Director Raya Martin is set to make his feature filmmaking comeback with “Obosen,” a folkloric horror thriller being developed at Philippines-based independent studio Rein Entertainment and headed to Cannes Film Festival‘s Producer’s Network.
“Obosen” follows a policewoman investigating disappearances in a remote Philippine town who enters a forest where local mythology, political dynasties, and a film shoot collapse into another reality. Frequent collaborator Arleen Cuevas will produce, and has brought the project to Cannes as part of the Producer’s Network Filipino delegation, sponsored by the Film Development Council of the Philippines.
Martin is the first Filipino director to have two films selected at Cannes in the same year – “Independencia” and “Manila,” both in 2009. His work has also screened at Berlinale, Locarno, and Busan.
“Raya has always been one of the boldest and most respected Filipino filmmakers of his generation. What makes this partnership exciting is not just his return to feature filmmaking through ‘Obosen,’ but the opportunity to create a film that carries both artistic ambition and emotional power. We believe ‘Obosen’ has the potential to become a defining project both for Rein and for contemporary Filipino cinema,” said Shugo Praico, Rein’s head of creatives.
