Holiday Horror ‘Unholy Night’ Lands at Blue Finch Films
U.K.-based sales and distribution company Blue Finch Films has acquired worldwide sales rights to “Unholy Night,” a holiday horror feature film. This marks the directorial debut of Michael Gabriele.
The film recently completed production in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, and Blue Finch will begin showcasing it at Berlin’s European Film Market.
“Unholy Night” centers on Gino, whose Italian family’s Christmas Eve celebration takes a dark turn when his deceased grandmother unexpectedly returns and begins a violent rampage. As more deceased relatives appear throughout the neighborhood, Gino is forced to find a way to stop the holiday revenants and survive the family gathering.
Michael Gabriele wrote the screenplay and produced the project alongside Jenna MacMillan of Club Red Productions (“The Snake,” “Who’s Yer Father?”) and Jason Levangie and Marc Tetreault of Shut Up & Colour Pictures (“Sharp Corner,” “Kids vs Aliens”). Tina Carbone, Jef Burnham, Mike Chapman and Fatima Hayward serve as executive producers.
The cast includes Marc Bendavid (“Dark Matter,” “Reacher”) and Shailene Garnett (“Fire Country,” “Diggstown”), with supporting roles played by Al Sapienza (“The Sopranos,” “House of Cards”), Ron Lea (“The Recruit,” “Orphan Black”), Ton Ellwand (“Mafia Inc.”), Cristina Rosato (“Mother!,” “Assassin’s Creed”), Jaqueline Robbins (“The Monkey”) and Joe Pingue (“Station Eleven,” “Star Trek: Section 31”).
Gabriele described the film as exploring the pressures of family traditions and overcoming regret, set against a backdrop of “total chaos.” He noted that growing up in his Italian family, Christmas Eve was “loud and full of love, but also incredibly intense,” and he aimed to capture that feeling in a “visceral, festive nightmare.” He anticipates audiences will experience a ride that is “hilarious, heartfelt, and frightening.”
Mike Chapman of Blue Finch Films commented that “‘Unholy Night’ is an impressive debut from Michael, taking the idea of unwanted family guests for Christmas to a whole new level. Mixing bold horror, dark humour, and heart, he has created a seasonal slam dunk.”
Blue Finch’s current international slate also includes the Rotterdam-selected horror film “Bowels Of Hell,” the SXSW-selected sci-fi thriller “Imposters,” and “Dolly,” which premiered at Fantastic Fest and is slated for release by IFC and Shudder later this year.