We are overwhelmed with excitement to share with you the details for FANGORIA Studios‘ first feature film. International horror, singular filmmaking and powerful storytelling are our most passionate priorities at FANGORIA, and Sitora checks each of those boxes in the most surprising and thrilling ways.
Read on for the press release, first announced on Variety this morning, and be sure you’re following FANGORIA Studios for more updates!
“FANGORIA has always celebrated the art and craftsmanship behind genre storytelling, and will continue that legacy with creature feature SITORA.The film is set in the rural fringes of a rapidly expanding urban sprawl. Production will focus on practical effects and real village locations. The film will be sweaty, kinetic, feral and, like a tiger, wildly unpredictable. 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. The film unravels current events in an unexpected setting, forcing us to examine some of our thorniest issues with a fresh perspective.
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 film is rumored to have been destroyed in a flood.
Filming will take place in Malaysia and filmed in Malay. Diffan Sina Norman is a Kuala Lumpur-born, Los Angeles-based multi-disciplinary artist, filmmaker and writer. His work has been featured at Sundance, SXSW, Rotterdam and Clermont Ferrand. 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.
SITORA is a perfect example of who we are – 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 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. FANGORIA Studios is repped by Circle of Confusion. Norman is repped by Calvary and CAA. CAA Media Finance is arranging financing and will represent the domestic sale.
About FANGORIA
Since 1979, FANGORIA has been “First In Fright.” At one point the only place on newsstands where fans could read about the world of horror, today Fango has adapted to a world it helped create – one in which FANGO’s early readers are winning Oscars for their contributions to, and expansion of, the genre. In 2020 FANGORIA was acquired by producer Tara Ansley and serial entrepreneur Abhi Goel. The brand will expand along with resurrected sister brands STARLOG and GOREZONE into the digital space, where it will thrive as an iconic genre media destination. FANGORIA Magazine remains a beloved printed quarterly.
Now in its 42nd year, FANGORIA celebrates a massive and diverse community of creators and fans, and is at the forefront of the current moment of celebrating genre as a legitimate entertainment space – one in which all are welcome.
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.
FANGORIA Studios was launched in January 2021 to develop and produce film, television and podcasts using the iconic FANGORIA, STARLOG and GOREZONE brands globally. Circle of Confusion represents all areas.
ABOUT DIFFAN SINA NORMAN
Diffan Sina Norman is a Kuala Lumpur-born, Los Angeles-based multi-disciplinary artist, filmmaker and writer. His work has been featured at Sundance, SXSW, Rotterdam and Clermont Ferrand. His short films “Kekasih” and “Benevolent Ba” competed for the Short Film Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival 2014 and 2020, respectively. His script 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. Learn more HERE.”
