Animal (2023 Greek film) explained

Animal
Director:Sofia Exarchou
Cinematography:Monika Lenczewska
Editing:Dragos Apetri
Music:Wolfgang Frisch
Distributor:Weird Wave
Runtime:116 minutes

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.

Plot

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.

Production

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]

Release

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]

Awards

Animal was shortlisted for the 2023 European Film Awards.[9]  Below are further nominations and awards.

Cork International Film Festival 2023

Gothenburg Film Festival 2024

International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg 2023

Thessaloniki International Film Festival 2023

Les Arcs Film Festival 2023

Locarno Film Festival 2023

São Paulo International Film Festival 2023

68th Valladolid International Film Festival 2023

Vancouver International Film Festival 2023

Notes and References

  1. Web site: ANIMAL / Homemade Films . 22 March 2024 . Homemade Films - Athens.
  2. Web site: Soundtrack Album for Sofia Exarchou's 'Animal' Released Film Music Reporter . 23 January 2024 . en-US.
  3. Web site: Vourlias . Christopher . 1 August 2023 . Greek Resort Drama 'Animal' Scores First Sales, Drops Wild Teaser Ahead of Locarno Competition Premiere (EXCLUSIVE) . 22 March 2024 . Variety . en-US.
  4. Web site: Animal . 23 January 2024 . Locarno Film Festival . en.
  5. Web site: Blickpunkt:Film . Barbara Schuster . Viennale benennt erste Programmpunkte . 23 January 2024 . www.blickpunktfilm.de . de.
  6. Web site: Animal . 23 January 2024 . Animal . de.
  7. Web site: Animal . 22 March 2024 . www.weirdwave.gr . Greek.
  8. Web site: Animal . 22 March 2024 . www.filmgarten.at . de-at.
  9. Web site: Feature Film Selection 2023 – Part 2 . 23 January 2024 . europeanfilmawards.eu . en.
  10. Web site: 28 November 2023 . Sofia Exarchou's Animal snags the Spirit of the Festival Award at the Cork International Film Festival . 23 January 2024 . Cineuropa - the best of european cinema . en.
  11. Web site: Ntim . Zac . 9 January 2024 . Göteborg Film Festival Unveils Competition Titles Including Daniel Espinosa's 'Madame Luna' & Honorary Dragon Award For 'Borgen' Actress Sidse Babett Knudsen . 23 January 2024 . Deadline . en-US.
  12. Web site: Blickpunkt:Film . Jochen Müller . "In Flames" erhält Hauptpreis beim Internationalen Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg . 23 January 2024 . www.blickpunktfilm.de . de.
  13. Web site: ON THE RISE . 23 January 2024 . ON THE RISE . de.
  14. Web site: Vourlias . Christopher . 12 November 2023 . Sofia Exarchou's Locarno Prize Winner 'Animal' Takes Top Award, Acting Honors at Thessaloniki Film Festival . 23 January 2024 . Variety . en-US.
  15. Web site: 13 November 2023 . Animal scoops Thessaloniki's Golden Alexander . 23 January 2024 . Cineuropa - the best of european cinema . en.
  16. Web site: 9 November 2023 . Diamonds of European cinema make their way to Les Arcs Film Festival . 23 January 2024 . Cineuropa - the best of european cinema . en.
  17. Web site: Dreyfus . Jules . 25 December 2023 . Les Arcs Film Festival livre son palmarès - Boxoffice Pro . 23 January 2024 . www.boxofficepro.fr . fr-FR.
  18. Web site: 16 August 2023 . Iranischer Film gewinnt beim Filmfestival Locarno . 23 January 2024 . www.fr.de . de.
  19. Web site: 47ª Mostra Internacional de Cinema em São Paulo . 23 January 2024 . 47ª Mostra Internacional de Cinema em São Paulo . en-US.
  20. Web site: 30 October 2023 . Laura Ferrés wins Seminci's Golden Spike with The Permanent Picture . 23 January 2024 . Cineuropa - the best of european cinema . en.
  21. Web site: Awards . 23 January 2024 . Vancouver International Film Festival . en-US.