Broken Bird Lands U.S. Theatrical Release After FrightFest Buzz

Rebecca Calder delivers a haunting performance as a lonely mortician in the psychological horror drama Broken Bird.

Broken Bird Set for U.S. Theatrical Release This April After FrightFest Buzz

One of the more unsettling psychological horror films to emerge from the festival circuit last year is finally preparing to land in U.S. theaters.

Catalyst Studios and Seismic Releasing have announced a nationwide theatrical release for Broken Bird, the haunting character-driven horror drama starring Rebecca Calder and James Fleet. The film will arrive in theaters April 24, 2026.

Broken Bird made a strong impression on the genre festival circuit, including a notable screening at FrightFest, where the film quietly emerged as one of the most talked-about titles among late-night horror crowds. For many festival viewers, it stood out as one of the more emotionally unsettling films of the year.

Directed by Joanne Mitchell in her feature debut, the film expands upon Mitchell’s short film Sybil, delivering a gothic psychological horror story centered on loneliness, grief, and obsession.

In Broken Bird, Calder plays a lonely mortician with a poetic soul searching desperately for connection. As grief and longing collide, her desire for love begins to twist into something disturbingly intimate, pushing the character into increasingly unsettling territory.

The film’s tone leans heavily into gothic atmosphere and psychological unease, drawing comparisons to cult character studies like May, where emotional isolation gradually mutates into something far darker.

Calder’s performance as Sybil has already earned significant recognition on the festival circuit, including Best Actor at the Independent European Film Festival. The cast also features Jay Taylor, Sacharissa Claxton, and Robyn Rainsford.

Behind the scenes, Broken Bird was written by Dominic Brunt, Tracey Sheals, and Joanne Mitchell, and produced by Zoe Stewart, with Holly Levow, Mark Pennell, and Paul Kampf also serving as producers.

The film is part of Catalyst Studios’ mission to support female-led storytelling by women directors and producers, a focus that has shaped several of the studio’s recent projects.

“Broken Bird is exactly the kind of bold, character-driven filmmaking that defines Catalyst Studios,” said Holly Levow, executive lead and co-founder of the studio. “Joanne Mitchell has crafted a haunting and emotionally resonant film that stays with you long after the credits roll.”

For horror fans who gravitate toward atmospheric, character-driven genre work rather than traditional jump-scare thrillers, Broken Bird may be one of the more intriguing theatrical releases arriving this spring.

The film opens in theaters nationwide on April 24, 2026.