Neon-colored doggos are coming to HBO. The premium cable network has acquired “Well Groomed,” Rebecca Stern’s doc about competitive and creative dog grooming. A press release announced that the SXSW title will debut exclusively on HBO in December.
“I would like audiences to watch ‘Well Groomed’ and experience the excitement of exploring a creative world far removed from one they might have seen in the past, and also to leave with an understanding and appreciation of the women who are masters at their specific craft,” Stern told us. She emphasized, “I wanted to communicate how much the women love both art and their dogs, and I wanted to leave audiences thinking about their own passions and what makes them happy during the day-to-day when they leave the theater.”
When we asked Stern about the biggest challenge in making doc, she mentioned the controversy around creative dog grooming. “It’s been fascinating because about 50 percent of the people who see pictures of creative dogs are in awe and laugh, and the other 50 percent are also in awe but say ‘poor dog!'” she explained. “I knew I wanted to cover this controversy in the film in a way that took the concerns and the women’s answers seriously but also stayed true to my goal of making a movie that would let people relax and smile and be along for the ride with the women as they groom.”
“I’m thrilled to have HBO Sports as a home for ‘Well Groomed,'” Stern said in a statement. “The film explores a world where competition, art, and animals combine in the most vivid color and is a perfect match for the HBO Sports ethos of innovative programming.”
“Well Groomed” is Stern’s directorial debut. Check out a trailer for the doc below.