In an age where major streaming companies like DreamWorks are firing their animators and big budget animated films from Disney fell short during award season, Flow has been quite the breath of fresh air among animation fans. The little cat that could with a budget of about $4 million took down juggernaut films like Inside Out 2, Moana 2, and The Wild Robot at the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards, which has made director Gints Zilbalodis a national hero for his country. The Latvian people showered the creator with a hero’s welcome after his Oscar win.
Via Cartoon Brew, the evening began with news reporters and paparazzi at the Riga airport braving frigid temperatures to see Latvia’s latest celebrity. The news filmed Zilbalodis’ plane arriving with the same zeal as if he was the president. After the media members rolled out a red carpet, the animator, alongside producer Matiss Kaza, appeared to the flashing of camera bulbs. A choir greeted them at the airport with a choir singing the Latvian national anthem. As they left the airport, fans cheered outside for a glimpse at the duo. They waved flowers and the Latvian flag in excitement while Zilbalodis and Kaza took some questions from reporters.
Zilbalodis and Kaza were whisked by a police escort to the Freedom Monument in the capital city of Riga. A group of about 500 people stood in chilly temperatures to hear speeches from the director and other creators in a joyous celebration of the film that put their country on the international movie map. The crowd exploded in cheers when Zilbalodis and Kaza pulled the Academy Award from their bags, hefting the statues up in the air in triumph.
Flow Broke the Mold for Animation
Image via Janus Films
Flow was Latvia’s first ever Academy Award win, and the film has become iconic across the country. Even Latvia’s president, Edgars Rinkēvičs, snapped a picture in front of Flow’s black cat statue in Riga. The feline sits atop the city’s letters, which are near the Freedom Monument. Since Flow’s rise throughout the awards season, the country’s government shifted extra funds towards their animation industry, shifting 1 million euros towards future projects and including marketing future Latvian animation projects across the world. The FUR-vor for the little cat that took down animation beasts which dominated the box office has become a source of pride for Latvia. After the film’s Golden Globe win, the statue was displayed for over 16,000 guests at the Latvian National Museum of Art.
While it’s unclear what Flow’s lasting impact on the animation will be, it has excited creatives in the industry. Disney’s Amphibia Matt Braly shared on his Twitter when Flow won, “Deserved. A film with a budget of under $5 million just completely upstaged the big studios – this is what the industry needs to see right now. It’s not about money it’s about passion and ingenuity. Bravo!”
Source: Cartoon Brew