Memoir of a Snail, Academy Award Winner Adam Elliot’s latest feature film, to open Animest 19th edition

Everyone, meet Grace Pudel: hoarder of snails, romance novels, and guinea-pigs, a melancholic gal who never, ever gives up. Her bittersweet story will open the 19th edition of the Animest International Animation Film Festival (October 4-13, 2024, Bucharest), a premiere on the big screens of Romania. Grace’s voice is conveyed with authenticity and humor by Australian actress Sarah Snook (Shiv Roy in HBO’s Succession) in a story exploring the complex defense and adaptation mechanisms people may develop in the wake of trauma, as well as the incredible inner resources they draw on to free themselves and reclaim their independence – of other people, unforeseen circumstances, or even mental disorders.

The winner of this year’s Annecy Festival Cristal for Best Feature Film will be screened in Bucharest on Friday October 4, at 7 PM, at Sala Luceafărul (formerly, Cinema PRO). Tickets are available on the Eventbook platform: https://bit.ly/MemoirOfASnail.

Grace Pudel (pronounced “puddle”) is described as a lonely misfit who collects ornamental snails and passionately loves books. After being separated from her beloved twin brother as a kid, she falls into a spiral of anxiety and angst. Despite continued hardships, Grace finds inspiration and hope through her long standing friendship with the eccentric, gritty and lively Pinky.

“Elliot celebrates and elevates the things that set people apart, embracing what others might label ‘ugly’ or ‘awkward’ by finding a poetic way to reclaim those traits as strengths.” (Variety)

“The artisanal spirit and abundant creativity of the enterprise is undeniable.” (The Hollywood Reporter)

“As hilarious as it is heart-wrenching.” (Screen Daily)

This is just a taste of the critical reception of Adam Elliot’s latest. The director won the Academy Award in 2004 for his short film Harvie Krumpet.

“The protagonists in all my films are outsiders and my themes and narratives explore difference. I love telling stories that are infused with humor and pathos, reflections of our own everyday lives that celebrate the moments of joy with the darkness that comes with life's challenges. For over thirty years, my objective has been simple: make my audiences laugh ... and make them cry,” says Adam Elliot, who will open Animest for the second time this year after 2009’s Mary and Max. His first feature film, inspired by his own twenty-year penpal friendship with someone far away, opened the fourth edition of our festival and remains one of the most beloved screenings in our history.

Memoir Of A Snail is Adam Elliot's second feature length clayography film and part seven of his Trilogy of Trilogies (three short shorts, three long shorts, three features). Produced by Liz Kearney, it’s the result of thousands of hours of work from Australia’s best animators, who spent almost a year creating 7,000 unique handmade props, characters and objects and moving them a frame at a time in the classic stop motion technique. No CGI: just over 200 sets and 135,000 photographs meticulously telling Grace’s tale. Like Elliot's previous adult works, the story is based on his personal experiences, exploring challenging subject matter with hilarity and warmth. Another reason to watch the film? Character voices include Aussie actors Sarah Snook, Kodi Smit-McPhee and Eric Bana, TV host Tony Armstrong, and legendary musician Nick Cave.

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The Animest Festival is a project of the Animest Association, co-financed by the MEDIA Program of the European Union and AFCN–the Administration of the National Cultural Fund.

Institutional Partners: the Romanian Cultural Institute, The French Institute and the Embassy of France in Romania, Instituto Cervantes, the Italian Cultural Institute, The Austrian Cultural Forum, The “I.L. Caragiale” National University of Theater and Film, the Animation Festival Network (AFN)

Main Media Partner: Radio Guerrilla

Media Partners: Radio România Cultural, Adevărul de Weekend, Zile și Nopți, Observator Cultural, Revista BIZ, Haute Culture, IQAds, Scena9, AGERPRES, Ziarul Metropolis, Mindcraft Stories, LiterNet, Movie News, CineFAN, HAPP.ro, MunteanuRecomandă, AndreeaVerde

Monitoring Partner: mediaTRUST