In an unexpected turn of events, the Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature was won by “Flow,” directed by Gints Zilbalodis from Latvia, on Sunday night. This film, a collaboration between Latvia, Belgium, and France, boasted a relatively small budget of $3.7 million. What made it stand out was not just its nomination, but the fact that it did so in a category often ruled by high-budget studio productions.
Despite being distributed by Sideshow and Janus Films, who have a history of successful films like the Academy Award-winning “Drive My Car” and “Flow”, the movie faced tough competition in the Golden Globe race. It went up against two highly anticipated Disney/Pixar productions (“Inside Out 2” and “Moana 2”), an animated feature by renowned animator Chris Sanders (“The Wild Robot”) from DreamWorks, a lavish Netflix production directed by Oscar-winning Aardman Animations team (“Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl”), and the Academy Award-winning director Adam Elliot’s “Memoirs of a Snail”.
In the movie, a flood reminiscent of biblical proportions has engulfed everything in its path, including Cat’s residence. Not a single human is to be seen, yet their possessions still linger. Fortunately for our feline protagonist from “The Flood,” it discovers shelter on a boat filled with other animals presumed to be homeless as well. As one, the group embarks on the flooded waters.
Flow’s triumph signifies the growing inclusivity of the Golden Globes towards independent and foreign films over the past few years, a trend that sets it apart from many other prominent Hollywood award events.
In the recent past, films like Makoto Shinkai’s “Suzume”, Masaaki Yuasa’s “Inu-Oh”, and Dean Fleischer-Camp’s “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On” have surprised us with their nominations, and this year, Elliot’s Australian stop-motion film “Memoirs of a Snail” has joined their ranks.
The movie “Flow” didn’t just appear out of thin air. It was brought to life by animation masters from Charades, a company based in Paris (“Mirai,” “I Lost My Body,” “Chicken for Linda!”). The film had an impressive festival circuit beginning at Cannes where it premiered in Un Certain Regard and later won awards at Annecy, Ottawa, Guadalajara, and Melbourne film festivals. It has also received recognition at the European Film Awards, Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards, and New York Film Critics Circle Awards. On January 12th, it will be vying for a Critics Choice Award.
The Golden Globe win by “Flow” signifies a triumph for the democratization of animation production as well. The movie was crafted using Blender, a freely available and widely-used open-source software by independent and novice animators. This is the first instance where a Blender-generated film has won the Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature, demonstrating that significant achievements in this field, theoretically, can be attained not only by studio professionals but also by creators of all backgrounds.
In his acceptance speech, Zilbalodis expressed the impact of their small film winning the award, not just for the team, but for the entire Latvian film industry. “Our movie was made by a dedicated, youthful, and enthusiastic group in a location lacking a major film industry,” he clarified. “This is our first time here, so this victory is monumental for us.
In a concise manner, the 31-year-old movie director spoke about the unique aspects of making this film compared to his past projects, emphasizing that the themes portrayed on-screen and off-camera were particularly relevant in the year 2025.
This tale is deeply significant to me as I once worked independently, producing all my movies single-handedly. However, for the first time, I collaborated with a team, an experience akin to the cat in ‘Flow’ learning to trust others. I had to adapt to delegating tasks and resolving differences, which was quite challenging. I believe it’s crucial to recall this lesson in today’s times.
Moving forward, the unforeseen victory of “Flow” at the Golden Globes has stirred up competition for the Animated Feature Oscar, as no standout favorite has emerged yet. Previously, industry experts had leaned towards “The Wild Robot” and “Wallace & Gromit,” including EbMaster’s selection on Jan 3 – but the commercial or independent international entries have been considered more likely contenders by many. A Golden Globe win for “Flow” might sway some opinions in this respect.
As a dedicated cinephile, I must admit that if a film other than Disney’s “Flow” or any non-Disney production were to clinch the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, it would mark an unusually long dry spell in this category for the house of Mouse. Since the introduction of the award for animated features in 2001, Disney/Pixar has never gone more than two years without securing a victory. Their latest triumph was “Encanto” in 2021, but the subsequent two years have seen victories for Guillermo del Toro’s “Pinocchio” (2022) and Hayao Miyazaki’s “The Boy and the Heron” (2023).
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2025-01-06 17:47