| Animal | |
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 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Sofia Exarchou |
| Written by | Sofia Exarchou |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Monika Lenczewska |
| Edited by | Dragos Apetri |
| Music by | Wolfgang Frisch |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Weird Wave |
Release dates |
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Running time | 116 minutes |
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Animal is a drama film written and directed by Sofia Exarchou. The film premiered on 3 August 2023 at the 76th Locarno Film Festival, where it competed for the Golden Leopard.
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The entertainers on an all-inclusive Greek island are preparing for high season. Kalia is the leader of the group and always has to keep the colorful program alive. As the work becomes increasingly harder and more intense, things get out of hand. But the show must go on.
Animal is a production of the Athens-based company Homemade Films, with co-production handled by Nabis Filmgroup (Austria), Digital Cube (Romania), Felony (Cyprus), Ars OOD (Bulgaria) and ERT S.A. (Greece). [1]
The film music was composed by the Austrian Wolfgang Frisch. The soundtrack album with a total of 17 pieces of music was released as a download by the Plaza Mayor Company in mid-January 2024. [2]
The film premiered on 3 August 2023 at the 76th Locarno Film Festival, where Animal competed for the Golden Leopard. [3] [4] In October 2023, the film was shown at the Vienna International Film Festival. [5] From mid-November 2023 it was presented at the International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg. [6] Weird Wave theatrically released the film in Greece from 8 February 2024. [7] Filmgarten distributed the film in Austria beginning on 26 March 2024 in Innsbruck before expanding nationwide on 29 March 2024. [8]
Animal was shortlisted for the 2023 European Film Awards. [9] Below are further nominations and awards.
Cork International Film Festival 2023
International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg 2023
Thessaloniki International Film Festival 2023
São Paulo International Film Festival 2023
68th Valladolid International Film Festival 2023
Vancouver International Film Festival 2023
The cinema of Greece has a long and rich history. Though hampered at times by war or political instability, the Greek film industry dominates the domestic market and has experienced international success. Characteristics of Greek cinema include a dynamic plot, strong character development and erotic themes. Two Greek films, Missing (1982) and Eternity and a Day (1998), have won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Five Greek films have received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
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A Piece of Sky is a 2022 Swiss-German romantic drama film written and directed by Swiss filmmaker Michael Koch. The film was set against the backdrop of Swiss Alps. The film was officially selected at 72nd Berlin International Film Festival. The film also earned special mention from the main competition jury for its screenplay during the Berlin International Film Festival.
The 76th annual Locarno Festival was held from 2 August to 12 August 2023 in Locarno, Switzerland.
Sweet Dreams is a 2023 drama film written and directed by Ena Sendijarević, and starring Renée Soutendijk and Hayati Azis. An international co-production between the Netherlands and Sweden, the film is set on a plantation in the Dutch East Indies around the beginning of the 20th century and takes a critical look at the Dutch colonial past.
Behind the Haystacks is a 2022 drama film written and directed by Asimina Proedrou in her directorial debut. The film tells the story of a middle-aged fisherman who, faced with mounting debt, begins to smuggle refugees across a lake on Greece's northern border. It had its premiere at the 63rd Thessaloniki International Film Festival in 'Meet the Neighbours Competition' section on 11 November 2022.
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Apolonia, Apolonia is a 2022 documentary film directed by Lea Glob. The film is a coming-of-age story of a girl, who finds her place in the art world, narrated through 13 years. The film produced by Danish Documentary Production, HBO Max Central Europe and Staron Film won the IDFA Award for Best Film at the 35th International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam in international competition in November 2022. It was one of the 15 finalist films in the December shortlists for Best Documentary Feature at the 96th Academy Awards.
