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New Indie One of the year’s most wonderfully weird films got love on the festival circuit, but not tons of theatrical play, so DVD may well offer your first opportunity to see Animals (Artsploitation Films), a movie that drew comparisons to David Lynch and Donnie Darko but which stands as very much its own unique creation. In director Marçal Forés’ directorial debut, teenage Pol (Orial Pla) is teetering toward adulthood, but still unwilling to leave one aspect of childhood behind — his teddy bear Deerhoof, who talks to Pol (and accompanies him on the drums when Pol plays guitar). This ain’t Ted, however. There’s an undercurrent of dread and danger throughout, with Pol’s burgeoning sexuality unfolding against a backdrop of missing...

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Press Release: PBS announced today its slate of Winter/Spring 2014 programs, including the long-awaited return of Masterpiece “Sherlock, Season 3” starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the legendary British sleuth, on Sunday, January 19 at 10 p.m. Et. The highly acclaimed “Sherlock” follows Season 4 of “Downton Abbey,” which debuts with eight new episodes January 5 on Masterpiece. The two shows bolster Sunday night as a hallmark of British drama on PBS, whose ratings that night have grown 26 percent (8-11 pm, 2011-12 season: 9/19/2011-9/23/2012 to 2012-13 season: 9/24/2012-9/22/2013) season over season. The schedule also reinforces PBS’ move into 10 p.m. programming on several key nights.

PBS also announced a number of new programs, including the real-life adventure series Chasing Shackleton, the broadcast premieres of biopics “Salinger” on American Masters (about the reclusive Catcher in the Rye author) and Hawking, an intimate portrait of physicist Stephen Hawking’s extraordinary life and career, along with a roster of...

The best of the films I saw last weekend at Polari 2013 was on Saturday afternoon. Polish writer-director Malgorzata Szumowska explores the feelings of a gay priest working in a school for troubled youths in the poignant film In the Name Of.

Trapped by the requirements of his faith with nobody to whom he can turn for a human connection, Adam (Andrzej Chyra, who bears a strong resemblance to Daniel Craig) longs only for the comfort of human embrace. A good man who always has a positive influence on his charges, Adam never does anything wrong, though almost completely unfounded accusations repeatedly result in his transfer to other parishes.

Szumowska peels back the stoic exterior to reveal the depths of longing and loneliness suffered by a man striving to set the highest example of godliness and the tragic unfairness that can result from unfounded suspicions. In the Name Of is a...

In case you hadn’t noticed we like odd movies here at 24fps. Odd oftern means new, different, and inventive and Catalan helmer Marcal Fores’ ambitious debut Animals seems to tick all those boxes. Troubled teens and a talking teddy bear (‘Ted’ this isn’t) populate the bizarre world of Animals and its out on UK DVD and VOD, Nov. 12, 2013. Synopsis: An unconventional coming-of-age tale, Animals is a blend of fantasy and cold reality. Seventeen-year-old high-schooler Pol has stubbornly extended his childhood, aided in no small measure by his opinionated, drums-playing, English-speaking pet teddy bear, Deerhoof. But when he meets alluring new student Icari, the safety of Pol’s innocent imagination crumbles as he experiences his first pangs of love and sexual longing. But what will happen to Deerhoof in this new world and can Pol accept his new-found feelings? Co-starring Martin Freeman (The Hobbit, Sherlock) as his perceptive teacher,...

What Are Friends For?: Fores’ Debut Slow Burn Bizarre Falters at the Finish

While it’s most memorable element will undoubtedly remind audiences of Donnie Darko or a more sinister version of Seth McFarlane’s Ted, Spanish filmmaker Marcal Flores’ debut, Animals, resides entirely in its own weird little universe. A nightmarish coming-out tale, the strange and surreal take a subdued backseat to dry humor, though a prescient uneasiness always seems to gnaw at the outskirts of the action. But Fores’ doesn’t manage to land the ship smoothly, and an overtly dramatic final few frames considerably diminishes the methodical menace established by the protagonist’s anticipated instability.

Pol (Orial Pla) is an introverted teenager that lives alone with his older brother, Llorenc (Javier Beltran), a cop that gruffly tries to keep an eye on him. Pol spends a majority of his time alone, playing or listening to alternative...

Outfest has announced the award winners of its 31st Los Angeles Lgbt Film Festival. Chris Mason Johnson's "Test" and Shaun Kadlec and Deb Tullman's "Born This Way" led the juried prizes, taking the awards for best narrative and documentary feature, respectively. Bruno Barreto's "Reaching For The Moon" and Linda Bloodworth-Thomason's "Bridegroom," meanwhile, took those prizes in the audience award categories. Read More: It Happened To Him: 'Bridegroom' Subject Shane Bitney Crone On Bringing His Tragic Story To The Screen The oldest continuously running film festival in Los Angeles ran from July 11th to July 21st, and closed last night with Darren Stein’s “G.B.F." Complete list of winners. Special Programming Awards Special Programming Award for Freedom Deepsouth, Directed by Lisa Biagiotti Special Programming Award for Artistic Achievement Animals, Directed by Marçal Forés Special Programming Award for Emerging Talent Diego Ruiz,...

Now that Doma has been ruled unconstitutional, the City of Angels keeps the celebration going with The 31st Annual Outfest Film Festival showcasing the best in Lgbt filmmaking from the Us & across the world. Outfest has also been consistent in its support for the Latino gay & lesbian film community which, sad to say, is more than most Latino film festivals have shown (Really?! Still? I've never met your family but trust me, one of your primos is gay). This year Outfest solidifies that commitment by not only having an diverse range of gay themed or gay helmed films, but the opening night film is C.O.G written and directed by Kyle Patrick Alvarez, winner of the prestigious "Someone to Watch" Award at the 2010 Independent Spirit Awards for his writing and directorial debut film Easier With Practice. C.O.G is the first film adaptation of the highly esteemed author David Sedaris' work. Festivals like Outfest (and its life partner Newfest in NYC) exist to promote, share and foster Lgbt visibility in the media from all races and places. LatinoBuzz checked out the line-up at this years Outfest to see Wtf is Latino!

C.O.G – Dir. by Kyle Patrick Alvarez (USA)

David has it all figured out. His plan—more a Steinbeckian dream—is to spend his summer working on an apple farm in Oregon with his best friend, Jennifer. When she bails out on him, David is left to dirty his hands alone, watched over by Hobbs, the old farm owner and the first in a series of questionable mentors he encounters. First there’s Curly, the friendly forklift operator with a unique hobby, and then Jon, the born-again rock hound who helps David in a time of need. C.O.G tells the story of a prideful young man and what’s left of him after all he believes is chipped away piece by piece.

Pitstop – Dir. by Yen Tan (USA)

Recovering from an ill-fated affair with a married man, Gabe finds solace in the relationship he maintains with his ex-wife and daughter. On the other side of town, Ernesto evades life at home with his current live-in ex-boyfriend by spending much of his spare time in the hospital with an ailing past love. Impervious to the monotony of their blue-collar world, they maintain an unwavering yearning for romance.

Who's Afraid Of Vagina Wolf? - Dir. by Anna Margarita Albelo (USA)

As another birthday rolls around, forty-year-old filmmaker Anna returns to her never-changing list of resolutions: lose twenty pounds, get a girlfriend, and direct a feature film. This year, Anna plans to knock (at least) two of those resolutions out with one stone, as she begins writing a lesbian remake of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, devised to win the affections of her leading lady, Katia. With Anna planning to act opposite her beautiful crush, her two best friends, Penelope and Chloe, round out the four-person cast. Unfortunately, things don’t run smoothly, as egos begin to clash and crew members start sleeping with one another. Will Anna go yet-another year without accomplishing any of her resolutions?

Valencia - Dir. by Lares Feliciano, Dia Felix etc. (USA)

Valencia the novel put the experiences of an entire generation of lesbians on paper through the lens of one hard-loving and hard-drinking dyke. Punk rockers, riot grrls, and simple, artsy freaks suddenly had a heroine to look up to and a mecca to head toward. This highly anticipated film adaptation of Valencia gives a whole new generation of fabulous, artsy, genderqueer folks an opportunity to reinterpret and reinvent the tales of this iconic novel one chapter at a time.

Reaching For The Moon (Flores Raras) – Dir. by Bruno Barreto (Brazil)

Seasoned Brazilian helmer Bruno Barreto brings to life 1950s Rio in this beautifully drawn tale of poet Elizabeth Bishop and her love affair with architect Lota de Macedo Soares, the designer of Rio’s famed Flamengo Park. Based on the bestselling Brazilian novel Rare and Commonplace Flowers, the film follows Bishop as a creative block prompts her to accept the invitation of a college friend to stay with her and her partner, Lota, on a sprawling country estate. Quintessentially American Bishop is a fish out of water in her new lush and bohemian setting, until the instant chemistry between her and Lota boils over.

Animals – Dir. by Marçal Forés (Spain)

There are maladjusted teens, and then there’s Pol, whose best friend is a walking, talking stuffed bear who sounds like Hal, the evil computer in 2001: A Space Odyssey. (Ted, this ain’t.) As Pol tries to unravel the meaning behind a strange series of circumstances involving his gay friend, a local girl’s death, a sexy new transfer student and his English teacher (Martin Freeman, The Hobbit), he finds that nothing in this weird, weird world is what it seems. Evoking the strange and sometimes sinister mood of Donnie Darko, American Beauty, Elephant and Kaboom, Animals is like a mysterious dream you’ll want to have over and over again

Iglu (Igloo) – Dir. by Diego Ruiz (Chile)

Daniel, a young, handsome and talented illustrator, is deeply depressed in the aftermath of his relationship with an older man, his college professor. Salvation comes through his neighbor Paula, an agoraphobic therapist, with whom Daniel begins an intense relationship. Igloo explores a young man’s complex relationships with sexuality, intimacy and addiction, and how his memories and present day relationships help him embrace a new life. In his directorial debut, established Chilean actor Diego Ruiz plays the lead role of Daniel (he also co-wrote the script) in an imaginative and moving story of identity and self-acceptance.

La Partida (The Last March) – Dir. by Antonio Hens (Cuba)

Reinier works as a callboy in order to support his wife and child, but he ends up gambling most of his money away. Sex with men is strictly business until he befriends a cute soccer player named Yosvani, who works for his girlfriend’s father, a corrupt debt collector. When Reinier’s gambling habit gets him in serious trouble, Yosvani tries to convince Reinier to run away with him. Set in the bustling streets of Cuba, The Last Match offers a visceral romance ripe with unexpected turns and dangerous temptations.

Al Cielo (To Heaven) – Dir. by Diego Prado (Argentina)

In this breezy and beautifully crafted Argentine feature, a punk-loving teenager wrestles with the nerve-wracking uncertainty of first love. Torn between accepting the strict teachings of his church and embracing a handsome local guitarist, Andrés finds himself in existential limbo, unable to make a move without instantly regretting his choices. Balancing teen angst with warm observations, To Heaven concludes in strikingly romantic fashion, satisfying our expectations in ways only the best of coming-of-age dramas can do.

transVISIBLE:The Bamby Salcedo Story - Dir. by Dante Alencastre (USA)

An icon of L.A.'s transgender community, Latina activist Bamby Salcedo sparkles in Dante Alencastre’s candid documentary. Beginning with Bamby’s life on the drug-addled streets of Guadalajara and then journeying through her recovery and out-spoken activism, Transvisible’s riveting one-on-one interviews reveal a selfless HIV advocate and tireless transgender community spokeswoman. (Her work at the Children's Hospital, Los Angeles and as a coordinator for Angels of Change are just two of many notable causes.) Bamby’s story is one of inspiration and hope.

And rounding out the Latino hotness are the Short films...

Tableau (USA), You're Dead to Me (USA), Scaffolding (Spain), The Companion (Peru), Elliot King is Third (USA), Miguel Alvarez Wears a Wig (Greece/Spain) Rad Queers (USA).

OutFest runs July 11th-21st. For more info on Outfest please visit: www.Outfest.org

Written by Juan Caceres and Vanessa Erazo, LatinoBuzz is a weekly feature on SydneysBuzz that highlights Latino indie talent and upcoming trends in Latino film with the specific objective of presenting a broad range of Latino voices. Follow @LatinoBuzz on Twitter and Facebook.

Fantasia 2013 has announced the second wave of titles screening this year. If the first wave, along with the announcements of special guests wasn’t enough to get you excited, this surely will.

009 Re: Cyborg

Japan Dir: Kenji Kamiyama

Mechanized mayhem, mysticism and moral ambiguity meet when the influential ’60s manga/anime property 009 Cyborg gets a dark, postmodern makeover care of the mighty Production I.G, in the spirit of the iconic Ghost In The Shell films. Anime fans won’t want to miss this one. North American Premiere.

Animals

Spain Dir: Marçal Forés

Evocative of both Donnie Darko and Leolo with a touch of Charles Burns, Animals taps into a volatile whirlpool of adolescent anxieties and identity issues, addressing complex themes through a wealth of unconventional approaches. A heavy trip, but an entertaining and fantastical one. Winner: Best First Feature, Sant Jordi de Cinematografia 2013, Official Selection: Sitges 2012, Miami International Film Festival 2013. Quebec Premiere.

The full Fantasia 2013 lineup will be announced next Tuesday, July 9th, but in the meantime we have the second wave of titles to share, and per usual, it's a doozy!

From the Press Release:

Following last week’s first wave of programming announcements, the Fantasia International Film Festival is proud to unveil several additional highlights to warm you up for our July 9th Press Conference, where we’ll be unveiling of our full 120+ film lineup. The festival runs from July 18 to August 6.

Official Opening Night Film – Takashi Miike’s Shield Of Straw (North American Premiere)

Hot off its screening in official completion at the Cannes Film Festival, Takashi Miike’s riveting crime thriller Shield Of Straw will be kicking off Fantasia’s 2013 edition with its first screening on the North American continent. Shield Of Straw stars Takao Osawa, Nanako Matsushima, and Tatsuya Fujiwara. Fantasia’s 1997 screening of Fudoh marked the...

Last week we shared the first group of films and events slated for this year's Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal, the largest genre-themed film festival on the planet. In addition to dozens of film entries, many of which are making their world premieres at Fantasia, there will also be some major one-of-a-kind events at the fest, the first of which you can read about in our previous update. But now, here's the latest crop of films and events added to Fantasia's schedule: Official Opening Night Film: Takashi Miike’s Shield of Straw (North American Premiere) This is the second time Miike has chosen Fantasia to debut a film in North America at this fest; the last was Fudoh in 1997. Rated X: A Night with Bryan Singer The acclaimed genre director will engage the audience in an hour-long discussion on his films, career and the genre in general, moderated by Fangoria veteran Tony Timpone.

Marks the second consecutive year a Takashi Miike film has opened Montreal’s genre film festival.

Takashi Miike’s Shield of Straw, which screened in competition at Cannes, is to open the 17th edition of Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival (July 18 - August 6).

Miike’s crime thriller receives its North American premiere at Fantasia and continues the long relationship between the director and festival.

Last year, Fantasia opened with Miike’s For Love’s Sake and the festival’s 1997 screening of Fudoh marked the first time a film by the director had ever been shown in North America.

The festival will also host the world premiere of 24 Exposures, from mumblecore director Joe Swanberg. The film stars Adam Wingard as a fetish photographer whose models begin to turn up dead while Simon Barrett plays a cop tasked with investigating him.

Wingard and Barrett are the director-screenwriter duo behind You’re Next and A Horrible Way To Die. Fantasia...

A Hungarian shadow theatre act won Britain's Got Talent on Saturday night. But nobody really cares about that anymore. The only TV event that anyone is talking about this morning is Natalie Holt's eggs-citing stage invasion, eggs-cellent throwing arm, and the slightly whiffy smell coming from Simon Cowell's changing rooms on Sunday morning.

But what exactly do we know about the woman that cracked (geddit!) her way into the headlines on Saturday night?

Here are 10 facts that we do know about the eggs-treme talent show protester.

1. Thanks to the wonders of Twitter, we know for sure that Natalie is a "maker of music", a "viola player in Raven Quartet" and a "hater of cotton wool".

2. Raven Quartet are Holt, Stephanie Benedetti, Rachael Lander and Kirsty Mangan. They create "inventive interpretations of the hard-hitting rock tracks" and apparently have "a host of celebrity fans". They claim to have formed...

Animals

Directed by Marcal Fores

Written by Enric Pardo and Marcal Fores

2012, Spain

Is that thing real, or is that kid just crazy? Thats what you’ll be asking yourself during the first half of this movie. We follow Pol, a handsome young high school student in Spain. Pol carries on a friendship in private with a small living (and apparently breathing) teddy bear named Deerhoof. The two play in a rock band together and discuss conflicts with each other. When Pol meets and falls for Ikari, the new mysterious boy in school, things start to take a dark turn as Pol has to either embrace or reject the influence of his new lover.

The scenes with Pol and Deerhoof are really quite effective and polarizing. On the one hand Deerhoof acts as a coping mechanism for Pol, keeping him company and showing him affection when he needs it. On...

Animals is the directorial debut of Marçal Forés, and stars Oriol Pla, Augustus Prew (The Borgias) and Martin Freeman (The Hobbit). The film is described as an introspective fantasy ala Donnie Darko, and a coming-of-age story that blurs the borders between everyday reality and dreams. As far as I know, Animals does not yet have a release stateside, but keep an eye out for it. Many of my colleagues who have been fortunate enough to see it, only have great things to say. Watch the trailer after the jump.

Synopsis:

Just like on any other day, Pol (17) walks home with his friend Deerhoof. Deerhoof is his ally and soul-mate and, next to him, Pol feels he has found his place in the world. He is Pol’s most closely guarded secret: his imaginary friend (or at least that’s what he thinks) whose appearance is that of a small, sweet teddy bear.

The 27th London Lgbt Fest offers tons of screenings in the coming days (Pictured above: Underground transgender superstar Divine in John Waters' 1974 sorta class Female Trouble) This year's London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival officially opened with a gala presentation of Jeffrey Schwarz’s I Am Divine this past Thursday. In the coming week, the festival will be showcasing dozens of features and shorts featuring characters of various forms of sexual orientation and gender identity from all over the world. Among tonight's features is John Waters' 1974 camp classic Female Trouble, starring Waters' muse Divine as a youngster who, after running away from home on Christmas Day, getting raped and pregant, and becoming a single mom, is transmogrified from loving schoolgirl to tough criminal. Waters' stock player Edith Massey plays Aunt Ida, who has obviously spent her life hanging out with the wrong straight crowd, remarking at one point in...

'Frame envy' as Peter Jackson brings first film in latest Jrr Tolkien Middle-earth trilogy to screen in Wellington

They trooped to Wellington in their tens of thousands, from all over the globe, dressed as dwarves, goblins, hobbits, elves – and other, less easily identifiable Middle-earth creatures.

Almost a decade after Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings triptych of films set the global box office on fire to the tune of $2.9bn (£1.8bn), the director was back in New Zealand to premiere the first part of his wildly (in some quarters) anticipated adaptation of Jrr Tolkien's The Hobbit.

There was scant wriggle-room on either side of the 500-metre-long red carpet snaking towards the Embassy theatre where the first part of a planned trilogy The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was screened for the first time to the public. An Air New Zealand plane decked out in Middle-earth livery flew low overhead,...

British actor Martin Freeman says director Peter Jackson has done an amazing job on The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

"He's done it again," Freeman (pictured above) said at the film's world premiere in New Zealand earlier today.

"If it's possible, it's probably even better than The Lord of the Rings. I think he's surpassed it."

The actor plays Bilbo Baggins, the title character who goes on a quest with a group of dwarves to reclaim treasure stolen by the dragon Smaug.

Tens of thousands of New Zealanders turned out to watch their favourite Hobbit actors walk the red carpet at the home town premiere for this first in the new Hobbit trilogy.

>>>For a full gallery from the New Zealand premiere, click here

An Air New Zealand plane painted with Hobbit characters flew low over Wellington's Embassy Theatre, bringing roars of approval from the crowd.

While it is unusual for...

Wearing elf ears and wizard hats, sitting atop their dad’s shoulders or peering from balconies, tens of thousands of New Zealanders watched their favorite Hobbit actors walk the red carpet Wednesday at the film trilogy’s hometown premiere.

An Air New Zealand plane freshly painted with Hobbit characters flew low over Wellington’s Embassy Theatre, eliciting roars of approval from the crowd.

Sam Rashidmardani, 12, said he came to see Gollum actor Andy Serkis walk the red carpet — and he wasn’t disappointed. “It was amazing,” Rashidmardani said of the evening, adding his Gollum impression: “My precious.”

British actor Martin Freeman,...

Wellington, New Zealand — Wearing elf ears and wizard hats, sitting atop their dad's shoulders or peering from balconies, tens of thousands of New Zealanders watched their favorite "Hobbit" actors walk the red carpet Wednesday at the film trilogy's hometown premiere.

An Air New Zealand plane freshly painted with "Hobbit" characters flew low over Wellington's Embassy Theatre, eliciting roars of approval from the crowd.

Sam Rashidmardani, 12, said he came to see Gollum actor Andy Serkis walk the red carpet – and he wasn't disappointed.

"It was amazing," Rashidmardani said of the evening, adding his Gollum impression: "My precious."

British actor Martin Freeman, who brings comedic timing to the lead role of Bilbo Baggins, said he thought director Peter Jackson had done a fantastic job on "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey."

"He's done it again," Freeman said in an interview on the red carpet. "If it's possible, it's probably even better than `The Lord of the Rings.

As legions of fans descend on Wellington, director Peter Jackson explains why there would be no Hobbit films without Martin Freeman

It has been six years, two directors, numerous strikes and protests, not to mention a reported $500m in the making, but Peter Jackson's new fantasy trilogy based on Jrr Tolkien's beloved 1937 novel The Hobbit will finally be shown to the public today with the premiere of debut movie An Unexpected Journey in Wellington, New Zealand.

The country's capital has been transformed into "the middle of Middle Earth", the fictional world created by Tolkien as a uniquely Anglo-Saxon mythological playground and populated by hobbits, dwarves, elves, dragons, trolls, goblins and wizards. Tens of thousands of fans dressed as all of the above and more are expected to line the 500-metre red carpet leading up to the Embassy theatre, where the likes of Martin Freeman (who plays hobbit Bilbo Baggins), Andy Serkis,...

With the Lord of the Rings prequel heading for cinema screens, Peter Jackson, the director, and his cast have been forced on the defensive by rows over animal welfare

British actor Martin Freeman is close to becoming an official mascot for New Zealand, thanks to his role in the new Hobbit film and this weekend's unveiling of a giant image of his face on the side of a Boeing jet at Auckland airport. And suddenly it looks as if the Tolkien entertainment industry might be in need of such a congenial ambassador.

Just three days before the film premieres in New Zealand's capital, Wellington, the long-awaited Peter Jackson adaptation of Jrr Tolkien's first foray into Middle-earth is under attack from several quarters. Its Hollywood producers stand variously accused of cruelty to animals, suppression of the press and exploitative merchandising.

The film-makers and stars of the Lord of the Rings prequel,...

I would really like to tell you about Marçal Forés' fantastic story of an adolescent and his talking teddy bear, Animals, and Fernando Cortizo's gorgeous animated fantasy film O Apostolo. But I cannot. I can tell you a little bit about each, but you see, both were in either Spanish or Catalan with no subtitles. And I don't speak either of those languages. Here's what I know: The 3-D stop-motion animation in O Apostolo is gorgeous right from the first scene, which depicts two convicts running through labyrinth tunnels in hopes of escaping from prison. Both men talk quite a bit in these tunnels, and based on audience-laughter, I think that some of what they say is funny. That's about where I checked out, but,...

We start the Top 7. You finish the Top 10.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon is in theaters as we speak, and it got us thinkin’…great big robots that throw buildings and can squash us like bugs are pretty darned cool. In face, any robot, homicidal or heroic, is bound to make us happy, because we love huge, scary, mechanical obstacles human characters can barely survive. So, in honor of the epic battle between Autobots and Decepticons, we’ve brainstormed seven other big time, mechanical killers. Bring it on, Megatron.

click here for complete “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” coverage including reviews, interviews and a day in the life of an extra

7. Maximum Overdrive – The Happy Toyz Co. Western Star 4800 Truck (1986)

Recap: Earth passes through the tail of a comet for three days, which causes everything electronic on the planet to spring to life and start killing everything in sight. Big duh.

The last time we checked in on Martin Freeman his name was being bandied about as a likely candidate for Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit. Given that the fate of that film is still up in the air, I'm not much sirprised to see that Mr. Freeman is booking other work. He's now set to co-star in Animals, from director Marcal Fores. The film will have the actor playing a schoolteacher in "a fantasy-laced coming-of-age tale that [producer] Sergi Casamitjana dubs as 'Donnie Darko' meets Gus Van Sant.'" Not that this role will have any impact at all on the possibility of Martin Freeman being in The Hobbit; Animals will shoot for eight weeks beginning on Monday, and Mr. Freeman will only work for about a week of that schedule. A couple of interesting craftsmen are involved behind the scenes, too: Buried cinematographer Eduard Grau is shooting, and...

Described as "’Donnie Darko’ meets Gus Van Sant", Animals is a fantasy laced coming-of-ager which, as far as I can find, is still in development. It will be Marçal Forés first time directing a feature length film, and his Dp is.. well, lets just say damn good. You can see the promo teaser after the break.

Teaser after the break.

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