2024 Cannes Palm Dog | "Black Dog" Chat: Animal Acting and Protection with Eddie, Guan Hu, and Xin

In 2024, at the Cannes Film Festival, close to the announcement of the Palm Dog Award, the Palm Dog Team and the Black Dog Team gathered on the beach to enjoy the sunlight, champagne, and coastal view, while chatting about their newly premiered film "Black Dog," which is in the Un Certain Regard competition.

Update on Awards:
Dog actor Xin won the "Grand Jury Award" at the 2024 Cannes Palm Dog.
The film "Black Dog" won the Un Certain Regard Award at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival!

A huge CONGRATULATIONS to the team!
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In this chat, we discussed several critical issues happening on a global scale in relation to what "Black Dog" aims to express to its audiences:

1. Animals as metaphors
2. How to develop rapport with animal actors
3. Why Director Jia Zhangke is also acting in this film
4. Was CGI used?
5. How to handle and shelter stray dogs
6. Animal Adoption
7. Hopes for the relationship between animals and humans
8. Future plans for filming with animal actors

We talked about the performances of the dog actors in the film and how humans and animal actors interact and protect each other during the filmmaking process. Additionally, as filmmakers, we called on the world to strengthen animal protection measures and to help more grassroots organizations manage the adoption and care of stray animals.

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Palm Dog Award
The Palm Dog Award is a yearly award presented by international film critics during the Cannes Film Festival. Begun in 2001 by Toby Rose, it is awarded to the best performance by a canine (live or animated) or group of canines. The award consists of a leather dog collar with the term "PALM DOG". The name of the award is a play on the words of the Palme d'Or, the festival's highest honour.

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Host: Kean Cao
Kean Cao is the founder of the Animal Nature Future Film Festival (London, UK), promoting animal welfare and nature preservation-themed films on an international scale. Kean has been working with Toby for nearly 3 years on the Fido Award and the Palm Dog Award for PR-related online and offline work and was awarded the Fido Humanitarian Award 2023 as a film festival curator.

Interviewer: Toby Rose
Toby Rose worked as a cinema journalist for over two decades - after a stint working in PR for Queen and Jonathan Ross - writing for publications including The Observer, The Times, Time Out and the London Evening Standard. In 2001 he founded the world's first prize for canine excellence on the big screen, the Palm Dog awarded each year at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2007 came the creation of little sister The Fido Awards – the Dog Oscars.

Interviewee: Hu Guan
Guān Hǔ is a renowned Chinese director and screenwriter, considered a leading figure among China's Sixth Generation directors. His notable works include the films "Cow" (《斗牛》), "Design of Death" (《杀生》), "Mr. Six" (《老炮儿》), and "The Eight Hundred" (《八佰》), as well as his latest work, "Black Dog" (《狗阵》). He is the first director to reignite the Chinese box office trend post-pandemic, achieving a box office revenue of 3.09 billion RMB.

Interviewee: Eddie Peng
Eddie is a renowned actor from Taiwan, is known for his versatility and dedication. In recent years, he has achieved significant success in the film industry, starring in several critically acclaimed and commercially successful movies such as "Cold War," "To the Fore," and "Operation Mekong." His latest work, "Black Dog" is in 2024 Cannes Film Festival An Uncertain Regard Unit.
In addition to his achievements in acting, Eddie Peng is an active advocate for animal and environmental protection. He has participated in various conservation projects, striving to raise public awareness about wildlife conservation and environmental preservation. Peng frequently uses his influence through social media and public events to promote eco-friendly practices, urging everyone to join efforts in safeguarding our planet.

Interviewee: Xin (Dog Actor)
Whippet Dog From the film Black Dog premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival!

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Credit goes to the ANFFF Team:
PR & Host: Kean Cao
Interview Design: Byanka Gan
Production Design: Linlin Zhu
Camera Operators: Linlin Zhu & Jia Liu
Post-production: Linlin Zhu
Translation: Zinc"