I’m really moved by the warm reception our film has had, and I hope that you’ll open doors to independent animation filmmakers around the world,” Zibalodis said, accepting the award. “This is the first time a film from Latvia has ever been nominated.

After a tense Oscar race in the Best Animated Feature category, Flow pulled ahead for the win at Sunday night’s ceremony. With their win, Flow beat out Inside Out 2, Memoir of a Snail, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and The Wild Robot.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Flow,″ a wordless cat parable, won the Oscar for animated feature at Sunday’s 97th Academy Awards. The win gives Latvian filmmaker Gints Zilbalodis his first Academy Award.