Los Angeles andPennsylvania-based Kindred Media Group, North Carolina-based Tasty Pixels, andDewey Beach Films are about to begin production on the thriller SouthernGothic.

Dewey Beach will provide completion funds for the $1m project, and Kindredplans a North American theatrical release in autumn 2006.

Mark Young will direct the follow-up to his feature debut and techno-thrillerPhreaker, which Kindred will also release this year.

Southern Gothic charts a man's road to redemption as he tries to rescue a younggirl from a gang of undead killers. Filming is set to commence in February inWilmington, North Carolina.

Frank Vitolo is producing the project, and Dani Englander, Kindred presidentJeffrey D Erb, Kindred founder Joe Nicolo and Robert L Robinson are serving asexecutive producers.

"We're excited to have the opportunity to produce Southern Gothic, as we havebeen keenly interested in Mark's vision for the film since we first met himregarding the distribution of Phreaker," Erb said.