New Zealand-based sales outfit Black Mandala has acquired international sales rights to “Lily’s Ritual,” the Spanish horror feature from director Manu Herrera, which will receive its world premiere at Grimmfest in Manchester, U.K. this October.
Set during the fall equinox of 1999, “Lily’s Ritual” follows four friends who gather at an isolated cabin in the forest to perform a witchcraft initiation ritual. Lily, played by Maggie García in her first leading film role, is chosen to represent the element of air as the group attempts to complete the circle of four elements.
The Black Mandala acquisition marks a significant milestone for the Spanish production, which returns horror to practical effects-driven storytelling. The film utilized prosthetic makeup and traditional FX techniques for approximately 90% of the production, delivering authentic scares reminiscent of ’90s horror cinema.
Director Manu Herrera co-wrote the screenplay and assembled a cast including Patricia Peñalver, Eve Ryan, and Elena Gallardo. Grimmfest, Manchester’s International Festival of Fantastic Film, runs October 9-12, 2025, making “Lily’s Ritual” one of the most anticipated titles at the genre festival’s seventeenth edition.
