British actor-turned-filmmaker Calvin Demba, best known for Netflix's "Supacell," has assembled a notable cast for his second directorial short film, "The Animals." George MacKay, Louisa Harland, Nathalie Emmanuel and Eric Kofi Abrefa have all signed on, marking a significant step up in profile for Demba following his 2022 directorial debut, the BFI Network short "BabyDolls."

Written and directed by Demba and produced by Tuli Litvak, the film stars MacKay as Miles, a man grappling with feelings of emasculation in his relationship with Remona (played by Harland), whose sense of self is upended after another man's act of heroism during a home invasion. Described by Demba as a darkly comic, satirical take on performative masculinity and modern relationships, the short was shot on 16mm earlier this year by cinematographer Ebba Hult and edited by Mdhamiri Á Nkemi, with BAFTA winners Mouktar Mohammed and Sheila Nortley among the executive producers alongside Demba and Harland.