Gints Zilbalodis

Gints Zilbalodis (born in 1994) is a Latvian filmmaker and animator. Born on April 13, 1994, into the family of painter Dace Zēģele and designer Gints Zilbalodis. His fascination with filmmaking began at an early age, watching classic films and making shorts and commercials. In 2014, he graduated from the Janis Rozentāls Riga Art High School with a specialization in multimedia design. In 2015, his short film Priorities ("Prioritātes") won the award for best animated film at the Japan Nature Film Festival, while Oasis ("Oāze", 2017) received the Jury's Special Prize at the "Lielais Kristaps" National Film Festival. After directing several animated short films, Zilbalodis released his debut animated feature film, Away, in 2019, for which he served as the screenwriter, director, and composer. Away received an award at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and an Annie Award nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Music in a Feature Production. Zilbalodis's second feature-length animated film, Flow, participated in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. The film won the European Film Award for "Best European Animated Feature Film." In January 2025, Flow received a Golden Globe Award for "Best Motion Picture – Animated," becoming the first Latvian film to win this award. On January 23, 2025, it was nominated for the 97th Academy Awards in the categories of "Best Animated Feature Film" and "Best International Feature Film." Flow is the first film produced in Latvia to be nominated for an Academy Award. It went on to win the award for "Best Animated Feature Film," becoming the first film from Latvia to win an Academy Award. In November 2024, G. Zilbalodis was awarded the Riga City Council Prize "Rigan of the Year 2024", and in December, he was named the 2024 European Person of the Year in Latvia. On May 4, 2025, Zilbalodis was appointed a Commander of the Order of the Three Stars (Class III). He's currently working on a new animated film, Limbo, scheduled for 2028.