ANCESTRAL BEASTS: Mongrel Media Boards Indigenous, Psychological Horror

Ancestral Beasts follows Elyse, a Red River Métis woman struggling to rebuild her mental health after escaping a toxic, co-dependent relationship with her sister. Following a humiliating breakdown at work, she retreats to her ancestral home in search of peace. Her journey toward healing is derailed when a sinister presence begins to manifest, forcing her to confront intergenerational trauma and fight for her spirit, as well as the lives of those she loves. Feeding off her emotional turmoil, the creature’s threat grows and Elyse’s recovery is challenged from all sides. 

MONGREL MEDIA BOARDS PSYCHOLOGICAL HORROR

ANCESTRAL BEASTS

 

Gail Maurice, Shannon Baker & More Added to High-Profile Indigenous Cast

 

The highly anticipated horror feature from Tim Riedel Ancestral Beasts has gone into production in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It was also announced today that Mongrel Media joined the team and will be handling theatrical and digital distribution in Canada. The film has announced additional cast including Gail Maurice (Aberdeen), Shannon Baker (Bones of Crows), Josh Strait (The Ice Road) and Jess Salgueiro (Frasier). Ancestral Beasts debuted as a proof of concept at this year’s Frontières program during the Marché du Film at Cannes, where high-profile Indigenous cast including Morgan Holmstrom (The Order), Darla Contois (Little Bird) and Asivak Koostachin (Duster) were announced. 

 

Ancestral Beasts follows Elyse, a Red River Métis woman struggling to rebuild her mental health after escaping a toxic, co-dependent relationship with her sister. Following a humiliating breakdown at work, she retreats to her ancestral home in search of peace. Her journey toward healing is derailed when a sinister presence begins to manifest, forcing her to confront intergenerational trauma and fight for her spirit, as well as the lives of those she loves. Feeding off her emotional turmoil, the creature’s threat grows and Elyse’s recovery is challenged from all sides. 

 

Ancestral Beasts promises a deeply personal, emotionally charged experience rooted in trauma and healing. The film explores the terrifying idea: what if a severe mental health disorder took on a physical form—a creature lurking in the shadows? Riedel, whose background is in documentary filmmaking, draws heavily on his own life for this project. Ancestral Beasts is an original story based on his experience as the son of an Indigenous woman who was taken from her family as a child to be raised in the abusive foster care system and the borderline personality disorder diagnosis as a result of the trauma she endured. 

 

To ensure an authentic and respectful portrayal, Riedel developed the script in consultation with Elders, Knowledge Keepers, cultural advisors and Indigenous psychologists. His goal is not just to terrify audiences, but to provoke empathy and reduce the stigma around mental illness. In the development phase, Tim took the film to the Berlin Film Festival, it was showcased at Frontière's Market at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, at the Banff Media World Festival 2025 as a part of the Indigenous Screen Summit and a part of the Whistler Film Festivals Indigenous Fellowship.

 

Written and directed by Red River Métis Tim Riedel and backed by Indigenous-led production company Michif Koonteur in collaboration with Kistikan Pictures, Ancestral Beasts is written, directed and produced by Tim Riedel (Jackstones), produced by Fawnda Neckoway (Wilfred Buck), cinematographer is Joey Forte (Eddy the Eco-Dog Unleashed) and the film’s composer is Justin Delorme (Blood Lines). Executive producers are Tina Keeper (Acting Good), Phyllis Laing (Through Black Spruce) and Edmon Rotea (Skinamarink). Other cast on the project include Agnes Tong (A Million Little Things), Ray Strachan (Violent Night), Victoria Gwendoline (Don't Even), Jesse Nobess (Safehaven), Emmanuel Oderemi (The Long Walk) and Sarah-Lynne Otsuji (Nobody 2). Mongrel Media will handle Canadian distribution and Dubai-based sales agency Cercamon’s genre label Vorteks will be handling sales outside of Canada.

 

Ancestral Beasts was made possible with the support of Telefilm Canada, Indigenous Screen Office, Crave, APTN, CBC Films, Mongrel Media, Canada Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council as well as private financing. The film is shooting in Winnipeg and Cook's Creek, Manitoba and Toronto, Ontario.