Latvia made history at the 97th Academy Awards as director Gints Zilbalodis’ animated film Flow won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, marking the country’s first-ever Academy Award. The film, a visually stunning, dialogue-free journey of a black cat and other animals navigating a catastrophic flood, was created using Blender, an open-source software.
Flow had already gained recognition this awards season, winning a Golden Globe and earning nominations at the Critics Choice, Annie, and BAFTA Awards. The film triumphed over strong contenders like Inside Out 2 and Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, solidifying its place in animation history.
Zilbalodis, along with producers Matīss Kaža, Ron Dyens, and Gregory Zalcman, celebrated the groundbreaking win, a moment of pride for Latvian cinema on the global stage.
