Best Friend Forever Boards TIFF Midnight Madness Malayalam-Language Indian Vampire Thriller ‘Half’
Sales agent Best Friend Forever has acquired international sales rights to Half, a Malayalam-language vampire revenge action-thriller, ahead of its world premiere in the Midnight Madness section at the Toronto International Film Festival. The deal is notable because it sees an Indian genre film secure a European sales agent and a Midnight Madness slot months before its domestic release, rather than after establishing a track record at home first, marking a rare crossover moment for Indian genre cinema.
Directed and co-written by Samjad with Praveen Viswanath, the film is produced by Kerala-based Fragrant Nature Film Creations and stars Ranjith Sajeev and Aiswarya Raj as twin half-blooded vampires who clash with desert highway hijackers, alongside Abbas, Amala Paul and Srikanth Muruli. Fight choreographer Very Tri Yulisman, known for The Raid 2, trained the cast to perform their own stunts using custom in-camera rigs, while Excel Entertainment, alongside AA Films, will distribute the film across North India in its first Malayalam industry collaboration. Best Friend Forever's wider TIFF slate also includes Cannes prize winner Elephants in the Fog and Berlinale-honoured Nina Roza.
In short
- Malayalam vampire thriller "Half" lands European sales agent Best Friend Forever
- Film premieres in TIFF's Midnight Madness section this year
- Excel Entertainment to distribute the film across North India
Explained simply
Malayalam is the main language of Kerala, a state in southern India with its own busy film industry. Indian films made in regional languages often reach audiences at home first, then seek wider distribution abroad.
Vampires are supernatural beings commonly portrayed as drinking blood; a revenge thriller centres on retaliation for a past wrong. The film’s story pairs twin vampires with a confrontation against hijackers on desert roads, blending those familiar genre ideas with action.
The Toronto International Film Festival is a major annual film event, and its Midnight Madness programme features genre films such as horror and thrillers. International sales agents help films find distributors in other countries, while North India distribution brings a Malayalam production to a broader Indian market.
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