Cinedigm announced the acquisition of the Canadian and US rights to FilmSharks’ Argentine horror film Historia de lo Oculto (History of the Occult), set to premiere on the horror streaming service Screambox, powered by Bloody Disgusting, in December.
From writer-director Cristian Ponce (creator of the animated series La Frecuencia Kirlian), Historia de lo Oculto immerses viewers in a world of conspiracy and witchcraft. Starring veteran Argentine actor Germán Baudino (Abrakadabra, Los Olvidados), Nadia Lozano, Victor Díaz, Héctor Ostrofsky and Agustín Recondo, the film was produced by Pedro Saieg.
During its festival tour, the film won the Le Film Français prize at Cannes’ Blood Window sidebar, Best Argentine Breakthrough Performance Actor, and the Special Jury Award for Best Latin American First Feature at the Mar del Plata Film Festival. In addition, the horror film was nominated for Best Motion Picture at Sitges, Spain’s premier festival specializing in fantasy and horror films.
“Mystery, conspiracy, and the supernatural, intrigues and excites something in all of us. Cristian (Ponce) melds these themes together in such a brilliant way, making History of the Occult the kind of film viewers can’t look away from. We are thrilled to bring this horror film, which ended up as the highest rated horror film of 2021 on Letterboxd, to our Screambox viewers,” said Brad Miska, Managing Director of Bloody Disgusting.
“History of the Occult is not the kind of film you come across every day. The old rule is now more valid than ever: it’s all about the script, and no matter the size of the film, it can immerse you in less than 10 minutes if a great story is told. When we discovered this gem and it became Spain’s #1 most-watched digital film of the year in 2021, we were able to sell this genre-defining film to major studios around the world in 45 territories. We are elated to strike this deal with one of the best genre labels in North America because of their dedication to the horror genre and its fans,” said Guido Rud, CEO of FilmSharks.