Cult Filipino director, Mikhail Red (“Birdshot”) has revealed details of his upcoming projects. After “Eerie,” Red is reuniting with the Philippines studio Star Cinema for zombie film “Block Z.”
For Globe Studios, Philippines, Red will direct youth film “Dead Kids” “It’s a true story about students who kidnap their fellow classmates,” Red told Variety.
Red will also direct an international mini-series with fantasy and action elements, details of which will be announced later.
Red’s “Eerie,” a horror film set within the confines of an exclusive convent school, had its world premiere on Monday at the Singapore International Film Festival. “Eerie” will release in the Philippines in the first quarter of 2019.
Hitherto used to working within indie set ups, “Eerie” is the first time that Red worked with a major Philippines studio. (The film also owes something to the Singapore Media Festival: “Eerie,” was a 2017 finalist at last year’s SAFF Project Market.)
At a discussion about the film ahead of the film’s premiere, Red said that working with a studio was an easier process as they have systems in place. The crew’s experience of working on independent films meant that they brought those efficiencies to the production.
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The cast includes veteran Charos Santos-Concio, Bea Alonzo and Jake Cuenca. Santos-Concio, who debuted with 1977 horror title “The Rites Of May,” plays the role of the school’s head, the Mother Superior, in “Eerie.” She is also the chief content officer at ABS-CBN, the largest media conglomerate in the Philippines. “My years of leadership in a network helped me, as I run an institution in the film,” Santos-Concio said.
Red is the son of Raymond Red, a towering figure in Philippines alternative cinema. “I like to think that I’m really different from my father,” said Mikhail Red. “The way I approach film making is more modern in a way. He does retro films, he does silent films, he does black and white Super 8 films, and I like to experiment more with genres.”
The Philippines is the focus country at this year’s Singapore Media Festival. Speaking about the current state of the industry in the Philippines, Santos-Concio said, “There is lot of growth now in the independent scene, with the introduction of different digital platforms. There are a lot more opportunities for artists to make their voices heard. Yes, there is always mainstream film making, but I am happy to know that films now are becoming a fusion of commercial and art.”