The 2024 Latvian adventure film Flow has secured the Oscar for Best Animated Feature at the 2025 Academy Awards, marking a monumental achievement for Latvia and its film industry. This historic win not only brings international recognition to the country’s growing animation scene but also solidifies the reputation of Gints Zilbalodis, the visionary filmmaker behind the project. However, beyond national pride and individual success, Flow’s victory stands out for a groundbreaking reason—it was created using Blender, a free and open-source animation software, proving that high-quality animated films can be produced outside the realm of major Hollywood studios and their proprietary technology.
In recent years, the Best Animated Feature category at the Oscars has been dominated by animation powerhouses like Disney, Pixar, and DreamWorks, with their films often boasting budgets well into the hundreds of millions. These studios rely on cutting-edge proprietary tools, vast render farms, and large teams of animators and visual effects artists. In contrast, Flow was made with a comparatively modest budget and produced entirely using Blender, an accessible tool available to anyone. This victory signals a paradigm shift in the industry, demonstrating that independent filmmakers using open-source technology can compete—and win—against the biggest names in animation.
Zilbalodis embarked on the journey of making Flow in 2019. Unlike major studios with extensive resources, he faced numerous challenges, particularly with rendering speeds and computational power. Hollywood animation studios typically utilize server farms with thousands of high-performance machines to process and render complex animations at incredible speeds. Lacking access to such resources, Zilbalodis sought a software solution that would allow him to work efficiently without compromising on quality. Blender became the perfect tool for the job, providing the speed, flexibility, and creative freedom necessary to bring his vision to life. “Blender’s speed and flexibility allowed us to focus on storytelling rather than being constrained by technical limitations,” he explained in an interview.
Blender is an advanced, free, and open-source 3D computer graphics software suite developed and maintained by the Blender Foundation. It is widely used for creating animated films, visual effects, 3D models, motion graphics, and video games. Unlike commercial alternatives, which often require expensive licenses, Blender is freely available to anyone, making it an invaluable resource for independent creators and smaller studios. The software is primarily funded through donations and runs on multiple operating systems, including Windows, macOS, BSD, Haiku, IRIX, and Linux.
The storyline of Flow revolves around a lone cat navigating a post-apocalyptic, flooded world in search of safety. This setting required intricate water simulations, detailed environmental rendering, and complex physics-based animations. To achieve the desired visual effects, Zilbalodis and his team developed custom tools within Blender, tailoring the software to meet the film’s unique artistic and technical demands. Key contributors included Martin Upitis, who created a specialized add-on for realistic water simulations, and Konstantins Visnevskis, who focused on rendering stylized animal fur. Additionally, the production team collaborated with Belgian and French co-producers to refine character animation and streamline various aspects of production.
While the animation in Flow may not have the hyper-detailed realism found in big-budget animated films, the film embraces a unique artistic style that sets it apart. Rather than aiming for photorealism, Zilbalodis opted for a hand-painted, watercolor-inspired aesthetic that enhances the film’s dreamlike atmosphere. This choice was not merely a workaround for budget constraints but a deliberate artistic decision that gave Flow a distinctive visual identity. The soft, fluid animation style complements the film’s emotional themes, creating an immersive and visually striking experience.
The significance of Flow’s Oscar win extends far beyond the Latvian film industry. It serves as a testament to the growing capabilities of open-source software in professional filmmaking. Blender’s role in this victory underscores the increasing democratization of animation production, where talented individuals and smaller teams can compete at the highest levels without the need for massive budgets or proprietary technology. This moment is likely to inspire a new wave of independent animators, proving that compelling storytelling and artistic vision can triumph over financial and technological limitations.
Moreover, Flow’s success challenges traditional industry norms and expectations. Historically, the animation landscape has been heavily influenced by large studios with vast resources. However, Flow demonstrates that creativity, innovation, and determination can overcome barriers, paving the way for more independent animated films to gain global recognition. The film’s triumph at the Academy Awards is a powerful reminder that the future of animation is not limited to a select few companies but is open to creators around the world who are willing to experiment and push boundaries.
As the animation industry continues to evolve, Flow stands as a beacon of what is possible when artistry meets technological ingenuity. Its Oscar win is not just a victory for Latvia or Zilbalodis—it is a victory for every independent filmmaker, every aspiring animator, and every advocate of open-source technology. The impact of this achievement will likely be felt for years to come, inspiring more creators to embrace new tools, challenge conventional industry practices, and bring their unique visions to life on the global stage.
