First Nations psychological horror film The Moogai was recently awarded the prestigious $100,000 Film Prize at CinefestOZ Film Festival in WA. It received its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival and its Australian premiere at the Sydney Film Festival, where it won the GIO Audience Award for Best Australian Feature.
The film is the directorial feature debut from writer Jon Bell and is based on his acclaimed short film of the same name. A psychological horror that weaves the haunting history of the Stolen Generation with First Nations storytelling, the word Moogai has several meanings for Indigenous Australians, including “boogeyman”.
Sarah and Fergus, a hopeful young Aboriginal couple, give birth to their second baby. But what should be a joyous time of their lives becomes sinister when Sarah starts seeing a malevolent spirit she is convinced is trying to take her baby. Fergus, who can’t see it but desperately wants to believe her, grows increasingly worried as she becomes more unbalanced. Is the child-stealing spirit real or is she in fact the biggest threat to the safety of their family?
The Moogai will release wide in cinemas in Australia on Halloween, October 31, 2024.