On December 7, the 37th ceremony of the European Film Academy Award took place in the Swiss city of Lucerne, where the best films and film artists of 2024 were awarded. Gint Zilbalož’s film “Stream” was recognized as this year’s European animated film, ahead of competitors from France, Spain, the Czech Republic and Switzerland.
Upon receiving the prestigious award, director Gints Zilbalodis began his speech with gratitude for the great trust from those who believed in such a seemingly unusual project and said that such a film can only be made in Europe and not in the large US market. On the other hand, the film’s producer, Matīss Kaža emphasized the importance of being noticed – for such a young team from small Latvia.
“Stream” was praised by European critics
Journalists and film critics from European countries, who came to the 37th ceremony of the European Film Academy Awards, do not hide that “Stream” is a very important animated film, which moved even in unexpected ways.
“I think it’s one of the best animated films in the world in recent years. It was very authentic, but at the same time almost like a fairy tale. “Stream” has a special style and form, and I really liked it. I remember that the premiere in Cannes was a big surprise. I watched it in a rather small cinema hall, but .
everyone around cried from emotion, because they recognized human emotions in these animals,” says film journalist Hedvika Petrzhelkova from the Czech Republic in her thoughts on the film “Stream”.
But Spanish film critic Luis Martínez from the newspaper “El Mundo” was deeply affected by the topic of floods. “There were recent catastrophic floods in the south-east of Spain, and this theme is very present in our everyday life. Therefore, it must be said that in the case of Spain, this film comes out at a very special moment. “Strame” has already been shown at several of our festivals, and the reaction is always the same:
this idea that the future is only possible through cooperation is naive, but in Spain it is particularly important at the moment, because we have experienced such floods in reality. Therefore, I have no doubt that “Strame” will be a great success in Spain,” he admits.
Czech film journalist Marcel Šmid is fascinated by the technical side of animation. “Stream” is very different from the animated films of the big studios – it is made in a completely different aesthetic and uses different animation programs. In the big studios, hundreds of people work on animated films, but then “Stream” comes along! It is a great example that you don’t always need a huge budget and a lot of people to create something beautiful,” says Marcel Schmid.
A new movie is being made in the moments of rest
The director of the animated film “Stream”, Gints Zilbalodis, has been on the road for several months and admits that he is a bit tired of the constant attention that is being given to him. “We started in Cannes, and it was right after the film was finished. Half a year has passed since May, and we have to count on travelling at least until March. About a year will have passed on
* Did your team utilize any innovative PAA techniques or approaches during the production of “Stream”? [[1](https://rslawards.zendesk.com/hc/en-gb/articles/8783468683164-What-do-I-need-to-know-before-my-PAA-exam)]
Congratulations on winning the European Animated Film Award for ‘Stream’! This is a huge accomplishment,especially given the tough competition.Can you tell us about the journey of bringing this unique film to life and what this recognition means to you and your team?
