I come from a faith-based family and upbringing so this idea of yoga horror tickles me, even within the constructs of the found footage genre. The notion of ancient rituals unleashing unholy entites is not new, I've just never seen it linked to the peaceful and purposeful practice of yoga. This is a first, for me. Oh, I can hear all those church leaders and elders now, "See? See what happens when you open yourself to Eastern practices and New Age religions?".
Alex Henes and Matthew Merenda's found footage horror Mind Body Spirit has been acquired by Welcome Villain Films, who will distribute the horror flick through digital platforms worldwide on May 7th. It looks like it will make one more festival appearance at the Unnamed Footage Festival at the end of the month, with the directors and their star, Sarah J. Bartholomew, in attendance.
Welcome Villain Films, the genre studio that released last year’s MALUM and BEATEN TO DEATH, has announced their latest acquisition: the supernatural screenlife horror shocker MIND BODY SPIRIT. The film is set to screen at the Unnamed Footage Festival on Sunday, March 31st, ahead of a release across digital platforms on May 7th.Directed by Alex Henes and Matthew Merenda, MIND BODY SPIRIT follows Anya, an aspiring yoga influencer, as she embarks on a ritual practice left behind by her estranged grandmother. What starts as a spiritual self-help guide quickly evolves into something much more sinister. As Anya becomes obsessed with the mysterious power of the practice, she unwittingly unleashes an otherworldly entity that begins to take control of her life -- and her videos. Now Anya must race to unlock the truth, before her descent into madness threatens to consume her mind, body and spirit.“MIND BODY SPIRIT is such a creative blend of wellness and horror, and really feels fresh and exciting for the genre, which makes it a perfect fit for the Welcome Villain family,” says Luke LaBeau, Welcome Villain Films Head of Development. “We’re thrilled to be working with Alex, Matt and team, and we can’t wait to unleash this nightmare on audiences on May 7th.”“It has been an immense privilege bringing our first feature film to life. MIND BODY SPIRIT is the kind of midnight movie we grew up watching and loving. It’s freaky, it’s funny and it will definitely f*** you up,” say co-directors Alex Henes and Matthew Merenda.MIND BODY SPIRIT premiered at the Telluride Horror Show, where it immediately made a splash as one of the buzziest found footage films of the year, seamlessly blending horror with all-too-relevant social commentary. Since then it’s garnered numerous favorable reviews from festival appearances across the country (including Chattanooga 2023), with genre critics touting that the film “cleverly plays with the subgenre’s established conventions to create something spooky, smart, and wholly entertaining” (Mary Beth McAndrews, Dread Central).“Alex, Matt, and myself come from the entertainment marketing world, so we relished the opportunity to flex all of our experience and storytelling prowess by crafting a film that embodies everything we love about the genre,” says Dan Asma, producer of MIND BODY SPIRIT. “We’re beyond excited to partner with Welcome Villain Films and to get our twisted creation in front of a wider audience that’s eager for original storytelling.”MIND BODY SPIRIT will screen at the Unnamed Footage Festival on March 31st, with in-person appearances/Q&A by the filmmakers Alex Henes and Matthew Merenda, along with the film’s lead Sarah J. Bartholomew. Welcome Villain has also come on board as official headline sponsor of UFF24.MIND BODY SPIRIT was directed by Alex Henes and Matthew Merenda; the two also co-wrote the film with Topher Hendricks. The film was produced by Dan Asma and Jesse McClung. Sarah J. Bartholomew stars in the lead role of Anya, with support from Madi Bready, Kristi Noory, KJ Flahive and Anna Knigge. MIND BODY SPIRIT was shot on location in Los Angeles.