EXCLUSIVE: Los Angeles-based sales, production and finance company, EST N8, has acquired international sales rights for Japanese thriller The Invisible Half.
The debut feature from writer-director Masaki Nishiyama, The Invisible Half had its world premiere at the Raindance Film Festival.
The Invisible Half follows Elena, a mixed-race (“half”) Japanese high school girl, who has just moved to a rural town.
She begins to sense that she is being watched — not only by the locals, but by something monstrous that can only be seen through her smartphone screen and heard through her earphones. As the line between isolation and horror blurs, Elena’s struggle to belong transforms into a fight for survival.
The film stars Lisa Siera, Miyu Okuno, and Runa Hirasawa, with VFX designed by Cao Moji (Godzilla Minus One) and cinematography by Shuhei Yamamoto (Rohan au Louvre).
The Invisible Half is produced by Atsushi Sakamoto (Smahorror) and Noboru Suzuki (Tatsumi).
The deal was brokered by Sophie Shi and Cathy Ni of EST N8.
In addition to The Invisible Half, EST N8’s sales titles include suspense drama Dear Stranger, horror films The Hole and Pabrik Gula, as well as Korean action film Mash Ville, among others.
“The Invisible Half is a bold and deeply personal vision that blends social realism with supernatural terror,” said Sophie Shi, head of EST N8 Studios. “Nishiyama’s voice as a first-time filmmaker represents the future of Japanese horror on the global stage.”
