'Up on the Wooftop' headed to Cannes Film Festival
Movies about cute dogs are universal.
Or so says the writer and director of "Up on the Wooftop," a holiday-themed film shot locally about a talking dog.
"In non-English-speaking countries, it's a lot easier to watch a movie that's dubbed in a different language if it has more universal traits such as a cute dog leading Santa's sleigh," Joe Clarke said. "That's a pretty universal image that anyone can enjoy rather than genres that don't transcend the language barrier."
A representative with distributor Lighthouse Entertainment has been working with the "Wooftop" team and is taking a trailer of the film to the Cannes Film Festival this month.
In addition to showcasing big-budget films like "Mad Max: Fury Road" and the acclaimed "The Lobster," the Cannes Film Festival brings sales agents together to buy and sell films.
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Clarke and producer Tim Nash said they hope to appeal to a buyer and have their film distributed overseas, but skipping straight to selling at Cannes isn't how the team usually does it.
"There are so many steps to this process," Nash said. "That's kind of the thing where this is different and something completely new for us."
Even if they don't sell any international distribution rights, Nash said being a part of Cannes builds buzz for "Wooftop."
"It's good to have (our film liked by) these people who have been in the industry for years and years and years and are focused on basically capitalizing on a product," Nash said. "They're looking at this saying, 'Wow. I think I could really sell this.' And that's gratifying for us."
Iowa-based Backrow Studios produced the movie and filmed in Iowa City and the Quad Cities in February. It follows the exploits of Toby, a smaller-than-average dog who dreams of leading Santa's sleigh. After sneaking onto the sleigh, he gets left with a family in Iowa and chaos ensues during his return to the North Pole.
More details about the film have come into focus since filming wrapped.
"We've been editing around the clock pretty much," Nash said. "We've really been working hard to get a cut finished to get to our special effects guy and our sound guys so that we can have a finished film by July 1."
They also have locked up comic and "Jackass" star Preston Lacy to voice one of the dogs in the film. Sharp-eyed viewers also will spot local comedian Tom Garland in a cameo.
Clarke said the voice of the dog at the center of it all has been secured but is being kept under wraps.
"We're on the right path and progressing where we need to for getting where we want to go, which is making movies that are seen around the world," Clarke said.
He said the film has a U.S. distributor, but it is unclear how it will reach the audience. Clarke said a decision will need to be made by July.
"We're still finagling which route we want to take with the distribution process and what's the best fit to capitalize on the market right now," Clarke said.
Clarke said they are considering all of their options, including home entertainment, television, theater showings, Redbox and Netflix.
Reach Laura Hordesky at lhordesk@press-citizen.com or 319-887-5407, and follow her on Twitter at @lhordesky.
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