James R | On 11, Sep 2019

“Once upon a time, there was a prince who wanted to be a tiger…” So begins the captivating new trailer for Tigers Are Not Afraid, which will arrive on Shudder this Thursday.

Issa Lopez’s acclaimed feature, which premiered at Austin’s Fantastic Fest, has picked up more than 50 awards around the world. The film uses horror and fantasy to deliver a moving portrait of the dire circumstances of the children left behind by Mexico’s brutal drug wars.

Estrella (Paolo Lara) is 10 years old and alone. Given three magical wishes, she asks first that her missing mother come back, and she does… from the dead. Fearful of the ghost she’s invoked, Estrella escapes to the streets and earns her way into a gang of other children, orphaned by cartel violence. But soon, Estrella discovers you can never really leave the dead behind.

Described as a “horror fable for the ages” by Shudder and with Stephen King saying that he was “under its spell” within two minutes, the film’s release has been anticipated among horror fans ever since Shudder snapped up the rights. Now, we can confirm that the film will be available on Shudder in the UK and Ireland from 12th September, along with the USA and Canada.

Here’s the trailer:

 

Tigers Are Not Afraid is available on Shudder UK, as part of a £4.99 monthly subscription.

 

Shudder snaps up Tigers Are Not Afraid

18th April 2019

Shudder has snapped up all rights to Mexican horror film Tigers Are Not Afraid.

The AMC-owned streaming service for horror, thrillers and the supernatural has picked up all rights to writer/director Issa Lopez’s acclaimed feature, which premiered at Austin’s Fantastic Fest. It earned Best Director honors there, before going on to pick up more than 50 awards around the world, including Best Feature at Screamfest, Mórbido, Boston Underground, Chattanooga, Toronto After Dark, and Amsterdam Imagine International Fantastic Film Festival. The film won both Jury and Audience awards at Paris Fantastic Film Fest, the Silver Raven and Audience Awards at Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival, and 10 nominations and two wins at the Ariel Awards, Mexico’s equivalent to the Oscars.

The film uses horror and fantasy to deliver a moving portrait of the dire circumstances of the children left behind by Mexico’s brutal drug wars. Estrella (Paolo Lara) is 10 years old and alone. Given three magical wishes, she asks first that her missing mother come back, and she does… from the dead. Fearful of the ghost she believes she’s invoked, Estrella escapes to the streets and earns her way into a gang of other children, orphaned by cartel violence. But soon, Estrella discovers you can never really leave the dead behind.

“I’m incredibly happy to announce that Shudder will distribute Tigers Are Not Afraid for English-language audiences,” says Lopez. “Shudder is an outstanding curator of the best and the weirdest of international fantastic cinema, including many of my favorite new movies from trailblazing filmmakers. The opportunity to have Tigers Are Not Afraid among them is an absolute honor.”

“Tigers Are Not Afraid is a horror fable for the ages, as moving as it is frightening thanks to Issa’s fearless imagination,” adds Shudder GM Craig Engler. “We are honored and excited to share this powerful film with our members.”

Lopez has been showered with praise for her work from such luminaries as Guillermo del Toro and Stephen King, who tweeted: “this is one terrific film, both tough and touching. Two minutes in, I was under its spell.” Del Toro is executive producing one of her forthcoming projects, a supernatural western. She is also developing a musical about Latino culture in Queens, NY for Paramount Pictures.

Tigers Are Not Afraid is produced byMarco Polo Constandse’s Filmadora Nacional and Issa Lopez’ Peligrosa. The film will premier on Shudder later this year.

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