Latvia has selected Gints Zilbaludis's “Flow” for the Best International Feature Film category at the 97th Academy Awards. The animated feature film premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival and won four awards at the Annecy Film Festival.
Sideshow and Janus Films acquired the North American rights to the film at Cannes, and plan to release it in theaters this year.
At the Annecy Film Festival, “Flow” won the Audience Award, the Jury Award, the Special Award for Original Score and the Jean Foundation Award for Distribution. It will also screen at the Toronto Film Festival next month.
The film revolves around a brave cat whose home is destroyed by a massive flood. The cat teams up with a capybara, a lemur, a bird and a dog to steer a boat in search of dry land, and they must rely on trust, courage and intelligence to survive the dangers of a new watery planet.
The film was co-written by Zelbaludis and Matisse Kaza, and the score was composed by Zelbaludis and Richards Zalop. Zelbaludis and Kaza produced the film, along with Ron Deines and Gregory Zalcman.
Latvia was selected by the Latvian Selection Committee, a panel of film industry experts established by the National Film Centre.
The 97th Academy Awards will be held on March 2, 2025.
More will follow.
