St Trinian's hound named top dog

Dolly has the bow-wow factor at Fidos.

by Amber Wilkinson

Easy Virtue
Poster pooch Fizz was among the winners

They say that the film industry is a dog eat dog world - so it only seems fair that the work of our four-legged friends is recognised from time to time.

The Fidos, an off-shoot of the similarly themed Palm Dog at Cannes, is the brainchild of Toby Rose and aims to celebrate the role of the faithful hound on film.

Rose said: "The event at the world’s top film festival was inspired by the star quality of my much lamented pal, Mutley.

"For many years this feisty fox terrier accompanied me when I went interviewing the stars. The big names saw in him a star quality that would never stood a chance of an award like a Bafta or an Oscar.

"Given the importance of dogs on screen and the amount of time they are spend on the big screen the awards are undoubtedly deserved."

It has been a big year for canines in cinema - and the big winner was Dolly, who plays Mr Darcy in St Trinians. Other winners included Abbey the German Shepherd for her portrayal of Will Smith's faithful hound Samantha in I Am Legend and Fizz the Chihuahua who meets a sticky end thanks to Jessica Biel in Easy Virtue.

Rose added: "The Fidos 2008 were a bumper crop. Dogs got to make a real impact in films from the blockbuster I Am Legend, co-starring with Will Smith, to the cute futuristic moment in Blindness.

"But the stand out roles this year went to fun and at the same time tragic appearances in two quintessentially British pictures, Easy Virtue and that comedy classic St Trinian's. Tears and laughter on four legs. Now that is a major contribution to UK film in two key roles."

Here's the howling successes...

Historical Hound
Easy Virtue – starring Jessica Biel, Colin Firth, Kristin Scott Thomas, Ben Barnes and Fizz, the sat upon Chihuahua

RomCom Rover
Sex And The City – Samantha and her new sweetheart Yorkshire Terrier Baby, played with panache by 'Gidget' Gormley

Comedy Canine
St Trinian’s – Rupert Everett, featuring Dolly making a splash as his iconic pooch, Mr Darcy

Blockbuster Bowser
I Am Legend – Will Smith and German shepherd Samantha (Abbey)

Mutt Moment
What Just Happened – Sean Penn and a white hound caught in controversial crossfire

Best In The World
The supreme champion award to the best dog across all categories: Dolly in St Trinian’s

Share this with others on...
News

Stories still unspoken Interview with Thomas Pollack, Andrew McNeill and Katarina Kokenyova about Rozkvet

Where crows are watching JP Davidson and Craig Russell on nature, belief, UK horror and The Cull

Truth and lies Sean Hogan on true crime documentaries, unknowable characters and The Dark Gets In

A walking contradiction Sinéad O'Shea on James 'Fergie' Chambers Jr and All About The Money

Unconventional families Milcho Manchevski on being blacklisted and making Sister Brother Manhole Cover

Expecting the unexpected Jordan Mark Windsor and Sean Wallace on Mum, I’m Alien Pregnant

More news and features

We're bringing you all the latest news and reviews from the Belfast Film Festival, the Cheltenham International Film Festival and the Leeds International Film Festival.



We're looking forward to the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, the French Film Festival and DOC NYC.



We've recently brought you coverage of Halloween Frightfest, the Scottish Queer International Film Festival, Newfest, the London Film Festival, the New York Film Festival, Grimmfest and Beyond Fest.



Read our full for more.


Visit our festivals section.

Interact

Don't forget that you can follow us on YouTube for trailers of festival films and more. You can also find us on Mastodon, Instagram and Bluesky.


It's a busy time for festivals and here's the latest:


Sundance Announces Legacy line-up of archive films


Frightfest Newcastle event announced for May 2027


French Film Festival UK Programme announced


Tallinn Black Nights Documentary line-up and Special Screenings announced


London Winners announced