New Zealand-based sales outfit Black Mandala has acquired “Nightfall: A Paranormal Investigation,” an Australian horror film directed by Myles McEwen and Ripley Stevens, with the production-sales company eyeing franchise potential, it was revealed on the sidelines of TIFFCOM, the Tokyo International Film Festival‘s market arm.
Set in 1988, the paranormal thriller follows investigators Mick Sutherland and Archie Charlesworth as they respond to a desperate call from Elizabeth Blair’s isolated home, where they encounter a malevolent presence that unravels their sanity over seven days in what becomes known as Case 13.
The Adelaide-based filmmaking duo wrote, directed and star in the feature. The film pays homage to classics like “The Exorcist” while offering a fresh take on the paranormal-investigation subgenre.
McEwen revealed the project was inspired by unsettling personal experiences. “The film was inspired by a series of haunting events — I watched my co-star Ripley sleepwalk and speak for an entire week in a deceased man’s apartment in Budapest, whilst back in Adelaide, I was told my bedroom light switched on by itself several times,” he said. “It felt as though something spiritual — maybe even demonic — was haunting us.”
“Nightfall” has drawn comparisons to James Wan and Leigh Whannell’s work, positioning McEwen and Stevens as part of a new wave of Australian horror filmmakers.
Black Mandala confirmed ongoing collaborations with McEwen and Stevens following the acquisition. The company recently boarded “Hollywood Hells,” a thriller that takes aim at the entertainment industry’s dark side.
Michael Kraetzer and Nicolas Onetti launched Black Mandala in 2017, building it into a leading player in independent horror and genre distribution. Operating from Auckland, New Zealand, the outfit handles north of 100 titles and maintains a presence at major markets, championing visually striking material and cultivating ongoing relationships with genre filmmakers globally.
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