Gints Zilbalodis
{{Short description|Latvian filmmaker (born 1994)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| name =
| image = Gints Zilbalodis in January 2025 (cropped).jpeg
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| caption = Zilbalodis in 2025
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| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1994|04|13|df=y}}
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| occupation = Animator, film director, composer
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| notable_works = {{ubl|Away (2019)|Flow (2024)}}
| signature = Gints Zilbalodis signature.svg
}}
Gints Zilbalodis (born 13 April 1994) is a Latvian filmmaker, animator and composer. A prominent figure of Latvian animation, Zilbalodis is best known for directing non-dialogue animated adventure films Away (2019) and Flow (2024), the latter of which earned him accolades including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and an Annie Award, with nominations for two British Academy Film Awards, making him and co-producer Matīss Kaža the first Latvians to win an Academy Award.{{Cite web |last=Mumphrey |first=Cheyanne |date=3 March 2025 |title='Flow' becomes first Latvian film to win Academy Award for animated feature |website=ABC News |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/flow-latvian-film-win-academy-award-animated-feature-119361938 |access-date=3 March 2025 |agency=ABC News |language=en}}
Early life
Gints Zilbalodis is the child of a painter mother and a sculptor father. He gained interest in filmmaking as a medium for expressing his thoughts; he stated that he struggles to express his emotions externally. He chose not to attend university as Latvia had no animation schools, instead teaching himself animation, sound design, and musical composition.{{Cite news |last=Aguilar |first=Carlos |date=2025-02-12 |title=Gints Zilbalodis Discusses 'Flow' and the Movie's Oscar Nominations |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/12/movies/gints-zilbalodis-interview-flow.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250212162030/https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/12/movies/gints-zilbalodis-interview-flow.html |archive-date=2025-02-12 |access-date=2025-02-12 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}
Career
After directing a string of animated short films, Zilbalodis' debut feature, Away, premiered in 2019. Written, directed, and scored by Zilbalodis himself, Away was awarded the Contrechamps prize at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and was nominated for an Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Music in a Feature Production.{{cite web |title=Dream Well Studio |url=https://www.dreamwell.lv/ |website=Dream Well Studio |access-date=10 May 2024}}{{cite news |last=Keslassy |first=Elsa |title=Charades Boards Animated Feature 'Flow' from 'Away' Director Ahead of Annecy's WIP Showcase (Exclusive) |url=https://variety.com/2023/film/global/charades-away-flow-annecy-animation-1235635600/ |date=7 June 2023 |access-date=10 May 2024 |magazine=Variety}}
Zilbalodis' second feature film, Flow, was selected to screen in the Un Certain Regard portion of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.{{cite web |title=Flow |url=https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/f/flow/ |website=Cannes Film Festival |access-date=10 May 2024}} Unlike his past works, Flow marked the first time Zilbalodis collaborated with other staff, with animation co-produced by Sacrebleu Productions of France and Take Five of Belgium.{{cite web |url=https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/441911/ |title=Gints Zilbalodis's sophomore feature, Flow, set to world-premiere in Cannes' Un Certain Regard |last=Abbatescianni |first=Davide |website=Cineuropa |date=3 May 2024 |access-date=8 January 2025 |archive-date=3 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240503145323/https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/441911/ |url-status=live}} It went on to win numerous awards worldwide, including Best Animated Feature at the 97th Academy Awards and in the same category at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards,{{cite web|url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2025|title=The 97th Academy Awards {{pipe}} 2025|publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|access-date=25 February 2025}}{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2025/01/flow-golden-globe-2025-best-motion-picture-animated-2025-1236247950/ |title=Flow Director Gints Zilbalodis Shouts Out "Small, Young But Passionate Team" for First Golden Globe Win for Latvia: "This Is Huge for Us" |first=Ryan |last=Fleming |website=Deadline |date=5 January 2025 |access-date=8 January 2025}} while receiving nominations for two British Academy Film Awards and the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. Due to the success of Flow in Latvia, Zilbalodis was honoured as "Rigan of the Year" in 2024.{{Cite web |title=Director Gints Zilbalodis named "Rīgan of the Year" |url=https://eng.lsm.lv/article/culture/culture/19.11.2024-director-gints-zilbalodis-named-rigan-of-the-year.a576866/ |access-date=2025-03-04 |website=eng.lsm.lv |language=en}}
Filmography
=Short films=
- Rush (2010)
- Aqua (2012)
- Priorities (2014)
- Followers (2015)
- Inaudible (2015)
- Oasis (2017)
=Feature films=
Awards and nominations
=''Away''=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
! scope="col" | Year ! scope="col" | Award ! scope="col" | Category ! scope="col" | Nominated work ! scope="col" | Result ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference(s)}} |
| scope="row" rowspan="4"|2019
| Annecy International Animation Film Festival | Contrechamps Award for Best Feature Film | rowspan="6" |''Away | {{won}} |
|---|
| Lielais Kristaps
| Best Animated Feature Film | {{won}} |
| rowspan="2"|Strasbourg European Fantastic Film Festival
| Best Animated Feature | {{won}} |
| Best European Fantastic Feature Film
| {{nom}} |
| scope="row" rowspan="2"|2020
| Outstanding Music in a Feature Production | {{nom}} | align="center" |{{cite web |title=47th Annie Awards |url=https://annieawards.org/legacy/47th-annie-awards |website=Annie Awards |access-date=10 May 2024}} |
| Vilnius International Film Festival
| New Europe – New Names Competition | {{nom}} | |
=''Flow''=
{{main|List of accolades received by Flow}}
File:Academy_Award_statuette_at_the_Latvian_National_Museum_of_Art.png statuette was put on display at the Latvian National Museum of Art.]]
References
{{reflist}}
See also
External links
- {{IMDB name|nm6478535}}
{{Annie Award for Writing in a Feature Production}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zilbalodis, Gints}}
Category:Film people from Riga
Category:Latvian animated film directors
Category:Latvian male composers
Category:Directors of Best Animated Feature Academy Award winners
Category:European Film Awards winners (people)
Category:Independent Spirit Award winners
Category:Producers who won the Best Animated Feature Academy Award