The film FLOW, directed by Latvian director Gints Zilbalodis, was declared the winner of the LUX Audience Award 2025 at a ceremony today in the European Parliament hemicycle in Brussels.
The animated film, a Latvian-French-Belgian co-production, follows a courageous cat after his home is devastated by a great flood. Teaming up with a capybara, a lemur, a bird, and a dog to navigate a boat in search of dry land, they must rely on trust, courage, and wits to survive the perils of a newly aquatic planet. FLOW is co-produced by Dream Well (Latvia), Take Five (Belgium) and Sacrebleu Productions (France).
“The LUX Audience Award is more than just a prize. It is a testament to the European Parliament’s commitment to democracy, freedom of expression and the role of cinema in reflecting and shaping our societies. With this award, we bring European stories closer to people and, just as importantly, we bring people closer to the work of the European Parliament. This year’s five nominated films represent some of the most urgent and compelling issues of our time, issues that are at the core of the European Parliament’s agenda”, said European Parliament Vice-President Sabine Verheyen (EPP, DE) in a video message shown during the award ceremony in the European Parliament hemicycle in Brussels.
“Five compelling narratives and five very different LUX Audience Award nominees: they are an inspiration to filmmakers and the public alike, not only for celebrating the extraordinary variety of European cinema but also for demonstrating its ability to entertain and elevate at the same time. The cinematic art in Europe is a perfect example of how culture can make a significant contribution to society and advocate for compassion, empathy and change in an otherwise divided world”, said Mike Downey, honorary president of the LUX Selection Committee and chair of the European Film Academy, following the announcement of the winner.
The four other films shortlisted for the award were: ANIMAL by Greek director Sofia Exarchou, DAHOMEY by French director Mati Diop, INTERCEPTED by Ukranian director Oksana Karpovych, and JULIE KEEPS QUIET by Belgian director Leonardo van Dijl.
The winning film was chosen by combining a public vote and a vote by MEPs, each weighted at 50%.
Press point
After the ceremony, a press point will take place with a representative for the winning film, the chair of the Committee on Culture and Education, Nela Riehl (Greens, DE), and Mike Downey, at 19.15 in front of room SPAAK 03C050. The press point will be webstreamed via the European Parliament Multimedia Centre.
LUX Audience Award
Through the LUX Audience Award, a unique pan-European audience film prize, Parliament has been supporting the distribution of European films since 2007, by providing subtitles in 24 EU languages for the films in final contention. The LUX Audience Award has garnered a reputation by selecting European co-productions that engage with topical political and social issues and encourage debate about European values. The European Parliament teams up with the European Film Academy, the European Commission and the Europa Cinemas network to reach a wider audience and to continue to strengthen the links between people and politics.
Press Material:
2025 LUX Audience Award media kit
European Parliament Multimedia Centre: photographs, videos and audios on the 2025 LUX Audience Award
