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.
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.
“We are pleased and honoured that Folklore is being featured and recognised at these reputable International film festivals,” says CEO of HBO Asia, Mr. Jonathan Spink. He further adds, “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.
The SITGES International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia (SITGES) will also be featuring Folklore: Nobody directed by award-winning Singaporean filmmaker and series showrunner, Eric Khoo (“Ramen Teh”, “12 Storeys”) and Folklore: Tatami from Japanese director and actor, Takumi Saitoh (“Blank 13”, “Ramen Teh”).
Folklore also features an ensemble cast from all over Asia. Most notably, Japanese actor, Kazuki Kitamura (“Godzilla: Final Wars”, “Kill Bill: Volumes 1 & 2”), Malaysian actor, Bront Palarae (HBO Asia’s “Halfworlds Seasons 1 & 2”, “Satan’s Slave”) and Korean actress, Lee Chae-Yeon (“Running Man”, “Please Find Her”, “Blow Breeze”) will each star as lead roles in their respective episodes.
Folklore premieres exclusively on HBO (Astro Ch 411 / 431 HD) 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 (via Astro Go).
