FANGORIA Studios has announced its first film with the modern creature feature Sitora, set in the rural fringes of a rapidly expanding urban sprawl. The story centers on a tyrannical shaman who peddles the threat of a supernatural half-man, half-tiger, as a means of preserving his feudal control. As described by FANGORIA, Sitora unravels current events in an unexpected setting, forcing us to examine some of our thorniest issues with a fresh perspective. Production will reportedly focus on practical effects and real village locations.
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Sitora is inspired by a lost Malay horror film from 1964 entitled Sitora Harimau Jadian. The film was written and directed by Malaysian auteur P. Ramlee and was shown at least once on Radio Television Malaysia. The movie is rumored to have been destroyed in a flood.
Production will take place in Malaysia and filmed in Malay with Diffan Sina Norman, whose work has been featured at Sundance, SXSW, Rotterdam, and Clermont Ferrand, writing and directing the feature.
“Sitora is a perfect example of who we are,” the studio said in a statement. “FANGORIA Studios’ mission is to celebrate genre filmmaking by providing a platform for scary stories with deep roots in culture, folklore, legends, and the macabre on the international stage. We believe that horror is truly global and has cross-demographic appeal. Fear is universal. When it comes to horror, everyone screams in the same language.”
This film is described as a love letter to horror fans and, with Diffan at the helm, audiences are in for a wild ride. Wan Hanafi Su is attached to play Sir. Tara Ansley, Armen Aghaeian, and Abhi Goel will produce for FANGORIA Studios.
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Sitora was a recipient of a FINAS Feature Film Development Grant, an official selection at the Southeast Asian Film Lab, and an official selection at the Network of Asian Fantastic Films Project Spotlight.
