New Zealand’s Black Mandala has acquired five horror features for its international sales slate: “The Tree House,” “Babybacks,” “The Driftless,” “Saturnalia” and “The Shug,” spanning psychological horror, survival horror, Midwestern folklore, supernatural giallo and British creature horror.

“The Tree House,” directed by Luis Calderón, is a Spanish horror thriller starring Goya Award nominee Sandra Escacena alongside Claudio Portalo, Kandido Uranga, Apolonia Lapiedra and musician Mala Rodríguez. The film follows Ale, who watches her partner fall to his death from a tree house above the Zeanuri Forest, then returns a year later to prove it was a crime, but her search for the truth leaves her as the hunted one. Filmed in the Basque Country, it has already won awards for best international feature film, best production and best horror film at several festivals.

“Babybacks,” written and directed by Geno Marx, stars Viridiana Márquez, Melissa Chambers, Ray Acevedo, Ryan Rathbun and Peter Lucas. The survival horror film centers on a young couple fleeing cartel hitmen across the Sonoran Desert and taking refuge with a seemingly kind older couple, who turn out to be their own predators. The film has been selected for the 2026 International Sci-Fi and Horror Film Festival.

“The Driftless,” by Midwestern filmmaker Tim Connery, is an anthology built around four tales linked to the folklore of the driftless region of the United States, framed by the mysterious owner of an antique store. Its cast includes Ira Amyx, Torrey Hanson and Justin Marxen, and the film has garnered 18 festival awards to date, including honors from Eerie Horror Fest, Grimmfest and Midwest WeirdFest.

“Saturnalia,” directed by Daniel Lerch, is an otherworldly giallo set in 1979 with an original score by Claudio Simonetti, founding member of Goblin and long-time collaborator of Dario Argento. The story follows Miriam Basconi, sent to the Alstroemerias Academy after the mysterious death of her parents, where she discovers disappearances and a director who hides something much darker. The cast is led by Sophia Anthony, Velvet, Dante Blake and Amariah Dionne. The film had its world premiere in 2025 at the Raindance Film Festival and then moved on to Dances With Films New York for its North American premiere.

“The Shug”: Martin J. Pickering wrote and directed the British folk horror film set in Cambridgeshire, where sightings of the titular creature lure an alcoholic haunted by a childhood encounter back to the woods after his daughter disappears on a camping trip. He joins the search for an investigative journalist and paranormal YouTuber. Inspired by reported real-life sightings, the film has already won best independent film at the Boston Indie Film Festival and best screenplay and best practical or visual effects at the Catacombs Film Festival, along with recognition from several other genre festivals.

Black Mandala’s Michael Kraetzer said: “We’re very excited about these five films. Each approaches horror from a completely different direction, but they all have what we’re looking for: a strong concept, memorable images, committed filmmakers and a clear identity. Together, they demonstrate how diverse and internationally appealing independent genre cinema can be.”

Black Mandala is an international production and sales company focused on horror, thriller, science fiction and fantasy titles, working with independent filmmakers to develop a festival, marketing and distribution strategy.