Paris-based Reel Suspects has acquired European and East Asian rights to Malaysian director Dain Said’s latest film Blood Flower, with North American rights repped by LA-based XYZ Films.

The horror will make its world premiere at the Fantastic Fest in Austin on September 23 before moving to the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival in October.

Reel Suspects has previously represented, also along with XYZ Films, Said’s supernatural noir thriller Interchange, which premiered in Locarno and Toronto.

“Dain’s fourth film is filled with traditional horror elements. His personal style is remarkable, mixing mysticism elements with powerful, imaginative images,” says Reel Suspects CEO Matteo Lovadina, who is teaming up again with Malaysia-based Apparat, the production outfit of Said and producer Nandita Solomon.

The Malay-language horror follows a young apprentice faith healer who tries to suppress his supernatural abilities to fit in with other kids, but when a malicious spirit is unleashed into their apartment block, he has to embrace his abilities while revealing dark family secrets.

Eighteen-year-old Idan Aedan (upcoming Netflix original horror series Mr Midnight), Bront Palarae (Satan’s Slaves film series) and Remy Ishak (Revenge Of The Pontianak) head the cast.

The film is backed by D’ Ayu Pictures and Skop Productions with the support of the digital content production grant (DKD) from Malaysia’s National Film Development Board (FINAS). Apparat retains Southeast Asian rights, while Skop Productions will handle theatrical distribution in Malaysia (set for February 9, 2023), Singapore and Brunei.

Said has also directed action drama Bunohan: Return To Murder and horror thriller Dukun, which took 12 years to get a release after it was banned in 2006. When finally released in 2018, it went on to become one of Malaysia’s top five horror box office films of all time.