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New Zealand-based sales outfit Black Mandala has secured a slate of international distribution deals for “1978,” the acclaimed supernatural horror film from the Onetti Brothers that has been making waves across the festival circuit since 2024.

The deals, closed at the Cannes Film Market by Black Mandala’s Co-CEOs Nicolás Onetti and Michael Kraetzer, along with head of sales Catherine Quantschnigg, include HBO Max for Latin America, 9th Plan for Poland, Best Digital for Taiwan, Wild Duck for Spain, and Take1 for both Scandinavia and Benelux, as well as Busch Media for Germany.

The film, directed by Luciano and Nicolás Onetti, blends historical trauma with supernatural horror, setting its narrative during Argentina’s military dictatorship and the 1978 World Cup soccer final between Argentina and Holland.

The film bowed at the Cannes Film Market during the Blood Window Showcase in 2024. “1978” has been a breakout genre hit, screening at more than 30 international festivals including the Sitges Film Festival,...

New Zealand-based sales outfit Black Mandala has acquired rights to the award-winning horror-comedy “Vampire Zombies…From Space!” ahead of the Cannes Film Market.

The black-and-white genre mashup, directed by Mike Stasko, has been a festival favorite, collecting over 20 awards during its impressive festival run, including multiple audience choice awards and best feature honors.

Set in 1957, the film follows a motley crew — consisting of a grizzled detective, a skeptical rookie cop, a chain-smoking greaser, and a determined young woman — as they band together to stop Dracula’s cosmic plan to turn the small town of Marlow into his personal army of vampire zombies.

“From the depths of space, Dracula has devised his most dastardly plan yet,” reads the synopsis. “A full-blown zombie outbreak hits, prompting the arrival of the dramatic (and slightly unhinged) Colonel Talbit and his troops.”

The 97-minute horror-comedy-sci-fi hybrid features notable genre appearances from Lloyd Kaufman (Troma Entertainment...

New Zealand-based sales outfit Black Mandala has acquired international sales rights to “No One Will Hear Your Scream,” a period slasher thriller set against the backdrop of the 1990 soccer World Cup.

Written and directed by Mariano Cattaneo, the Argentina-set horror film follows Micaela, a young woman who works at a record store making mixtapes, as she discovers that a killer is connected to her through a compilation she created and sold. With each Argentina World Cup match bringing a new victim, Micaela races to uncover the murderer’s identity before she potentially becomes the final target.

The film stars Sol Wainer, Byron Barbieri and Germán Baudino.

Cattaneo, whose previous directorial credits include “The Strangest Girl in the World” for Disney+, brings his horror expertise to the project. The filmmaker has described the production as “a physical and emotionally charged film, with football [soccer] as a backdrop, music as a conduit for emotion,...

New Zealand-based sales outfit Black Mandala is bringing a sinister lineup of six genre titles to Berlin’s European Film Market (EFM), ranging from occult horror to creature features.

Leading the pack is “1978,” a twisted tale of torturers who get more than they bargained for when their victims turn out to be members of a dark cult. The period thriller, set against the backdrop of the World Cup soccer final, promises to transform a secret prison into a literal hell on earth.

The company’s horror-heavy slate includes “Play Dead,” starring Paula Brasca in a claustrophobic nightmare where she must lie motionless among corpses while mysterious rituals unfold above her. In a different kind of psychological tension, erotic thriller “Traumnovelle” – the English-language adaptation of Arthur Schnitzler’s 1926 novella that previously inspired Stanley Kubrick’s “Eyes Wide Shut” – follows a high-society couple’s dangerous descent into an elite underground world of...

According to Variety, Black Mandala Films has just landed the sales rights to a new horror film titled ‘Play Dead.’

The film, directed by Carlos ‘Charly’ Goitia, promises to be a thrilling addition to the horror genre. Goitia, whose previous works include ‘Nightmare Radio: The Night Stalker’ and ‘The Game of 100 Candles: The Last Possession,’ brings his unique touch to this spine-chilling project.

Set against a backdrop of grisly scenes, ‘Play Dead’ introduces us to Alison, portrayed by Paula Brasca.

Alison finds herself in a dire situation—severely injured and trapped in a dimly lit basement surrounded by corpses. To survive, she must cleverly disguise herself as dead among the bodies around her.

The plot thickens as she discovers a grotesque, ritualistic celebration happening in the house above, making each moment more perilous than the last.

The film weaves elements of classic horror films like ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ and ‘Don’t Breathe’ into its narrative,...

New Zealand’s Black Mandala Films has acquired the sales rights to “Play Dead,” a chilling new horror film that kicks off with a woman waking up in a basement, surrounded by corpses, and fighting for her life.

The grisly tale of survival and deception is directed by Carlos ‘Charly’ Goitia (“Nightmare Radio: The Night Stalker” and “The Game of 100 Candles: The Last Possession”). The film is produced by Nicolás Onetti, known for films such as “1978” and What the Waters Left Behind,” with a screenplay penned by Gonzalo Mellid and Camilo Zaffora.

“Play Dead” follows the harrowing journey of Alison (portrayed by Paula Brasca), a woman who finds herself seriously injured and trapped in a dim, cryptic basement. Desperate to survive, she must use her wits and pretend to be dead in order to blend in with the corpses around her. As she desperately fights to stay alive, Alison...

Ok, this is a fun, creepy movie! Let’s just start there as we settle into this joyfully atmospheric anthology which brings back plenty of old school chills. This is one of those movies that conjures up feelings and emotions from many great horror films of the past but with enough interesting storylines and other technical goodies to make for a spookily entertaining ride.

One thing I would like to mention right off is the excellent cinematography and sound. These things can make a scene, or entire movie as well as doom one. A key thing is having the right tone, lighting and ‘feel’ and the directors did a superb job here.

As with most anthologies, the short stories revolve around a central theme that not only ties the other stories together, but also has its own surprises. In Nightmare Radio, we get to spend an evening with a trendy...

Cleopatra Entertainment has announced that they will be giving director Nicolás Onetti’s horror film What the Waters Left Behind: Scars a VOD, Blu-ray, and DVD release in North America on July 18th! This film is a sequel to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre-esque horror film What the Waters Left Behind, which Nicolás Onetti and his brother Luciano made in the devastated city of Epecuén in Argentina a few years ago.

As the synopsis for What the Waters Left Behind explained, “Epecuén was one of the most important touristic villages of Argentina. Thousands of people concurred, attracted by the healing properties of its thermal waters. On November 10th, 1985, a huge volume of water broke the protecting embankment and the village was submerged under ten meters of salt water. Epecuén disappeared. Thirty years later, the waters receded and the ruins of Epecuén emerged, exposing a bleak and deserted landscape. The residents never returned.

Skulking foxes, future-telling CCTV, a psychiatric hospital and a pair of suspiciously pale vintners all feature in this assortment of treats and duds

This pick and mix of short horror films by different directors is a decidedly mixed bag, with a couple of flavoursome, sugar-rush-inducing treats – but many more stale, unchewable duds. The framing device, directed by Carlos Goitia, has DJ Candy on the night shift, taking calls from listeners recounting their own scary stories. In between these mini chapters, resourceful Candy copes with a creepy caller named Jack who harbours a grudge against her for an earlier slight. The ending twist comes with a dull thud.

Among the short films, the best is far and away Foxes, an eerie modern fairytale about a lonely photographer (Marie Ruane) living on a seemingly entirely empty housing estate full of ticky tacky identical houses in Ireland. She becomes obsessed with a skulk...

Tune in to Nightmare Radio: The Night Stalker for non-stop horror thrills. This deliriously dark horror anthology promises to sate fans’ thirst for bloody bedlam as it gets its UK premiere on digital on 24th April 2023, courtesy of Reel2Reel Films.

Crafted by acclaimed directors from all over the world, including Nathan Crooker (Midnight Delivery), Lorcan Finnegan (Vivarium), Carlos Goitia (Asylum: Twisted Horror and Fantasy Tales), David M. Night Maire (The Hobbyist), Mia Kate Russell (Auditioning Fanny), Ryan J. Thompson (The Dark Tapes) and Adam O’Brien (Banshee), this highly anticipated sequel to hit film A Night of Horror: Nightmare Radio is jam-packed with gore, shocks and thrills aplenty.

Candy (Paula Brasca – Focus) is a late-night radio DJ for Nightmare Radio who invites listeners to share their real-life horror tales. But when a contributor’s phone calls become more and more persistent, what begins as a host of harmless spooky stories,...

Stars: Paula Brasca, Marie Ruane, Sophia Davey, Cassandra Magrath, Michael Lorz | Directed by Charly Goitia, Ryan J. Thomson, Lorcan Finnegan, Nathan Crooker, Adam O’Brien, Mia’Kate Russell, David M. Night Maire

Based on a concept by Michael Kraetzer, Nightmare Radio: The Night Stalker is an anthology feature assembled from short films released as early as 2011. The wraparound segments come from director Charly Goitia, as late-night radio DJ Candy (Paula Brasca) asks listeners to call in and share their real-life horror stories. In between the wild experiences recounted on-air, an obsessed fan takes great lengths to make sure Candy hears his voice – even if it sounds like someone trying to mimic Roger L. Jackson’s Ghostface voice.

Playtime opens the film in the middle of the night, punctuated by a television turning on and awakening a sleeping woman. As she ventures downstairs to investigate, a spectre dressed as a bride appears before piling on the spooky occurrences.

In a little booth in an otherwise deserted radio station, DJ Candy (Paula Brasca) takes her listeners through the night. It's quiet, the lights are low and the ghosts of other films flit by. Viewers might think of 2020’s punchy Ten Minutes To Midnight or last year’s multi-award winning short The Lone Wolf. There are similarities to both, though this scenario is neither as incisive nor as entertaining. Its primary function is as a wraparound for a mixed bunch of short films on horror related themes. Listeners call the station to share their scary stories. Candy is disinclined to give them much credence; the danger is that viewers will agree with her.

The film’s scariest scene comes at the very start of the first short: the very real nightmare of a woman spilling coffee on her laptop. It’s one moment in a life full of small aggravations.

"The sun will turn into darkness and the moon into blood..." Black Mandala Films has revealed an official trailer for an incredible Argentinian sci-fi horror indie creation known as Into the Abyss, which is a short title from the original Me encontrarás en lo profundo del abismo ("You will find me deep in the abyss"). This terrifying story had its world premiere at the Mar del Plata Film Fest, and it won Best Director, Best Sound and a Special Mention at the last edition of the Buenos Aires Rojo Sangre Film Fest. They came from heaven, installing perpetual night. Then the deluge that would change humanity forever. Bannon is trapped in the middle of a city isolated and covered by a black and rainy sky, which epitomizes the end and decay of the old world. Seeking to leave the condemned area, he will realize his very existence drags the vestiges...

Extr-y, extr-y, read all about it! Fright Rags has announced a three-day sale of their "Clas-sick" design "Kill Destroyers." Continue reading for info on how to pre-order this item. Also: D-Railed first details and trailer and What Water Was Left Behind U.S. release details.

Fright Rags' Kill Destroyers Shirt Release Details: "This Friday 10/26 at 10 am we're bringing back a Clas-sick Fright-Rags tee featuring the most terrifying super-group design, Kill Destroyers!

**Special 3-day Limited Time Release!**

This Clas-sick design is available for Three Days Only, 10 am Fri 10/26 - 10 am Mon 10/29, Est at a special price! The special price will only be available for 72 Hours - and any extras from our One-time-only print run (if there are any) will be put up on the site at a later date for full price.

Art by Jason Edmiston

This Is A Pre-order Item - Ships In 7-9 Days."

For more information, visit Fright Rags' website,...

*full disclosure: this reviewer has promoted this film through online marketing, previously. Directors/writers: Luciano Onetti, Nicolás Onetti. Cast: German Baudino, Paula Brasca, Mirta Busnelli, Victorio D'Alessandro and Victoria Maurette. What the Waters Left Behind is a slasher film, from the Onetti brothers. Known as Los Olvidados (The Forgotten) in Argentina, this title lifts the story of Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) for a South American audience. Though, horror fans in North America will be able to see What the Waters Left Behind, on Amazon Prime, this month (Oct. 26th). This release is full of horror tropes. From a freaky gas station to a cannibal family, you have likely seen this film before. Still, the Onetti brothers have chosen a few interesting locations, including an entire destroyed city. And, the filmmakers admit that they have been influenced by American cinema, including Hooper's earlier effort. What the Waters Left Behind is.

Cavitycolors pays tribute to Maniac Cop 2 with a new shirts and pins collection, and in today's Horror Highlights, we also have details on Aliens Ate My Homework, What the Waters Left Behind, and The Tormenting.

Maniac Cop 2 Shirts and Pins Collection: From Cavitycolors: "Hey Fiends!

This Thursday, we're bringing you our officially licensed Maniac Cop 2 collection!

Written by Larry Cohen (The Stuff) and directed by William Lustig (Maniac), Part 2 of the series is my personal favorite entry in the series. A 90's cult classic in the truest sense, it's just so satisfying to see a much more monstrous Matt Cordell wreak havoc on the streets of New York City. We couldn't be more excited to work with top notch artists on this release, including Devon Whitehead, Jason Edmiston, Shane Murphy, and Matt Skiff. All art is officially licensed, and approved by William Lustig himself for what might...