The eye-popping trailer for animated feature Dog of God has debuted ahead of the film’s Tribeca Festival premiere.
Lauris Abele and Raitis Abele directed the movie from a script they co-wrote with Ivo Briedis and Harijs Grundmanis. Media Move is handling global sales on the film that began screening at the Cannes market last month, when ESC Films acquired French rights for the project ahead of a planned release later this year.
Created with rotoscope animation, Dog of God is set in the 17th century and focuses on a woman accused of witchcraft and how her trial uncovers the existence of a werewolf. The footage includes a scene in which a Hitler look-alike is tortured.
Jurgis Spulenieks, Kristians Karelins, Einars Repse, Agate Krista, Regnars Vaivars and Armands Bergis round out the voice cast for the Latvian production. Producing the film are Raitis Abele for Tritone Studio and Kristele Pudane, while Giovanni Labadessa is a co-producer. The trailer is below, but be warned, it is somewhat graphic.
“Dog of God was a strange and intense experience — even in the making, it often felt like we were chasing something wild and unknowable,” Lauris Abele and Raitis Abele say in a statement. “Now that the film is complete, we’re grateful to hand it over to Media Move and watch it begin its own journey. It’s a bit like childhood — when you release something precious into a flowing river, unsure where it will end up, but knowing it no longer belongs only to you.”
Adds Media Move’s Justyna Koronkiewicz, “Over the last couple years, I’ve seen and handled quite a lot of unique genre films, and it’s getting harder to stand out in horror — yet Dog of God managed to do that and so much more. I — and every genre fan I discuss it with — are in awe with the atmosphere, theme and the animation itself. Tribeca and the genre festivals that will follow are only the final confirmation of the film’s appeal. I am thrilled to help these super talented filmmakers bring it to international audiences worldwide.”
Koronkiewicz handled the French rights deal for Media Move, while Eric Saquet represented ESC Films. Dog of God is set to premiere at Tribeca on Friday.
