On Saturday, June 15, the awards ceremony of the world's most prestigious animation film festival Annecy (Festival international du film d'animation d'Annecy) took place, where Latvian animation triumphed – in the main competition of the festival “Flow" by Gints Zilabalodis received four awards - more than any other film in the festival.
The film won the Jury Award, the Audience Award and Gan Foundation Award for Distribution, as well as the special prize for best original music, awarded on Friday evening. Music for the film was composed by Zilbalodis himself in a collaboration with composer Rihards Zaļupe. The Latvian film was the only one that scooped so many awards at the festival. Just like at the Cannes Film Festival, where the film had its world premiere, at Annecy it was also received with a several minutes long standing ovations.
The feature-length animation film “Flow” tells the story of Cat, an individualist who lives in a colourful world abandoned by humans. When his home is destroyed by a flood, he is forced to seek shelter in a small boat. In order to survive, Cat must learn to get along with various other species of animals - Capybara, Lemur, Bird and a Dog. “Flow” is a poetic and visually spectacular animated film without dialogues.
"I much rather communicate with an images than words, my film, which doesn't have dialogues proves just that. To receive so many awards at the largest animation event in the world is an indescribable pleasure. I would like to thank the film team, producers and supporters who took it upon themselves to create and finance this peculiar, risky work of a young director. Most of all, I am delighted with the Audience Award, and I am really happy that the film will be distributed in cinemas in many parts of the world and will carry the name of Latvian animation further," says the film's director Gints Zilbalodis after the triumph in Annecy.
"Animation film by authors from a small country, receiving the most awards in a competition in which hardened animation veterans from all over the world take part, testifies the international competitiveness of Latvian cinema at the highest level. The film's message of mutual cooperation and empathy is touching. I'm happy for the whole team, not only for the success at Annecy, but also for the fact, that this is just the beginning of the film’s journey," says producer Matīss Kaža.
The Annecy International Animated Film Festival is one of the best-known and most prestigious animation film festivals in the world, it is held in France every year in June. The festival is famous for its young audience – thousands of animation students come to Annecy every year – but the festival is also attended by representatives of the world's best-known animation studios from DreamWorks, Pixar and others. The Annecy Film Festival’s main competition program, for which “Flow” was selected, is considered the world's largest and most important animation film competition in the film industry.
Film “Flow” is supported by the National Film Centre of Latvia, State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia, Eurimages The French National Centre of Cinema, Arte and Canal+, as well by various regional foundations and support programmes in France and Belgium. The film is produced by Dream Well Studio (Latvia), Sacrebleu Productions (France) and Take Five (Belgium).
The film will have its Latvian premiere in the autumn.
Contact information:
Matīss Kaža
producer
matiss@dreamwell.lv