Shudder Acquires Official TIFF Selection ‘Saloum’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

We tend to view summertime, as a relaxing time… and rightfully so. After all, the skies are clear, the days are lazy, so why not just go outside and forget about work and enjoy the weather before things turn colder in a few months. Which is why so many people schedule vacation time during the summer, so they can do just that with their family at their side. But not everyone sees this time of year as the perfect time to kick back and relax. For some, summer is just another season to work harder to achieve big goals.
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Which is the mantra of the team at Shudder. Since they work, day and night, regardless of the temptation of the season, to bring horror fans the best films possible and for proof… look no further than today’s announcement. For while some of us were sipping on a cold lemonade on a lazy river, the good folks at the finest horror streamer out there, locked up the TIFF official section, Saloum, to bring it to the network later this year and well… here are all the details on this latest addition to an incredible library, courtesy of Shudder.

‘Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thrillers and the supernatural, and IFC Midnight announced today a theatrical run for the highly-anticipated and award-winning Shudder Original Saloum beginning Friday, September 2 ahead of the film’s streaming debut on Thursday, September 8.  A national rollout will follow beginning Friday, September 9. The film, written and directed by Jean Luc Herbulot (Dealer) was a breakout release of Midnight Madness at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival, before playing Fantastic Fest 2021, the Red Sea International Film Festival, the Sydney Film Festival, and the 2021 Vancouver International Film Festival.
 
“Saloum is a bold combination of horror, revenge thriller and African folklore that's worthy of every bit of praise it’s been receiving at festivals,” said Shudder General Manager, Craig Engler. “We’re proud to share this incredibly original and thrilling film from the distinctive voice of Jean Luc Herbulot with our members and theatergoers.”
 
Said Herbulot, “I created the Hyenas as a personal gift for my own 7-year-old self who grew up without heroes and my 37-year-old self who was bored by modern African cinema, and today I hope they can be the heroes of many across the globe.  It's very important for us at Lacmé that this type of story offers a glimpse of what African myths and legends can generously deliver to a global audience.”
 
In Saloum, shot down after fleeing a coup and extracting a drug lord from Guinea-Bissau, the legendary mercenaries known as the Bangui Hyenas – Chaka, Rafa and Midnight - must stash their stolen gold bounty, lay low long enough to repair and refuel their plane and escape back to Dakar, Senegal. When they take refuge at a holiday camp in the coastal region of Sine-Saloum, they do their best to blend in with their fellow guests; including a mute named Awa, with secrets of her own, and a policeman who may be on their tail, but it’s Chaka who happens to be hiding the darkest secret of them all. Unbeknownst to the other Hyenas, he's brought them there for a reason and once his past catches up to him, his decisions have devastating consequences, threatening to unleash hell on them all.
 
Saloum stars Yann Gael, Evelyne Ily Juhen, Roger Sallah, Bruno Henry, Marielle Salmier and Mentor Ba. The film marks the first production from Pamela Diop and Herbulot’s pan-African Lacme Studios. Diop produced Saloum and the executive producers are Hus Miller, Douglas Jackson, and Mike Shema. Alexis Perrin and EV.L Prod are co-producers.
 
The acquisition deal was negotiated by Emily Gotto, VP, Global Acquisitions & Co-Productions on behalf of Shudder and Adeline Fontan Tessaur, co-Founder and Managing Director of Elle Driver on behalf of the filmmakers.’

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