Cartuna has acquired North American distribution rights to “Dog of God,” the animated feature written and directed by Latvian filmmakers Lauris Ābele and Raitis Ābele, following its screening at the Sitges Film Festival. The company will release the film theatrically in 2026.
“Dog of God” also reps Latvia in the international Oscar race, and has made the European Film Awards shortlist for best animated feature. Animation may prove to be fruitful for Latvia once again during awards season — earlier this year, “Flow” won an Academy Award for animated feature, Latvia’s first, and it also earned an international feature nomination.
Rendered in rotoscope animation, “Dog of God” is a period horror-fantasy set in a 17th century Livonian village. The film follows villagers as a missing relic, witchcraft and a self-proclaimed werewolf called the “Dog of God” upend their fragile order.
Ivo Briedis and Harijs Grundmanis are co-writers on “Dog of God,” which is produced by Kristele Pudane, Raitis Ābele and Giovanni Labadessa. Having premiered at the Tribeca Festival and screened at more than 30 festivals worldwide, including Fantasia and FrightFest, the film has drawn praise for pushing the boundaries of adult animation — described by Variety as “a cult favorite amongst enthusiasts of dark fantasy, graphic novels and genre-stretching absurdist cinema, à la Yorgos Lanthimos.”
“’Dog of God’ is one of those films that defies categorization — it’s part parable, part fever dream,” said James Belfer, founder and CEO of Cartuna. “It’s bold, unsettling, and darkly funny in all the best ways. Lauris and Raitis have such a singular vision and we’re thrilled to champion it to audiences who crave something truly new in animation.”
Director Raitis Abele was equally excited by the partnership, proclaiming, “The distributors I talked to were impressed and afraid. Cartuna was no exception.”
Cartuna, founded by James and Adam Belfer, champions unconventional voices in animation, producing and distributing projects that push the boundaries of form, tone and technology. Acquisitions this year include “Boys Go to Jupiter,” “Dead Lover” and “Tamala 2030: A Punk Cat in Dark.”
The deal was negotiated by Justyna Koronkiewicz of Media Move on behalf of the filmmakers and James Belfer for Cartuna.
