EXCLUSIVE: Singapore’s Mokster Films is to launch sales on upcoming Taiwan sci-fi horror Revive at the Cannes market.
Marking the feature directorial debut of Danny Tseng, it is produced by D-Day Pictures’ Lester Hsi, director of 2020 box office hit The Bridge Curse, Fiona Hu and Mokster Films CEO Nelson Mok. Blending horror with Eastern spiritual beliefs, the script was written by River Wu (Blind Love).
The project scooped top awards at last year’s Taiwan Creative Content Fest (TCCF) and the Golden Horse Film Project Promotion (FPP) and is slated to begin production in Taiwan at the end of the year.
The story follows a Taiwanese artist living in the US who returns home after her estranged mother’s death. When her family turns to ‘Revive’, an advanced funerary service that recreates the likeness of the deceased, the artist’s life is reshaped under its influence, reviving her stalled career while quietly eroding her sense of self. But after being confronted by a series of unexplained tragedies, it forces her to question whether the presence guiding her life is truly her mother at all.
It marks the first live-action feature by Tseng, who has landed awards and recognition for his AI short films such as Torii, which won second place at last year’s Dor Awards. His previous AI shorts such as Dear Grandma, Graveyard and Water also received accolades across international competitions such as Project Odyssey and Curious Refuge.
“I began my journey making short films and new technologies opened doors for my work to be seen and recognised at international competitions.” said Tseng. “Now, as I move into theatrical feature filmmaking, I’m driven by the desire to bring my stories to the big screen and connect with audiences in cinemas.”
Revive marks the second collaboration between D-Day Pictures and Mokster Films after Phantom, an invisible man horror announced at last year’s Cannes that is in post-production.
“With Revive we wanted to explore how technology reshapes our relationship with memory and loss,” said producer Hu. “And how dependence on it can delay acceptance, distorting reality, and allowing something far more dangerous to take hold.”
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