Matīss Kaža | |
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 Kaža in 2025 | |
| Born | Matīss Kaža August 31, 1995 |
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| Alma mater | |
| Years active | 2012–present |
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Matīss Kaža (born August 31, 1995) is a Latvian filmmaker. He is best known for co-writing and co-producing an animated film Flow (2024), which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, making him the category's youngest ever winner at the age of 29, beating Andrew Stanton in a 21-year streak.
Before Flow, he has previously written and directed documentary films such as Month of the Witches (2012) and One Ticket Please (2017) as well as directing Latvian-language drama films during his career such as Neon Spring and The Taste of Water (both in 2022). He founded a production company Trickster Pictures[1] while also serving as a lead producer at Riga-based animation company Dream Well Studio.[2]
Early life and education
[edit]Matīss Kaža was born on August 31, 1995, in Stockholm, Sweden, to journalist Juris Kaža and film director Una Celma.[3] He was mostly raised in Riga, Latvia before moving to the United States. He holds triple Latvian, Swedish, and American citizenships.[4]
Kaža attended and graduated New York University with a degree of Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Film & Television, and has been a directing fellow at the AFI Conservatory.[4]
Awards
[edit]| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Cannes Film Festival | Un Certain Regard | Flow | Nominated | [5] |
| European Film Awards | Best Animated Feature Film | Won | [6] | ||
| 2025 | Academy Awards | Best Animated Feature | Won | [7][8][9] | |
| Annie Awards | Outstanding Writing in a Feature Production | Won | [10] [11] | ||
| BAFTA Awards | Best Animated Film | Nominated | [12] | ||
| Best Children's & Family Film | Nominated | ||||
| César Awards | Best Animated Film | Won | [13] | ||
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Animated Feature Film | Won | [14] |
References
[edit]- ^ "Trickster Pictures". trickster.lv. Retrieved 2025-03-28.
- ^ "Dream Well Studio". www.dreamwell.lv. Retrieved 2025-03-28.
- ^ "Jaunais režisors Matīss Kaža: Ceru, ka filmu «Vienu biļeti, lūdzu!» pamanīs arī ASV". www.lsm.lv (in Latvian). Archived from the original on 2021-01-16. Retrieved 2025-03-05.
- ^ a b "About Me". Matiss Kaza. Retrieved 2025-03-15.
- ^ Vlessing, Etan. "Cannes Adds Michel Hazanavicius, Mohammad Rasoulof, Emanuel Parvu Titles to Official Competition". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 27 April 2024. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
- ^ Roxborough, Scott (7 December 2024). "Emilia Pérez Wins Big at European Film Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
- ^ Bentz, Adam (23 January 2025). "Oscars 2025 Nominations Revealed: Full List Of All 23 Categories". ScreenRant. Archived from the original on 24 January 2025. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
- ^ Lang, Brent; Moreau, Jordan (23 January 2025). "Oscar Nominations 2025: Emilia Pérez Leads With 13 Nods, Wicked and The Brutalist Follow With 10". Variety. Archived from the original on 23 January 2025. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
- ^ "The 97th Academy Awards". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 2 March 2025. Archived from the original on 31 January 2025. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
- ^ Vlessing, Etan (20 December 2024). "The Wild Robot Leads Annie Awards Nominations With 10 Nods". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 31 December 2024. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
- ^ Pedersen, Erik (8 February 2025). "Annie Awards: The Wild Robot Wins Best Feature & 7 Others; Arcane Goes 7-For-7; Flow Wins Indie Film Prize: Full List". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 9 February 2025. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (15 January 2025). "BAFTA Nominations: Conclave & Emilia Pérez Lead The Field As Open Awards Race Takes Shape". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 15 January 2025. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
- ^ Keslassy, Elsa (28 February 2025). "Jacques Audiard's Emilia Perez Wins Best Film at France's 2025 Cesar Awards (Full Winners List)". Variety. Archived from the original on 1 March 2025. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
- ^ Jamie, Lang (6 January 2025). "Flow's Shock Golden Globe Win Is a Long Overdue Triumph for Indie Animation". Variety. Archived from the original on 24 January 2025. Retrieved 23 January 2025.