Perth’s first teen horror TikTok series The Curse of Baba Yaga hits the small screens of smartphones worldwide from Friday 7 April.
The Curse of Baba Yaga was one of three successful projects selected for development funding from Screenwest and Screen Australia through their Out Now funding initiative focussing on LGBQTIA+ stories that highlight diversity in the screen industry.
A found footage series following two high school boys, James and Luca, as they navigate a string of disappearances in their quiet suburban town, The Curse of Baba Yaga is from first time writer/director Christopher Colley (who also stars on-screen as James) and producer Matt Hodgkinson.
With a background in acting, 27-year-old Christopher Colley has pivoted to writing/directing with the aim to push the possibilities of queer characters on screen, exploring nuanced stories that reflect his own lived experiences.
“Coming from a Croatian background I was inspired to revisit some traditional folklore stories; stories of witches and monsters, but telling them through a queer lens,” Colley said of the project.
Inspired by my love of horror movies, the painfully awkward romances and my strange obsession with witches, The Curse of Baba Yaga was born.”
Producer Matt Hodgkinson has worked across short and long format feature films and high end TVCs including The Wolverine, I, Frankenstein, Paper Planes and H is for Happiness.
“Developing a series for TikTok has been a totally different beast. Vertical image, super short and punchy episodes – it’s a very different way of doing things but what a massive and exciting opportunity to explore how stories can reach so many viewers all over the world. It’s an incredibly exciting time to be a filmmaker,” Hodgkinson says.
20-year-old actor Luke Jai McIntosh who made his feature film debut in Martin Wilson’s Pieces (2022), stars as Luca.
Weaving high school romance, disappearing townsfolk and legends of an ancient witch through 15 episodes that range between 60 – 90 seconds, the series is also slated for a YouTube Shorts premiere in the near future.
Watch The Curse of Baba Yaga on TikTok from Friday 7 April.
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