The Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film in 2025 awarded the animated film “Stream” (Straume), directed by Latvian filmmaker Gints Zilbalodis. The cartoon tells the story of a cat's adventures during a flood and is notable for being created by an independent team on a limited budget using the open-source 3D modeling software Blender. The work on the film took five and a half years.
In his previous works, the director used the 3D package Maya, but switched to Blender in 2019, after the release of Blender 2.80 which included the EEVEE rendering engine. The EEVEE engine supported real-time rendering and allowed for the desired workflow. One of the most important criteria for the choice was speed, not only of rendering but also of file handling, lighting setups, and establishing an overall aesthetic. Blender also provided all the necessary tools for the director.
Source: linux.org.ru
