This bold, brutal mix of family blood feud and supernatural horror marks the first ever co-production between Australia and Albania.

Australian director Steven Kastrissios returns after his bloody and bruising The Horseman (MIFF 2008) with an evocative horror as unique as anything on the local filmmaking landscape.

Set in modern-day Albania, the story follows a struggling traditional family that falls prey to a mysterious clan, igniting a Balkan blood feud that ventures into the paranormal via archaic rituals and a local witch. Ambitious and genre-bending – Kastrissios' knack for dark drama mingles with arthouse surrealism – Bloodlands comprises a forceful next step for an emerging auteur.

'Exhibiting a grasp of nuanced character dynamics, rich atmosphere and technical skill that places him amongst the top tier of Australia's new directing talents, Kastrissios has delivered an ambitiously unique horror/drama hybrid.' – Screen Space