Let this be a warning to you all. Don't go into the cinematic waters around Argentina, it's got FilmSharks in it. We just got word from Variety that my friend, Guido Rud, of the Argentine sales company FilmSharks, has nabbed the worldwide and remake rights for local horror flick History of the Occult.
Filmed in black and white and set in the 1980s, “History of the Occult” takes place during the last broadcast of the #1 news show on TV, “60 Minutes Before Midnight.” A band of journalists are racing against time to convince the lead guest, Adrian Marcato, to expose a conspiracy that connects their corrupt government to an actual coven.
Directed by Christian Ponce and starring German Baudino (Abrakadabra) talks reportedly underway with a large streaming service and a U.S. genre producer is looking at the remake, which Rud will handle through his Subsidiary, The Remake Company.
“Since Cannes and Sitges, this genre gem has been a critics and festival pleaser until it became Spain’s digital market sweetheart, creating a very strong buzz for international buyers; we already have major territories under discussions,” said Rud.
We caught the film when it played at MotelX in Portugal last year. You can read our full review here.
When watching History of the Occult we could not help but think back to some of the films of Mexican director Isaac Ezban. Yes, we’re playing a regional card here, but similar to Ezban, Ponce is determined to deliver a story that is not just about horrors and chills but wants to give us something to think about and still work out for ourselves after the film has ended. Ponce uses the horror genre’s language to tell his story, the elements of which catch our attention early on until the mystery of the connection between the coven and the government then grabs ahold of our attention.