Latvia Submits Annecy Audience Award Winner ‘Flow’ For International Feature Oscar Race

Gints Zilbalodis’ Flow, the animated film that had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival and went on to win four trophies at the Annecy animation festival, has been selected to represent Latvia in the 2025 Oscars International Feature Film race.

Zilbalodis (Away) co-wrote and directed the film, which follows a courageous cat after his home is devastated by a great flood. Teaming up with a capybara, a lemur, a bird, and a dog to navigate a boat in search of dry land, they must rely on trust, courage and wits to survive the perils of a newly aquatic planet.

After its Cannes premiere in the Un Certain Regard sidebar, Flow won four prizes at France’s Annecy fest in June: the Gan Foundation Award for Distribution, the Audience Award, the Jury Award, and a special prize for original music. Zilbalodis composed the score with Rihards Zalupe

Matiss Kaza co-wrote the script with Zilbalodis. The pair also produced alongside Ron Dyens and Gregory Zalcman. 

Next up, Flow is set to hit next month’s Toronto Film Festival. Sideshow and Janus Films, which acquired the film out of Cannes, is planning a U.S. theatrical release later this year.

Under the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences rules for its 97th Academy Awards, International Feature Film submissions must have been theatrically released in their home country after November 1, 2023, and no later than September 30, 2024 for at least seven consecutive days.

The deadline for submission is 5 p.m. PT on October 2. The 97th Oscars ceremony will take place on March 2, 2025.