New Zealand’s Black Mandala has secured five horror titles for international sales. “The Tree House,” “Babybacks,” “The Driftless,” “Saturnalia,” and “The Shug” span psychological horror, survival horror, Midwestern folklore, supernatural giallo, and British creature horror.
Directed by Luis Calderon, The Tree House is a Spanish slasher thriller starring Goya Award nominee Sandra Escacena alongside Claudio Portaro, Candido Uranga, Apolonia Lapiedra and musician Mara Rodríguez. The film is about Ale, who witnesses her partner fall to his death from a treehouse above the Zeanuri Forest, and returns a year later to prove foul play, but as a result of her pursuit of the truth, she ends up on the receiving end. Shot in Spain’s Basque Country, the film has already won Best International Feature, Best Picture, and Best Horror Film at various film festivals.
“Baby Bucks” is written and directed by Geno Marx and stars Viridiana Marquez, Melissa Chambers, Rey Acevedo, Ryan Rathbun, and Peter Lucas. This survival horror film centers on a young couple on the run from cartel hitmen in the Sonoran Desert who take refuge with an older couple who are ostensibly kind, but who turn out to be predators themselves. The film was selected for the 2026 International Horror & Science Fiction Film Festival.
The Driftless, from Midwestern filmmaker Tim Connelly, is an anthology built around four stories tied to the folklore of America’s drifting regions and a mysterious antiques shop owner. The cast includes Ira Amyx, Torrie Hanson, and Justin Marxen, and the film has earned 18 festival awards to date, including honors from Eerie Horror Fest, Grimmfest, and Midwest WeirdFest.
Directed by Daniel Lerch, Saturnalia is a supernatural giallo set in 1979 with original music by Claudio Simonetti, founding member of Goblin and longtime collaborator of Dario Argento. The story is about Miriam Basconi, who is sent to Alstroemerias Academy after the mysterious death of her parents, where she uncovers a missing person and a principal who is hiding something much darker. The cast is led by Sophia Anthony, Velvet, Dante Blake, and Amalia Dion. The film had its world premiere at the Raindance Film Festival in 2025, followed by its North American premiere at Dance with Films in New York.
“The Shug”: Written and directed by Martin J. Pickering, this British folk horror creature feature set in Cambridgeshire follows the protagonist, an alcoholic haunted by a childhood encounter, who returns to the woods after his daughter goes missing on a camping trip after witnessing the creature of the title. He joins the search along with an investigative journalist and a paranormal YouTuber. Inspired by reported real-life sightings, the film has already won Best Independent Film at the Boston Indie Film Festival, Best Original Screenplay and Best Practical/Visual Effects at the Catacombs Film Festival, and has been recognized at several other genre film festivals.
Michael Kreitzer of Black Mandala said, “We’re extremely excited about these five films. Each approaches horror from a completely different direction, but they all have what we’re looking for: strong concepts, memorable imagery, dedicated filmmakers, and clear identities. Together, these films demonstrate how diverse and internationally appealing independent genre films can be.”
Black Mandala is an international sales and production company focused on horror, thriller, science fiction and fantasy titles, working with independent filmmakers to develop festival, marketing and distribution strategies.
