The moment “Flow” won the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature on Jan. 5, 2025, the rules of how to succeed in the animated film industry changed forever.
“Flow” is a sweet, pondering anomaly of a movie. Centered around a solitary cat, it tells the story of what happens when a huge flood seemingly covers the world, forcing the feline to band together with four other animals to survive. The catch? They act like real animals. Throughout this 82-minute movie, not a single word of dialogue can be found, leaving the story to be told through the beautiful visuals, breathtaking score and occasional meow.
When the Golden Globe’s nomination of “Flow” was first announced on Dec. 9, 2024, it turned more than a few heads. The film’s director, Gints Zilbalodis, seemed an unlikely name to find among the nominations. While his other works and short films have gained some critical acclaim, “Flow” is only his second-ever feature film, a reality that certainly sets him apart. “Flow’s” competition, which included DreamWorks’ “The Wild Robot” and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2,” easily overshadowed the independent film in terms of reputation and acclaim, leaving many surprised that “Flow” even managed a nomination.
If that was all there was to the story, it would have been inspiring enough, but it was only the beginning.
“Flow’s” Best Animated Feature win was the climax of a long, hard journey for the film. The first Latvian film to ever be nominated by the Golden Globes, it was crafted on a total budget of around $3.7 million, a minuscule number compared to that of its main competitors this year, whose budgets ranged from $78 to $200 million. As a result, Zilbalodis and his team at Dream Well Studio, a production company that he founded, were forced to get creative.
Without the funds to spend on industry-standard animation technology, they instead opted to create the entirety of the film in Blender, a free animation software open to the public. Rather than working against these constraints, however, the production team leaned into them, creating a simplistic, storybook aesthetic for the film that stands out against Hollywood’s regular 3D style. The film’s score, co-composed by Zilbalodis, mirrors the quiet beauty of its visuals, and the choice to go completely dialogue-free not only adds to this effect but also gives the film a level of universality, creating a story that can be just as impactful to Latvian audiences as those in the rest of the world.
So why is this win so important for other rising filmmakers? For starters, it levels the playing field. For the first time in Hollywood history, the ruling has come down on the side of independent animated films. The Golden Globes have communicated that it is no longer the budget that matters in animated media, nor even the perfected quality of the animation itself, but the heart of the story being told. The film’s Best Animated Feature win is proof that storytellers do not need a massive production company or the most expensive technology to make something that can reach the world. That new reality, one of hope and potential for independents, echoes the story of the film itself in its encouragement of the under… cat.
Even more than that, however, this win for “Flow” sends a statement to Hollywood’s big-budget studios. Since the creation of the category of Best Animated Feature, Pixar, Disney and others have dominated awards ceremonies. Both at the Golden Globes and the Oscars, they have taken home the trophy time after time. Yes, there have been upsets in the past, both in wins and nominations, but never from an unknown such as Zilbalodis and his team, and never on such a small budget. By elevating such an indie production, the Golden Globes have sent a silent challenge to the juggernauts of the animation industry: they are not invincible. Their status and resources are not enough to keep them at the top forever, and if they do grow lazy in their craft, there are others more than ready to replace them.
As of Jan. 23, the Oscar nominations have officially been posted, and “Flow,” which many were skeptical would even make the list before the Globes, has been nominated twice, both for Best Animated Feature Film and Best International Feature Film. Will it win the ultimate title at the Oscars? Maybe. Though it is one of the most critically acclaimed films of the year, it is still an independent one, a fact that often proves more of a handicap at the Oscars than many similar award shows. Yet after its win earlier this month, there is, for the first time, a definite chance, and that in itself could make all the difference.
Article written by Sabina Boyer.
Photo courtesy of Janus Films.
