Mongrel Media Boards Anouk Whissell’s ‘Holi Womb’ Ahead of Its Debut at Fantasia’s Frontières Co-Production Market (EXCLUSIVE)

Psychological horror project “Holi Womb,” from Montreal writer-director Anouk Whissell, famed for her part in collective RKSS (“Turbo Kid”), has been picked up by Mongrel Media for Canadian distribution. The acquisition comes ahead of the project’s bow at the opening pitch session on July 23, of the Fantasia International Film Festival’s Frontières Co-Production Market.

“With ‘Turbo Kid’ and ‘Summer of 84,’ Anouk showed she could play in genre with wit and precision,” Mongrel Media co-president Andrew Frank told Variety. “‘Holi Womb’ is a bold leap – a fierce, unapologetically feminist vision that reclaims body horror with brains, blood and beauty.”

The second feature collaboration of Whissell and New Brunswick-based producer Maja Jacob, “Holi” unfolds at a holistic retreat in Poland for single mothers-to-be, where pregnant Grace starts experiencing distressing hallucinations and noticing the strange behavior of the staff.

The project, which has secured development funding from Telefilm Canada, was conceived in May while Whissell and Jacob were attending the 2024 Frontières Proof of Concept program at Cannes’ Marché du Film with their project “Sister Inconnue,” about two sisters battling the malevolent spirit of the Headless Nun.

“One evening Anouk pitched the concept for ‘Holi Womb,’ and I was immediately 100& on board,” Jacob recently told Variety. “We chose Poland as a filming location because I was born there and have long wanted to shoot in my motherland.” The project is in the early stages of financing as an international co-production between Canada and Poland, with plans to begin pre-production in the fall of 2026.

“The richness of Polish folk culture, which is rooted in religion and paganism, its unique aesthetic, and the fascinating szeptuchas (traditional healers) are all elements relevant to my vision for ‘Holi Womb’ and the strong visual and narrative I want to create,” Whissell recently told Variety.

“I want my characters to be relatable so that no matter how crazy the story gets, the audience will want to follow them,” she said of her writing process. “When I’m ready, I lock myself in the writing dungeon, put on some music and start the process of laying out the story, and do research genre is the perfect medium to push boundaries and spark discussions on serious subjects in a smart way through entertainment, without hammering in a message.”

Also in May 2025, the team participated in TorinoFilmLab’s Next Feature Film program, which focuses on treatment development. “It was my first time participating in a writing lab, and it was a really intense and rewarding experience,” Whissell said. “Our tutor provided the tools and set the perfect atmosphere that allowed me to dig deeper into the themes and the backstory, to validate and strengthen some decisions as well as give me the opportunity to experiment and be challenged.”

“Holi Womb” producers are Maja Jacob (Maja Jacob Films), Benoit Beaulieu (Slykid), and Yoann-Karl Whissell (Whissell Films), aslo part of RKSS. Marc Lapointe serves as executive producer.

Frontières presents its Co-Production Market at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal over July 23-26.