UK-based sales and distribution company Blue Finch Films has acquired worldwide sales rights, excluding Canada, to Michael Gabriele’s directorial debut, the holiday horror film Unholy Night.
The film recently completed production in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, and Blue Finch will begin selling it at the European Film Market in Berlin.
This festive horror story centers around Gino. Gino’s traditional Italian family’s Christmas Eve celebrations are thrown into turmoil when his deceased grandmother returns from the dead and begins a murderous spree. As more dead relatives begin to appear in the neighborhood, Gino must find a way to eliminate the holiday ghosts and survive the family gathering.
Gabriele, who has won awards for short films including “Get Away,” wrote the screenplay and produced the project with Club Red Productions’ Jenna McMillan (“The Snake,” “Who’s Ya Father?”) and Shut Up & Color Pictures’ Jason Levanzi and Mark Tetreault (“Sharp Corners,” “Kids vs. Aliens”). Executive producers are Tina Carbone, Jeff Burnham, Mike Chapman, and Fatima Hayward.
The cast includes Mark Ben-David (Dark Matter, Reacher), Shailene Garnett (Fire Country, Digstown), and Al Sapienza (The Sopranos, House of Cards). He is flanked by Ron Lee (The Recruit, Orphan Black), Toni Elwand (Mafia, Inc.), and Cristina Rosato (Mother!). “Assassin’s Creed”), Jacqueline Robbins (“The Monkey”) and Joe Pinge (“Station Eleven,” “Star Trek: Section 31”).
“We all know that family holiday gatherings can feel like survival horror, and ‘Unholy Night’ takes that relatable tension to the extreme,” Gabriele said. “Growing up in an Italian family, Christmas Eve was always a big event, loud and full of love, but also incredibly intense. I wanted to combine the real-life pressures felt by the whole family into a visceral, festive nightmare. Audiences can expect a hilarious, heartfelt, and horrifyingly violent ride as we explore the burden of family tradition and the overcoming of regrets amidst complete chaos.”
Mike Chapman of Blue Finch Films added, “‘Unholy Night’ is Michael’s impressive debut film, taking the idea of an unwanted family guest at Christmas to a whole new level. Mixing bold horror, dark humor and heart, he has created a slam dunk of the season.”
Blue Finch’s current international productions include the Rotterdam-selected horror “Bowels Of Hell,” the SXSW-selected sci-fi thriller “Imposters,” and “Dolly,” which premiered at Fantastic Fest and is scheduled for release this year on IFC and Shudder.
