Flow, a $3.6 Million Indie Animated Feature, Beat Disney and DreamWorks at the Oscars

The 97th Academy Awards on March 2, 2025, put the spotlight on indie films as Flow, a dialogue-free Latvian animated feature, took home Best Animated Feature, leaving Inside Out 2 (Disney/Pixar) and The Wild Robot (DreamWorks) in the dust.

 

 

 

Directed by Gints Zilbalodis, this underdog contender—crafted by a 20-person team on a $3.6 million budget using open-source Blender software—stunned industry giants. Against Pixar’s emotional sequel and DreamWorks’ visually lush adaptation of Peter Brown’s book, Flow became the first indie film to win Best Animated Feature since the category’s inception in 2002.

At 30 years old, Zilbalodis is now the youngest winner in the category’s history. In his acceptance speech, he stated:

“I hope this will open doors to independent animation filmmakers around the world.”

Social media exploded with reactions. @jyndjarin posted, “It’s amazing an indie international film won over a major studio,” while @CstillsI praised its Blender-built visuals as “a testament to the health of the industry.”

With Disney holding 15 previous wins (11 Pixar, 4 Walt Disney Animation) and DreamWorks securing two (Shrek and Wallace & Gromit), Flow’s victory was nothing short of a seismic upset.

What Is Flow?

So, what’s the film that flipped the script?

Flow is a 76-minute animated odyssey from Latvia, directed and co-written by Gints Zilbalodis, who also composed its score. The film follows a black cat navigating a flooded, post-human world, forming an unlikely alliance with:

• A scruffy dog

• A talkative lemur

• A towering heron

• A laid-back capybara

The story unfolds without dialogue, relying on stunning animation and an evocative soundtrack to drive the narrative.

Built using Blender’s Eevee renderer for just $3.6 million—a fraction of Inside Out 2’s estimated $200 million budget—Flow has pulled in over $20 million worldwide since its Cannes debut.

Distributed by Janus Films and Sideshow in the U.S., the film has received widespread critical acclaim. Variety called it “a wordless wonder,” and the film’s universal, nature-driven theme has earned Latvia its first-ever Oscar win.

Winners and Shockers: Indies Rule the Night

Indie films didn’t just sneak in—they dominated. Here are the night’s biggest winners and surprises:

Major Wins & Upsets

• Best Picture: Anora (A24) swept five awards, including Best Picture, Best Director (Sean Baker), and Best Actress (Mikey Madison)—defeating Conclave and Wicked.

  • Baker now ties Walt Disney’s 1954 record for four individual Oscar wins in one night.

• Best Animated Feature: Flow (Janus Films/Sideshow) pulled off a historic win against Inside Out 2 and The Wild Robot.

  • Pixar, with 19 previous nominations and 11 wins, had never lost to an indie before.

• Best Documentary Feature: No Other Land (Antipode Films), a Palestinian-Israeli collaboration, won over Disney+’s Music by John Williams—a rare indie doc triumph.

• Best Supporting Actor: Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain, Searchlight Pictures) secured a quieter but well-earned victory amid the indie surge.

• Best Actor: Adrien Brody (The Brutalist, A24) claimed his second Oscar, edging out Timothée Chalamet (A Complete Unknown).

Biggest Snubs & Surprises

• Netflix’s Emilia Pérez (13 nominations) flopped, losing Best International Feature to Brazil’s I’m Still Here after losing awards momentum late in the season.

• Flow’s win was the night’s biggest indie cheer, signaling a shift in animation awards.

Why Indies Triumphed: Breaking the Mold

What fueled this indie wave? A few key factors:

1. Precursor Power

• Flow rode momentum from Golden Globe and PGA Awards wins.

• Anora picked up DGA and PGA nods late in the season, sealing its status as a frontrunner.

2. A More Global Academy

• The Academy’s nearly 11,000 members have a growing international presence, embracing diverse voices.

• Flow (Latvia) and No Other Land (Palestinian-Israeli) follow 2024’s trend of The Boy and the Heron’s international win.

3. Studio Fatigue

• After 2024’s Oppenheimer sweep, voters craved fresh, raw stories.

• Anora’s gritty, sex-worker drama and Flow’s survival tale outshined safe sequels.

4. Budget Realities

• Hollywood’s cash crunch made smaller-budget films more appealing.

• Flow’s $3.6 million budget vs. Inside Out 2’s $200 million+ proved that creativity beats a fat wallet.

• X user @Moonesch called Blender a “game-changer” in animation software.

What’s Next: The Future of Indie Animation

The indie surge, led by Flow, could reshape animation as studios rethink their strategies.

Indie Animation Boom

• Flow’s Best Animated Feature win sets the stage for more low-budget, independent projects.

• Digital-first indie hits like The Amazing Digital Circus (334 million YouTube views) and Hazbin Hotel (Amazon Prime 2024) prove that studios aren’t needed for success.

• X user @GooseworxMusic, tied to Digital Circus, teased more indie breakthroughs ahead.

Studio Pressure

• Disney and DreamWorks may pivot from sequels (Inside Out 2) to riskier projects like The Wild Robot’s 2D style.

• Digital Circus and Hazbin Hotel’s success might push studios to tap indie talent or risk fading relevance.

A Digital vs. Theatrical Divide

• Flow thrived in theaters, but Digital Circus and Hazbin Hotel exploded online first before landing streaming deals.

• X user @VivziePop (Hazbin Hotel creator) said its “insane support” proves indie animation can bypass traditional Hollywood.

The Indie Era Dawns

The 2025 Oscars marked a new era, with Flow’s victory over Disney and DreamWorks as its defining moment.

With Anora, Flow, No Other Land, and other indies riding a wave of global appeal and creative ingenuity, animation’s future could be scrappier, more diverse, and digital-first.

Will Flow’s buzz and the rise of YouTube-born animation reshape the industry? If so, studios may have no choice but to adapt—or get left behind.

Sources:

• Hollywood Reporter

• IndieWire

• Collider

• NPR

• YouTube: The Amazing Digital Circus

• YouTube: Hazbin Hotel