S2 Ep. 11 - From Latvia to the Oscars: Matīss Kaža and his journey in Cinema

About this episode

Matīss Kaža discusses his journey in cinema and the creative process behind the Oscar-winning film Flow.

In this special episode of Filming in Portugal: See the Big Picture, we welcome Latvian filmmaker Matīss Kaža, producer and co-writer of Flow, the feature film that won this year’s Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.The director, producer and screenwriter spoke with Martin Dale about the creative process behind this co-production between Latvia, France and Belgium, as well as his career path, animation cinema, and future projects - including the next film by director Gints Zilbalodis.The episode was recorded live at the 2025 Tribeca Festival Lisboa on October 31, made possible through a partnership between the Portugal Film Commission and WPP Portugal.

People in this episode

Host: Martin Dale

Guest: Matīss Kaža

Topics covered

• Latvian cinema
• Academy Awards
• animation
• film production
• creative process
• future projects

Keywords

• Matīss Kaža
• Flow
• Academy Award
• animation cinema
• film production
• Gints Zilbalodis
• Tribeca Festival

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Portugal Film Commission, WPP Portugal

Books & works: Flow

More episodes of Filming in Portugal. See the big picture

• S2 Ep. 10 - “People feel much more comfortable when they know they're not being filmed” · June 25, 2025 · 1h 2m
• S2 Ep. 9 – "Casting is a creative act of trust" · May 28, 2025 · 53 min
• S2 Ep. 8 – “Technology should be a tool, not the creativity itself” · May 14, 2025 · 39 min
• S2 Ep. 7 – “Portuguese cinema is very much alive — and it’s evolving” · April 30, 2025 · 35 min
• S2 Ep. 6 – “Creative Europe Desk is here to help you” · April 16, 2025 · 47 min
• S2 Ep. 5 | “Portugal has a flavor, an accent of their own style” · April 2, 2025 · 47 min