On the evening of Wednesday, the 5th of March, in Riga, the director of the Latvian animated film “Flow” (“Straume”), Gints Zilbalodis, and his team will return from the prestigious Academy Awards ceremony in the United States. A festive welcome event will take place at the Freedom Monument at approximately 11:00 PM after their arrival, according to Riga Municipality.
“We are truly proud of and honor the outstanding Gints Zilbalodis and his team—Latvia’s cultural ambassadors—for their remarkable and historic achievements. We are especially delighted about the Academy Award, which secures Latvia’s place in global cinema history,” stated the municipality, inviting residents and visitors of the capital to gather at the Freedom Monument to congratulate the “Flow” team on this outstanding accomplishment!
Director Gints Zilbalodis’ animated film “Flow” is the first-ever Latvian film to be nominated for an Academy Award and to win an Oscar in the category of Best Animated Feature Film.
The Oscars ceremony marked a grand conclusion to the global film industry’s “awards season,” during which “Flow” has already won over 70 international awards across nearly all continents. Among the most significant ones are the European Film Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s Golden Globe, two Annie Awards from the International Animated Film Association in Hollywood, over ten awards from various U.S. film critics’ associations, the French national film award César, and many more.
The Latvian film “Flow” is currently being screened or scheduled for release in 45 countries, with over 330 000 viewers in Latvia and more than three million worldwide.