Boost for Latvian animation competition funding amidst Oscars buzz for ‘Flow’

Latvian animated film Flow recently made waves at the Golden Globes, winning in the Best Motion Picture – Animated category. This victory marked a milestone achievement for the Baltic nation, with Flow the first-ever Latvian film to win at the Golden Globes. What's more, the film beat out competition from big US productions including Moana 2 and Inside Out 2, a remarkable achievement for a country with a relatively small but growing film industry.

Following this success, Flow looks like the favourite to win Best Animated Film at the Oscars on Sunday, and could even win the coveted Best International Feature, going head-to-head with contenders such as Germany's The Seed of the Sacred Fig, Brazil's I'm Still Here and France’s Emilia Pérez.

Flow's achievements have significant discussions regarding further developing Latvia’s animation industry. On Tuesday, according to Latvian broadcaster LSM, the Latvian government announced a major funding boost to the sector, allocating an additional 1 million euros to support animation competitions in the country.

This decision was part of an initiative led by the Ministry of Finance, with the support of the Ministry of Culture, to redistribute funds for the development of Latvian animation. As part of this reallocation, €500,000 will come from the Ministry of Climate and Energy’s budget, while the other half will be sourced from the Radio and Television Regulator budget.

Lita Kokale, the Head of Public Relations at the Ministry of Culture, shared that the funds are part of a wider strategy to secure sustainable growth for the animation sector. She also pointed out that the government's current support for the industry lags far behind its Baltic neighbours. In 2024, Estonia’s film industry received a budget of nearly €20 million, while Lithuania allocated over €10 million. Latvia’s budget for film production, in contrast, stands at just over €8 million.

Further to this, the Latvian government has already pledged a €300,000 cash prize to the Flow team for their Golden Globe win – equivalent to the rewards athletes receive for international wins. Additionally, the National Film Centre has granted an extra €150,000 for the international marketing of the film.

However, the Ministry of Culture stresses that, while this is a positive move, Latvia’s animation sector needs a more competitive edge. The country’s support for full-length animated films has been insufficient to sustain long-term growth, and the industry requires more funding to ensure that talented animators in Latvia can continue to produce high-quality films while receiving fair remuneration for their work.

With Flow now in the global spotlight, Latvia’s new push for increased funding could be just the beginning of a vibrant new chapter for its animation industry. Could this investment lead to even more international success? Only time will tell.