"From Haiti to Hollywood, Bedward’s doc unearths the buried origins of the zombie genre ". Kino Lorber has announced the acquisition of US distribution rights to Maya Annik Bedward’s documentary Black Zombie, with plans for a theatrical release this fall:
Kino Lorber has acquired U.S. distribution rights to Maya Annik Bedward’s documentary Black Zombie, which made its World Premiere at the 2026 SXSW Film Festival. The doc traces the origin and evolution of zombies from Haitian spiritual traditions to fixtures of Hollywood horror, examining the cinematic and historical context and reclaiming their deeper cultural significance as powerful symbols of survival and resistance. Black Zombie will be released theatrically by Kino Lorber this fall followed by a digital, educational, and home video release.
Black Zombie digs beneath the blood-soaked spectacle of modern horror to uncover the zombie’s buried and unsettling origins. Long before it became associated with flesh-eating ghouls, the zombie was a living metaphor for slavery: not a monster, but the ultimate victim of colonial power. A symbol of stolen agency was recast as an object of fear, while Black spiritual traditions were distorted, sensationalized, and erased. Director Maya Annik Bedward traces the evolution of the zombie from colonial Haiti to contemporary Hollywood, reconsidering iconic films like White Zombie, Night of the Living Dead, and The Serpent and the Rainbow alongside archival footage, vérité scenes, and interviews with cultural historians, artists, and genre legends including Yves-Grégory Francois, Mambo Labelle Déesse, Slash, Tom Savini, and Zandashé Brown. Part cultural reckoning, part horror remix, Black Zombie exposes how a figure born from enslavement, spiritual belief, and resistance was transformed into one of pop culture’s most profitable monsters.
The deal for Black Zombie was negotiated by Kino Lorber VP of Acquisitions Karoliina Dwyer and Bill Straus of Bridge Independent.
“I’m thrilled to partner with Kino Lorber on the release of Black Zombie,” said director Maya Annik Bedward. “The film explores the power of images to shape our understanding of history, culture, and race, making it especially meaningful to work with a distributor so deeply engaged with cinema’s past and present. Their passion for films that challenge, illuminate, and expand our understanding of the world makes them an ideal partner for bringing this story to audiences across the U.S.”
“The zombie is one of the most iconic images in cinema, and you’ll never look at them the same after watching Black Zombie,” said Dwyer. “Maya Annik Bedward has crafted a fascinating, deeply researched documentary that unearths the long buried Haitian origins of the genre, interrogating colonial, political, and Hollywood history to powerful and illuminating effect. We’re so proud to bring this documentary to U.S. audiences this fall."
Black Zombie is written and directed by Maya Annik Bedward. The film is produced by Bedward, Hannah Donegan, and Kate Fraser and executive produced by Jennifer Holness, Michael Paszt, Andrew Thomas Hunt, James Fler, and Slash.
About Maya Annik Bedward
Maya is an Afro-Caribbean Canadian filmmaker whose work blends history, resistance, and pop culture through bold, genre-bending storytelling. Her work has screened at festivals including SXSW, TIFF, Hot Docs, BlackStar, and the New Orleans Film Festival. Her credits include The Haircut (2018), Why We Fight (2021), LIDO TV (2022), BLK: An Origin Story (2022), and Farm Crime (2023). She received Canadian Screen Award nominations for her directing work on LIDO TV and Farm Crime, and won a Canadian Screen Award for producing Patty vs. Patty. Maya is a founding member of the Black Screen Office, where she champions stories that center Black creativity and power.
About Kino Lorber
With a library of over 4,000 titles, Kino Lorber has been a leader in independent art house distribution for over 45 years, releasing 30 films per year theatrically and garnering 16 Academy Award® nominations since the year 2000, including one Oscar® win in 2026 for Best Documentary Feature for Mr. Nobody Against Putin. Kino Lorber is part of Kino Lorber Media Group, which also includes leading international series streamer MHz Choice and Kino Film Collection, a subscription service for film lovers showcasing new releases direct from theaters plus curated international, indie, and documentary films and newly restored classics from the Kino Lorber library. Additionally, the company brings hundreds of titles annually to the home entertainment and educational markets through digital and physical media releases. The Kino Lorber Media Group, encompassing Kino Lorber, Kino Film Collection and MHz Choice, acquires and presents more international content than any other independent media company in the U.S.
After more than a decade as a consultant in the entertainment industry, Jonathan James launched Daily Dead in 2010 to share his passion for horror. He takes immense pride in Daily Dead's talented team of writers, who passionately explore and celebrate horror as a respected art form capable of telling complex, character-driven stories with deep emotional and cultural impact.
Over the course of his career, Jonathan has written more than 10,000 articles and hosted panels at major conventions, including New York Comic Con and San Diego Comic-Con. He is also consulted with as an expert on horror and pop culture, offering insights on horror history and the latest trends through media outlets, film festivals, and conventions.
After more than a decade as a consultant in the entertainment industry, Jonathan James launched Daily Dead in 2010 to share his passion for horror. He takes immense pride in Daily Dead's talented team of writers, who passionately explore and celebrate horror as a respected art form capable of telling complex, character-driven stories with deep emotional and cultural impact.
Over the course of his career, Jonathan has written more than 10,000 articles and hosted panels at major conventions, including New York Comic Con and San Diego Comic-Con. He is also consulted with as an expert on horror and pop culture, offering insights on horror history and the latest trends through media outlets, film festivals, and conventions.
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