Latvian Production ‘Flow’ Triumphs at Cartoon Movie Festival

One of Europe’s most prestigious animation festivals, Cartoon Movie, hosted 55 projects from 16 countries this year. The 27th edition of the event took place in Bordeaux from March 4-6, offering animation studios a platform to secure funding for their projects.

Unlike traditional festivals, Cartoon Movie focuses on allowing producers to pitch directly to financiers. Selected projects are given a maximum presentation time of 30 minutes to capture investors’ attention. Since 1999, this format has helped secure funding for 487 films with a total budget of €3.2 billion ($3.5 billion).

France Leads in Participation
This year, France led with 19 projects, followed by Germany with six and Norway with five. The total budget for all projects reached €316.9 million ($344 million), with an average film budget of €5.7 million ($6.2 million).

Cartoon Movie Tributes Award Winners Announced
One of the most prestigious awards in the animation industry, the Cartoon Movie Tributes, was presented in three categories this year. Voted on by 838 industry professionals from 40 countries, the winners are:

• Producer of the Year: Latvian studio Dream Well Studio, French studio Sacrebleu Productions, and Belgian studio Take Five jointly won the award for their work on Flow, the first Latvian film to win an Oscar.
• Sales Agent of the Year: Paris-based agency Kinology, known for films such as Argonuts, Sirocco, and The Kingdom of Winds, as well as the upcoming Pets on a Train.
• Director of the Year: Spanish screenwriter and director María Trénor won for her 2024 biographical animation Rock Bottom, inspired by the life of Robert Wyatt.

Eurimages Co-Production Development Award
One of Cartoon Movie’s most significant awards, the Eurimages Co-Production Development Award, was presented by the Council of Europe. This €20,000 ($21,700) cash prize went to Armenian animator Tigran Arakelyan for his film Zako. The project tells the real-life story of an Armenian war victim and sheds light on lesser-known aspects of European history.

Latvia’s Rise in the Animation World
Latvia stood out not only as the home country of the Oscar-winning Flow but also as Cartoon Movie’s spotlight country this year. A delegation of 16 Latvian producers and actors attended the festival, and three Latvian films—Born in the Jungle, Karmic Knot, and The Northern Star—were highlighted in presentation panels.

Additionally, three major upcoming animated films had exclusive previews at the festival:

• Finnish production Fleak
• Czech production Tales from the Magic Garden
• French production The Songbirds’ Secret

As Cartoon Movie continues to boost the European animation industry and nurture new talent, Latvia’s success with Flow is poised to inspire future projects in the field.