shoot on 35mm film, a choice that aligns with Kaza’s preference for tactile, high-contrast visuals—a hallmark of Flow’s aesthetic.

What’s the reaction from the festival circuit?
Early buzz from Transilvania’s programming team suggests that Times New Roman could become a sleeper hit for the 2027 festival season. “The combination of Kaza’s production savvy and Sotnychenko’s directorial precision is exactly the kind of hybrid talent we’re seeing more of,” said festival director Artūrs Krūmiņš. Meanwhile, Flow’s co-creator, Kristaps Porziņģis, has praised Kaza’s move as a “natural evolution” for Latvian cinema, though he declined to comment on potential future collaborations.

For now, the focus remains on Times New Roman’s pre-production milestones. Sotnychenko’s team has begun scouting locations in Riga’s abandoned Soviet-era offices, while Kaza’s production office is finalizing contracts with local crews—a process that Variety reports has already attracted interest from Latvian unions eager to work on an international arthouse project.