Memoir of a Snail (CTC)

From Academy Award winning animation writer and director Adam Elliot, the creator behind the multi-awarded Mary and Max and Oscar-winning short Harvie Krumpet, comes his latest masterpiece, Memoir of a Snail, a poignant, heartfelt and hilarious chronicle of the life of an outsider finding her confidence and silver linings amongst the clutter of everyday life.

Boasting an incredible ensemble including Sarah Snook, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Magda Szubanski, Eric Bana and Jacki Weaver, the film follows Grace Pudel (Snook; Succession), a lonely misfit with an affinity for collecting ornamental snails and an intense love for books. At a young age, when Grace is separated from her fire-breathing twin brother Gilbert (Smit-McPhee; The Power of The Dog, Romulus my Father), she falls into a spiral of anxiety and angst. Despite a continued series of hardships, inspiration and hope emerge when she strikes up an enduring friendship with an elderly eccentric woman named Pinky (Weaver; Animal Kingdom; Silver Linings Playbook), who is full of grit and lust for life.

This beautifully crafted stop-motion marvel is sure to leave a mark as a profoundly heartwarming yet bittersweet family saga. Memoir of a Snail serves as a lasting reminder that, though life's hardships might push us to retreat inward, a bit of courage is all it takes to break out of our shells.

Cast: Sarah Snook, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Jacki Weaver, Eric Bana, Magda Szubanski, Dominique Pinon, Tony Armstrong, Paul Capsis, Bernie Clifford, Davey Thompson, Charlotte Belsey, Mason Litsos, Nick Cave

Director: Adam Elliot

★★★★½ "Elliot time and again marries darkness and light, sweetness with sour to create a satisfying emotional umami." EYE FOR FILM

★★★★ "[A] charming, poignant tale of troubled twins" GUARDIAN

"as hilarious as it is heart-wrenching -- frequently within the same scene." SCREEN INTERNATIONAL

"Sorrowful and poignant, but above all uplifting, this is a love letter to family of all shapes and sizes, and a reminder of the simple power found in human (and gastropod) connection" FILMINK AUSTRALIA