“Flow,” a dialogue-free animated film about a black cat who learns to trust other animals in a rapidly changing environment, has been such a smash hit in Mexico that Latvian filmmaker Gints Zilbalodis will visit Mexico City next week for a special outdoor screening of his film in the Zócalo.
The event, organized by Cine Caníbal and the city’s Ministry of Culture, marks a gesture of gratitude to Mexican audiences, who have embraced the 84-minute film — which won best animated feature at both the Academy Awards and Golden Globes this year — with rare enthusiasm.
New Flow trailer! Out now on @StreamOnMax It’s absolutely insane to see these quotes from filmmakers who’s work has shaped me, saying nice things about Flow! 🥹 https://t.co/K3wOEVd1Pb
— Gints Zilbalodis (@gintszilbalodis) February 14, 2025
The free screening at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 30 is being held in honor of Día de las Niñas y los Niños, or Children’s Day, in Mexico, which recognizes the importance, rights and well-being of children in Mexican society.
The Zócalo screening will be able to accommodate up to 200,000 people, officials said.
“Flow,” an independent Latvian-Belgian-French film that also won the 2025 Film Independent Spirit Award for best international film, has grossed more than US $6.3 million in Mexico, making it the film’s most successful territory globally.
According to a report in Variety this week, “Flow” has grossed approximately $4.8 million in the United States and Canada, and over $36 million worldwide.
“Flow” opened in Mexico on New Year’s Day 2025, with a wide release across 800 theaters nationwide, marking its largest launch in any country — an extensive rollout that anticipated the strong support Mexicans would have for the film.
This was based on word-of-mouth (the film had opened two months earlier in the U.S. and Canada) and buzz (it had already received awards on the festival circuit plus a Golden Globe nomination); a universal story that draws on timeless myths such as Noah’s Ark; a lack of dialogue that makes it accessible to all; and Mexican audiences’ having a strong tradition of embracing animal-centric stories with visually rich animation.
The forecast proved to be right: Cinemas showing “Flow” remained busy well after opening weekend, and nearly five months later, the film is still playing at Mexican theaters, including La Cineteca Nacional in CDMX.
“Earning $6 million is incredible, especially coming from a smaller studio,” Zilbalodis, 31, said. “This movie truly exemplifies a word-of-mouth success story.”
With reports from Infobae, El Universal and Proceso
