U.K.-based sales agent Mister Smith Entertainment has picked up international rights to “Grafted,” a New Zealand-set horror film which marks the feature directing debut of Sasha Rainbow. The film is now in production. Mister Smith will launch sales next month in Cannes.

The film tells story of a Chinese student who travels to New Zealand to complete the scientific work of her deceased father only to find a new way of achieving popularity, one body at a time.

“I am incredibly excited about playing in the body-horror space for such an incredible, surprising, female-lead-project like ‘Grafted.’ I can’t wait to unleash it to audiences around the world,” said Rainbow. She previously directed 2018 short film “Kamali,” about a mother fighting for her daughter’s rights through skateboarding in India, which was nominated for a BAFTA and long-listed for an Oscar.

The cast of “Grafted” is headed by Joyena Sun, Jared Turner, Jess Hong, Eden Hart and Sepiutaruth To’a with supporting roles by Ginette McDonald and Mark Mitchinson.

“Grafted” is produced by Murray Francis of Propaganda, and Leela Menon and Fraser Brown of FluroBlack and is written by Mia Maramara, Hweiling Ow and Lee Murray.

The film is also the first to emerge from recently-formed horror and genre company (Yet) Another Monster Company, a partnership between Grant Hardie’s Australia and New Zealand horror distribution firm Monster Pictures and Phil Hunt’s (Yet) Another Distribution Company and includes an investment partnership with the U.K.’s Head Gear Films.

The film is made with investment from The New Zealand Film Commission, the New Zealand Government’s Screen Production Grant, Traus Holdings, Department of Post and with GAP financing from Head Gear Films. The film will be distributed in New Zealand and Australia by (Yet) Another Monster Company.

“We loved ‘Grafted’ from the first page and after hearing Sasha’s pitch we jumped at the chance to bring this to the market,” said Shane Kelly, V.P. international sales & distribution at Mister Smith Entertainment. “It’s exactly the sort of unique, high-concept genre film buyers are craving, that can pull in a younger audience. We’re confident it will delight and disgust in equal measure.”

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