Grafted

Source: © Grafted Film Ltd. Photo: Matt Grace

Grafted

Shudder has acquired North America and UK & Ireland rights from Mister Smith Entertainment to Sasha Rainbow’s feature debut Grafted ahead of its Spanish premiere at Sitges Film Festival this weekend.

The body horror screens in the Midnight X-Treme strand on Saturday and Sunday (October 5 and 6) and follows Wei, a shy Chinese scholarship student hiding a genetic facial birthmark, who travels to New Zealand to study medical research at a prestigious university.

When Wei is shunned by her social butterfly cousin Angela and her glamorous friends, she immerses herself in her late father’s research into a revolutionary skin grafting procedure that could help her. As her experiments take a dark turn, Wei becomes more dangerous and unhinged, willing to eliminate anyone who threatens her secret.

Joyena Sun, Jess Hong, and Jared Turner star, and the co-writers are Mia Maramara, Hweiling Ow, Lee Murray, and Rainbow.  

Grafted will debut on Shudder in North America and the UK & Ireland on January 24, 2025. It is produced by Murray Francis and Leela Menon, with Fraser Brown serving as executive producer.

“Sasha Rainbow’s bold and brave work in her short form and documentary work has transitioned seamlessly into her impressive debut feature,” said Shudder SVP of acquisitions and production Emily Gotto. “It’s no surprise that Grafted is gripping, slicing past a high body count with a highly original take on the body horror subgenre with sharp social commentary that strikes a nerve.”

Gotto negotiated the deal with Shane Kelly of the film’s worldwide sales agent Mister Smith.

Shudder releases approximately 30 films a year, and has distributed the likes of Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala’s The Devil’s Bath, Colin and Cameron Cairnes’ Late Night With The Devil, The Substance director Coralie Fargeat’s Revenge, and Christian Tafdrup’s Speak No Evil, on which the current US release is based.