HELSINKI, December 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Leningrad Cowboys together with Anima Vitae, one of the leading animation studios in Nordic countries, released a Holiday Season film Dog'Y'Dog Christmas. This animated short film tells a story about the busy days leading to Christmas Eve and how Christmas spirit is best found by working together with others.

     (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121217/582809-a )

     (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121217/582809-b )

"It felt natural to base the story in New York. The hectic, Christmassy Metropolis contrasted with the serenity and tranquility of the Holiday Season created a fascinating setting for the film," says Sakke Järvenpää, the leading persona behind Leningrad Cowboys.

The band has fond memories of the city, including performances at MTV USA Video Music Awards in Radio City Music Hall and at the legendary CBGB club, as well as filming scenes for the cult movie 'Leningrad Cowboys go America'.  

The short film Dog 'y' Dog Christmas introduces a new animation and game character Dog'Y'Dog, a young and curious dog hurling around Manhattan in an effort to create himself a cozy Christmas Eve. Leningrad Cowboys' version of Christmas in Hollis plays a major role in the film.

"I wanted to use this short and fun film to remind people about how joyful it is to begin a shared Christmas celebration even while working hard for creating the Christmas Eve experience for yourself and your family," adds the director of the film, Luca Bruno of Anima Vitae.

Leningrad Cowboys

Leningrad Cowboys became world known from an Aki Kaurismäki movie 'Leningrad Cowboys go America', released in 1989. This cult band famous for their outrageous vintage hairpieces and long, pointy shoes, has toured over 60 countries and performed over thousand gigs. Their latest feat is the album Buena Vodka Social Club from 2011 http://www.leningradcowboys.fi

Anima Vitae

Animation studio Anima Vitae is best known for the movie Niko - The Way to the Stars / The Flight before Christmas in USA. It was released in 2008 and sold to 118 countries. The sequel, Niko 2 - Little Brother, Big Trouble, was released in Finnish theaters October 12, 2012. Anima Vitae signed a contract with the Max Howard Consulting Group. Academy award winner Howard created and ran studios for Disney in London, Paris, Orlando and Los Angeles, working on some of Disney's most memorable films including Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King. http://www.anima.fi

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Petteri Pasanen, CEO / Anima Vitae, mob. +358-40-500-0571, petteri@anima.fi
Mikko Hultman, Manager / Leningrad Cowboys, mob. +358-40-735-1790, mikko@leningradcowboys.fi
Petra Söderling, PR representative USA, mob. +1-917-291-2533, petra@mobilebrainbank.com

Dog 'Y' Dog: http://www.dogydogofficial.com
Press Material: http://www.anima.fi/?p=1704