Creators of "Flow" to be awarded EUR 300,000 prize

RIGA - The government will award a monetary prize of EUR 300,000 to the creators of the animated film "Flow" for winning a Golden Globe, Prime Minister Evika Silina (New Unity) announced Monday following the weekly coalition meeting.

A further EUR 150,000 will be granted to the award winning film's creators for marketing needs.

As Silina underlined, the film is a huge advertising of Latvia and its film professionals.

Culture Minister Agnese Lace (Progressives) noted that everyone at the coalition meeting was unanimous that they see further growth prospects for the Latvian animation film industry, but the Culture Ministry will come up with its own vision how additional funding for the film industry, specifically for the production of animated films, could be allocated and used. Talks with partners will continue on that matter.

As LETA was told at the Culture Ministry, the government's monetary prize, which will be granted to the "Flow" team, is equal to monetary prizes that are awarded to athletes for outstanding achievements.

The EUR 300,000 prize will be awarded to the film's authors: filmmaker Gints Zilbalodis, producer Matiss Kaza, composer Rihards Zalupe, and the team of Dream Well Studio.

The EUR 150,000 will be allocated for the film industry' international marketing expenses.

As reported, Zilbalodis' animated feature "Flow" won the Golden Globe Award in the category Best Picture - Animated ceremony in Beverly Hills, US, on January 5.

Five other films - "Inside Out 2", "Moana 2", "Memoir of a Snail", "Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl" and "The Wild Robot" - were running for the award in this category.

At the beginning of December, "Flow" won the European Film Academy Award in the category Best Animated Film.

"Flow" was also screened as the only animated film in the Cannes Film Festival, and won four awards at the Annecy Animation Film Festival, including the jury and audience awards. In addition, the film will be screened in cinemas worldwide from autumn.

"Flow" is also among the 15 films in the running for the Oscar as the Best Foreign Film.