Breaking News: DEADLINE // Suspects Boards Mongolian Zombie Picture ‘Z Zone’ – Cannes Market

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Reel Suspects Boards Mongolian Zombie Picture ‘Z Zone’ – Cannes Market

EXCLUSIVE: Paris-based genre specialist Reel Suspects has acquired world sales rights to Mongolian zombie picture Z Zone for a Cannes Market launch.

The debut feature of Bilguun Chuluundorj, the movie follows the fate of a group of young delinquents who are transferred to a mysterious, remote military base for their misdemeanours.

Rather than a strict disciplinary regime, they find themselves in a world of secrets and fighting for their lives against sinister forces that lurk in the shadows.

The cast features Mongolian stars Tsenguun Chingis, Puruvjargal Erdenebileg (Shadow Keeper, The Demon) and Bazarragchaa Byambajav (Shadow Keeper).

Chuluundorj is a member of the bubbling indie cinema scene in the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar.

He previously took co-writing credits on 2022 picture Nomads vs. Zombies by Otgonzorig Batchuluun, mixing comedy, horror and thriller genres.

Chuluundorj is currently attached as writer and director at the Ulaanbaatar entertainment group On ‘n Off Production, having previously collaborated with Hulegu Pictures. Upcoming directorial projects include Lover Boy and Berkh Shagai.

Z Zone lands amid a growing Mongolian genre wave and follows in the wake of Mongolian horror Aberrance, which played in the Midnighters of SXSW last year and then was acquired for U.S. theatrical release.

Breaking News: DEADLINE // EXCLUSIVE: Reel Suspects pinning its hopes on Reset at Cannes

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EXCLUSIVE: Reel Suspects pinning its hopes on Reset at Cannes

A near future, a dystopian world shaped by the policies of an authoritarian government in the Eastern bloc, where a nightmare digital dictatorship reigns, with citizen passes dictating access to public services and individual freedoms: this is the set-up of Reset, a second feature film by Patricia Ryczko (acclaimed in 2019 for I am REN [+]) which is currently in post-production, on which French international sales agent Reel Suspects – directed by Matteo Lovadina – are kicking off pre-sales, and whose first images are set to be unveiled at the Marché du Film (running 14 – 22 May), unspooling within the 77th Cannes Film Festival.

Written by the director herself (who is also a novelist and a very successful one in the UK and the USA thanks to the Scandinavian psychological thriller A Child Made to Order), the story revolves around 41-year-old housewife Sonja (Kasia Borek) who is devoted to the education of her 10-year-old daughter, Mia (Julia Polasczek). Sonja has hidden her civil union with 27-year-old Adela (Karolina Micula) from everyone, out of fear. One day, her citizen pass suddenly stops working, stripping away her freedoms. Unbeknownst to her, this glitch unveils the past she’d desperately tried to hide from the State in order to avoid persecution as a terrorist…

Reset is produced by Storygeist Film, with photography entrusted to Grzegorz Korczak, editing to Morten Rud, set design to Wojtek Pawlak, costumes to Ewa Klos and music to Jimmy Svennson.

Breaking News: Cineverse // Acquires ‘The Funeral’ for Screambox Streamer (EXCLUSIVE)

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Cineverse Acquires ‘The Funeral’ for Screambox Streamer (EXCLUSIVE)

Cineverse plans to release the Turkish zombie drama “The Funeral” this fall across all platforms, including its Bloody Disgusting-powered streaming service. The entertainment company acquired the film out of Berlinale.

Director Orçun Behram tells the story of 40-year-old Cemal, a lonely hearse driver who has been given a secret task: a young girl named Zeynep has been murdered and her body needs to be delivered to her family. As he hits the road, he hears Zeynep rise from the dead. He is mesmerized by her and begins to fall in love with the zombified girl, going as far as to kill for her. The police start a serial killer hunt throughout the country as the pair continue on to find her family.

The film stars Ahmet Rifat Sungar as Cemal and Cansu Türedi as Zeynep. Behram produced the movie with film producer Müge Özen.

“The Funeral is a captivating zombie love story with serious bite,” said Brad Miska, vice president of horror content at Screambox.

Screambox is a streaming service catered toward all things horror — the supernatural, slashers, classics, cult, psychological and more.

“The Funeral” has been shown at film festivals including Motel X, Beyond Fest, Sitges, Leeds IFF, Cottbus IFF, Imagine FF, Fancine Málaga, Terror Molins, Buenos Aires Rojo Sangre and Gérardmer IFFF.

The acquisition deal was negotiated by Director of Acquisitions Brandon Hill on behalf of Cineverse, Matteo Lovadina at Reel Suspects and Pip Ngo of XYZ Films. The company has yet to announce a premiere date for the film.