Cartuna Acquires North American rights to latvian Animated Horror “DOG OF GOD”
By Michael Gingold
Cartuna hasโฃ secured North American distributionโข rights to DOG OF GOD, the rotoscope-animated folk-horror feature representing Latvia inโค theโ 2026 Academy Awards’ Best Animated Feature category. The announcement follows acclaimed festival screenings at Tribeca, fantasia, FrightFest, and others. Latvia won theโฃ Best animated Feature Oscar this year for FLOW.
Directed โby Lauris ฤbele and Raitis ฤbele, and co-written by Ivo Briedis and Harijs Grundmanis, DOG โOF GOD โขis a 17th-century period pieceโค set in livonia. โคthe film centers on a village thrown into turmoil by a โmissing relic, accusations of โwitchcraft, and a figure known as the “Dog โof God,” โwho claims โขto be a werewolf.
“DOGโค OF GOD is one of those films that defies categorization-it’sโ part parable, โpartโ fever dream,” says Cartuna founder and CEO James Belfer. โข”It’s bold, unsettling, and darkly funny in all the best ways. Lauris and โRaitis have such aโข singular vision andโ we’reโ thrilled to champion itโฃ to audiences who crave something truly newโ in animation.”
Director Raitis ฤbele noted, “The โขdistributors I talked to were impressed and afraid. Cartuna was no exception.”
DOG OFโ GOD has also been โฃshortlisted for Best โAnimated Feature by โฃthe European Filmโข Awardsโ and is slated for theatrical release next year.