A production team for the Flow project receives an enthusiastic reception on Wednesday
Latvian Film Maker Gints Zilbalodis and His Team's Historic Oscar Win
Gints Zilbalodis, a Latvian filmmaker and animator born in 1994, has made history with his independent animated film Flow. This dialogue-free masterpiece, which follows a cat's journey through a catastrophic flood, won the prestigious Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2025.
The film's victory was a significant achievement, as it competed against major studios like Disney, Pixar, and Netflix. Flow secured one of the biggest U.S. animation prizes, marking a historic moment for Latvian animation.
Gints Zilbalodis led a small team, including animation director Léo Silly-Pélissier, in pushing boundaries with a mix of traditional hand-drawn and 3D animation techniques. The film uses no dialogue, relying on animal animation performances and camerawork to convey story and emotion.
The team's Oscar win is a significant milestone for Latvia in the film industry. They have received an Oscar award from the US Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. To celebrate this historic achievement, a live broadcast of a ceremonial welcome at the Freedom Monument is scheduled to take place around 11 pm.
The ministry invites people to congregate at the Freedom Monument to congratulate the team. The live broadcast will be available on Latvian Radio, news service.lv, and other platforms, allowing those unable to attend the event in person to share in the celebration.
Gints Zilbalodis and his team are cultural ambassadors for Latvia. Their Oscar win is a testament to their hard work and creativity, and it is a demonstration of the ministry's commitment to sharing their achievements with a wider audience. The live broadcast is a means to reach more people and to inspire future generations of Latvian filmmakers and animators.
In summary, Gints Zilbalodis is the Latvian director and animator behind the Oscar-winning animated feature Flow. This unique, dialogue-free film has earned international acclaim and won the prestigious Oscar award. The team's historic victory is a significant accomplishment for Latvian animation and the film industry as a whole. The live broadcast of the event is a way to share their achievements with the public and to celebrate their success.
On the evening of the celebration, a live broadcast will be available on Latvian Radio, allowing listeners to join the festivities from home. This broadcast will honor Gints Zilbalodis, the Latvian filmmaker, and his Oscar-winning team, whose groundbreaking animation movie, Flow, has become a giant leap in the entertainment industry, broadcasting a unique blend of traditional and modern animation techniques on various platforms, including movies-and-tv.lv.
