Supernatural Horror ‘Animale’ Adds Sales for Film Constellation Ahead of North American Premiere at Fantastic Fest (EXCLUSIVE)

London- and Paris-based production, finance and sales company Film Constellation has added new sales for Cannes Critics’ Week supernatural horror “Animale” by Emma Benestan, ahead of its North American premiere at Fantastic Fest later this month.

“Animale” sold to Scandinavia (Edge Entertainment), CIS (Nashe Kino), the Czech and Slovak republics (Film Europe), Brazil (Belas Artes), and Indonesia (Falcon PT), adding to the previously announced territories which include Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy (Plaion), Spain (Filmin), Portugal (Nos Lusomundo), former Yugoslavia (MCF Megacom), and Middle East and North Africa (Falcon).

Wild Bunch Distribution will release the film in French theaters nationwide on Nov. 27, with O’Brother releasing in Belgium on Dec. 18.

After its world premiere as closing film of the Cannes Critics’ Week, the film has been selected in some of the world’s foremost genre festivals including Fantastic Fest, Sitges Film Festival, MOTELx, and Neuchâtel Intl. Fantastic Film Festival to name a few.

The film is produced by June Films’ Julie Billy (“A Chiara,” “Gagarine,” “The Lobster”) and Naomi Denamur and Frakas Production’s Cassandre Warnauts and Jean-Yves Roubin (“Titane,” “Raw,” “Vincent Must Die”).

The film is set against the wild backdrop of the Southern France bull riding tradition of Camargue, and stars César winning actress Oulaya Amamra (“Divines”).

Camargue is well-known for its traditional bull fighting. In this male-dominated environment, 22 year-old Nejma trains hard to fulfil her dream of winning the upcoming annual competition. When she is mauled after a drunken celebration, she starts to notice disturbing changes. Meanwhile, news of a rogue violent bull on the loose terrifies the community. Young men are being murdered everywhere, and the beast is nowhere to be seen.

The cinematographer is Ruben Impens (“Titane,” “The Eighth Mountain,” “The Mustang,” “Beautiful Boy”). SFX is by CLSFX Atelier 69 (“Vermin,” “Animal Kingdom,” “Benedetta”), VFX by MPC (“The Animal Kingdom,” “The Nun II,” “The Mountain”), music score from electro musician Yan Wagner, set design by Eve Martin (“Close,” “The Beast in the Jungle”), and with casting by Cendrine Lapuyade (“Sheherazade”).

“Animale” is a co-production with Frakas Productions in Belgium and broadcaster France 3 Cinema.

Film Constellation’s fall slate also includes the world premieres of “Bonjour Tristesse” by Durga Chew Bose, starring Chloë Sevigny, Claes Bang and Lily McInerny, the contemporary English language adaptation of the iconic novel by Françoise Sagan, which opened the Discovery section of the Toronto Film Festival, as well as comedy romance “Turn Me On” by Michael Tyburski, starring Bel Powley and Nick Robinson, and feature documentary “Chaplin Spirit of the Tramp” by Carmen Chaplin and narrated by Michael Chaplin, both set to play at the upcoming San Sebastian Film Festival.