All six episodes from HBO Asia’s very first horror anthology original series, FOLKLORE (#FolkloreHBO), will each be making its global debut at major International film festivals including Toronto International Film Festival (Toronto, Canada), SITGES International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia (Barcelona, Spain) and Fantastic Fest (Texas, USA).
FOLKLORE is a six-episode hour-long horror series that takes place across six Asian countries – Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand – with each episode based on a modern adaptation of each country’s deeply-rooted myths and folklore, featuring supernatural beings and occult beliefs.
FOLKLORE premieres exclusively on HBO on Sunday, October 7 at 10pm. New episodes will debut at the same time every Sunday. The series will also be available on HBO On Demand.
Helmed by different directors from various countries in Asia, each episode was filmed in the local language of the country that the episode is based in.
FOLKLORE seeks to modernise or update Asian horror, showcasing the brand of horror that each country is characteristic of and exploring societal dysfunctions in a manner that is specific to the country but possessing themes that will resonate across the continent.
CEO of HBO Asia, Mr. Jonathan Spink says,
“We are pleased and honoured that FOLKLORE is being featured and recognised at these reputable International film festivals.
“FOLKLORE showcases the rich and diverse cultural heritage that Asia has to offer.
“Horror is a genre that resonates strongly in Asia and we are glad to be able to spotlight these six tales with a modern twist and bring them to life to audiences in the rest of the world.”
The largest genre film festival in the U.S. specialising in horror, fantasy, sci-fi and action, Fantastic Fest, will be featuring two episodes from FOLKLORE. FOLKLORE: TOYOL directed by Malaysian director Ho Yuhang (“Rain Dogs”, “Mrs. K”) and FOLKLORE: MONGDAL from Korean director Lee Sang-Woo (“Barbie”, “Fire In Hell”, “Dirty Romance”) will both be debuting at the festival.
FOLKLORE: TOYOL (Malaysia)
A Member of Parliament (MP) of a fishing town turns to a mysterious woman who possesses shamanistic powers in order to salvage his town’s dire economic situation. She fixes all his problems and the two soon become lovers. However, the woman has a dark secret that threatens to destroy his life.
FOLKLORE: MONGDAL (Korea)
A mother tries to appease the moods and demands of her borderline psychopathic son. When a new girl comes to town, her son falls quickly and deeply for the new girl and is determined to win her over possibly even against her will. When things take a tragic turn, his mother will stop at nothing to make her son happy even if it means finding a bride to join him in the afterlife.
