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Cult Girls

Dalia and her two young sisters grow up in a pagan apocalyptic cult led by an ancient Baltic goddess of death and reincarnation. On the night of an important cult ritual, a police raid rescues Dalia as cult members flee with her two sisters. Years later, as the guilt eats away at her, Dalia finds a potential link to the cult through a prominent and despised black metal artist sequestered in the woods. Dalia journeys to find her sisters but her quest for the truth becomes a descent into hell.

  • Mark Bakaitis
    Director
  • Douglas Kapalan
    Producer
  • Jane Badler
    Key Cast
    "Ragana"
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 23 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    May 1, 2019
  • Production Budget:
    110,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia, Germany, Lithuania
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    RED
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Monster Fest
    Melbourne
    Australia
    October 11, 2019
    World Premiere
    Official Selection
  • First Hermetic International Film Festival

    Italy
    September 9, 2020
    Winner- Best Director
Distribution Information
  • Umbrella Entertainment
    Country: Australia
    Rights: Video / Disc
  • ITN
    Distributor
    Country: Worldwide
Director Biography - Mark Bakaitis

Mark Bakaitis is an independent film and music video director. After multiple ARIA nominations for his music videos throughout the 90's, his first feature film "Narcosys" won Best Film at the Melbourne Underground Film Festival (2000). "An Evening with Mark Chopper Read" (2013), documented Chopper's last ever public appearance before his death. Punk documentary; "Why Do People Hate Us? (2016) won "Best Director" and "Best Documentary" in The Setting Sun Short Film Festival, as well as Official Selection in The International St Kilda Film Festival and Punkfilmfest Berlin. "Cult Girls"; a narrative feature, was shot in Lithuania, Germany, and Australia. Post Production was completed in Los Angeles in 2019.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Cult Girls was strongly influenced by the folk horror films of the 1960’s and 70’s.
This subtrope of “Religious Horror” is less concerned with organised faiths and divine beings as much as it’s concerned with the old folkloric rituals.
The films of European directors such as Jean Rollin and Jess Franco were all so visually appealing to me. In these films the narrative becomes irrelevant as everything induces a very dreamlike state.
This was the focus for the style of Cult Girls.
As in many Folk Horror films organised religion is seen as corrupt and/or useless.
Using the cultural influences of my ancestral country of Lithuania, we used folklore myths and legends as a template for the story.
Although the films’ theme is dark and obscure, Cult Girls’ message is ultimately about transformation.