Late on the evening of April 25, the Annecy International Animation Film Festival (Festival international du film d'animation d'Annecy) in France unveiled its main competition programme, which features the full-length animated film Flow directed by Gints Zilbalodis. Thus, the film embarks on its global journey by competing in two of Europe's top film festivals.
The Annecy International Animation Film Festival, held annually in June in France, is renowned as one of the world's premier animation film festivals. Notable for its youthful audience, the event draws thousands of animation students to Annecy each year, along with representatives from leading animation studios like DreamWorks and Pixar. The festival's main competition programme, which includes Flow, is widely regarded as the largest and most prestigious animated film competition globally.
It has previously been announced that Straume / Flow (2024) by Gints Zilbalodis will make its world premiere this May at the Un Certain Regard competition of the Cannes Film Festival. The feature-length film, crafted using 3D animation techniques, narrates the tale of a solitary Cat who, displaced by an unexpected deluge, finds himself adrift on a small boat, compelled to collaborate with other animals to survive. Created in Zilbalodis’ signature style, the film promises a poetic and visually stunning journey through a submerged world devoid of human presence.
Gints Zilbalodis returns to Annecy following his remarkable success in 2019 with his debut feature-length animation Projām / Away (2019), which triumphed in the Contrechamp programme, the festival's "second" competition. Produced solely by Zilbalodis, the film clinched the top prize before going on to captivate audiences at over 90 film festivals worldwide.
"I am delighted to revisit the Annecy Film Festival, where my film Away won the Contrechamp Award five years ago. Following that recognition, my work garnered attention from festivals and film distributors worldwide, enabling me to reach a broader audience and secure international co-producers and financing for my next film on a much grander scale. This journey would likely not have been possible without the Contrechamp Award. Annecy Festival draws tens of thousands of animation enthusiasts from across the globe who eagerly expect the latest animated masterpieces. The atmosphere at Annecy is unlike any other festival I've experienced," reflects director Gints Zilbalodis.
"The screening of Flow at the esteemed Annecy Festival in France feels natural, given that animation creators from France and Belgium, based in Marseille, collaborated on this project in a specially established studio. Their expertise brought to life the four-legged creatures inhabiting the film's world. Moreover, the Latvian director Zilbalodis’ project received financial backing from esteemed platforms Arte and Canal+. While Cannes Film Festival exudes glamour with its red carpet, Annecy Festival is more inclusive, boasting a diverse audience of genuine animation aficionados," remarks producer Matīss Kaža.
The main creative team of Flow includes director, producer, screenwriter, and artist Gints Zilbalodis, producer and co-screenwriter Matīss Kaža, producers Ron Dyensa and Gregory Zalcman, sound director Gurwal Coïc-Gallas, lead animator Léo Silly-Pélissier, and music composers Gints Zilbalodis and Rihards Zaļupe, with visual effects artists Konstantīns Višņevskis and Mārtiņš Upītis.
Flow received financial support from the National Film Centre of Latvia, the State Culture Capital Foundation, Eurimages, the National Centre for Cinema and the Moving Image of France, Arte, and Canal+, along with several 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). In Latvia, Flow is set to premiere this autumn.
Additional information:
Matīss Kaža
Producer
e-mail: matiss@dreamwell.lv
phone: +371 20030221