My Animal
Heather, an outcast teenage goalie in a small northern town, falls for newcomer Jonny, an alluring but tormented figure skater. As their relationship deepens, Heather’s growing desires clash with her darkest secret, forcing her to control the animal within.
Interview with Director/Editor Jacqueline Castel
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I'm interested in exploring outsider characters and the often messy ways they come to embrace the unloved aspects of themselves.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
In a time where digital conformity can easily dominate, I believe it's imperative to express the importance of the individual perspective. It is by embracing the personal traits that make us outcasts, and even the subject of scorn, that we learn to become fully ourselves.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The more deeply you mine from your own personal experience, the more universal those experiences become. I think specificity is really important in storytelling, and I think it's a myth that it limits your audience. I believe that part of the point of storytelling is to expose audiences to characters or ideas they haven't considered before, and as a result, view the world in a new way.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
When I first read My Animal, I fell in love with the characters and the world that our screenwriter Jae Matthews had created, which was based on very personal experiences of hers that I felt a deep kinship for.
Jae and I worked together for about a year on the screenplay before we sent it out to the cast or financiers. It was a combination of structural changes, character development, and adding in additional visual sequences in the film to get it to the right balance.
There were changes that occurred on set, largely due to the extreme pressures of the production and the challenges we faced on a low budget (with a two-week covid shutdown that nearly terminated the production). So, when it came time for the edit, I had to be selective about what made the cut, because not all of the scenes worked. It's a constant refining process, but what I'm most interested in is keeping true to the core intention of the characters and the story.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Most of the feedback was via remote links I sent to close confidants for review, people I trusted from a variety of different backgrounds to gauge their gut instinct on the film. That helped tremendously in the editorial process, to narrow down what was working and what wasn't and I adjusted the film from there. But I also held firm on a lot of the bolder creative choices I made, which not everyone responded to.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
What I found most interesting was how personal the feedback was, and how many ways an art form can be interpreted (especially outside of your own personal intention). What impacted one person did not impact another, based on their personal backgrounds, and vice versa. It felt very dynamic from that perspective - the film becomes its own universe. Beyond that, I really appreciated the tough love I received on early versions of the edit, it helped pushed me to strive harder and make a better film.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
To find the others.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
I feel very grateful to have secured distribution in our partnership with Paramount Pictures in advance of Sundance, so what's most important is creating a strong impression and word of mouth surrounding the film.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
A memorable one.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
What does it mean to transform oneself, outside the boundaries of what society dictates?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I am developing a few projects now, but I am most excited about a screenplay I am currently writing about an interdimensional encounter.
Interview: January 2023
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
My Animal
Heather, an outcast teenage goalie in a small northern town, falls for newcomer Jonny, an alluring but tormented figure skater. As their relationship deepens, Heather’s growing desires clash with her darkest secret, forcing her to control the animal within.
Length: 1:43:04
Director: Jacqueline Castel
Producer: Andrew Bronfman
Writer: Jae Matthews
About the writer, director and producer:
JACQUELINE CASTEL is an internationally award-winning director and screenwriter based in New York City. Her short film work has screened at Sundance, SXSW, Rotterdam, Sitges, and Fantasia. She has written for and directed cult auteurs John Carpenter and Jim Jarmusch and collaborated on a short film with David Lynch. Castel’s work has appeared in The New York Times, Nowness, and on Shudder.
JAE MATTHEWS was born in Upstate, N.Y. to a retired preacher and a civil servant. She received her BFA from SUNY Purchase Film Conservatory and was awarded the McCommon Fellowship to attend Savannah College of Art and Design, where she earned a MFA in Film and Television production and a MA in Cinema Studies. Matthews is also half the creative team of the dark electronic duo Boy Harsher, who has released a handful of critically acclaimed recordings, with millions of plays across streaming platforms, along with touring extensively to sold-out audiences worldwide.
ANDREW BRONFMAN is a Toronto-based film producer specializing in structuring, financing, and producing domestic and international co-productions. Andrew co-produced several features including ‘Delia’s Gone’, ‘The Kid Detective’, ‘Run This Town’, ‘James VS His Future Self’, and ‘Big Gold Brick’. He also produced the upcoming films My Animal, Mockingbird and Mustache. Andrew received his Bachelor of Arts from McGill University before attending the conservatory program at the New York Film Academy.
Key cast: Bobbi Salvör Menuez (Heather), Amandla Stenberg (Jonny), Heidi Von Palleske (Patti), Stephen McHattie (Henry), Cory Lipman (Rick), Joe Apollonio (Otto)
Looking for: journalists
Twitter: @myanimal
Instagram: @myanimalfilm
Hashtags used: #myanimalfilm
Website: www.myanimalfilm.com
Other: IMDb
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
The Sundance Film Festival 2023
Park City, Utah Screenings:
Jan. 22 11:55PM MST - The Ray Theatre
Jan. 23 11:55PM MST - Egyptian Theatre
Jan. 28 6:30PM MST - Holiday Village Cinemas - 2
Salt Lake City, Utah Screenings:
Jan. 25 9:30PM MST - Rose Wagner Center
Jan. 29 7:00PM MST - Megaplex Theatres at The Gateway 8/9