Freestyle Digital Media, the digital distribution arm of Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group, has acquired VOD rights to THE CURSE (also known as LA DAMNÉE), a supernatural horror film rooted in Moroccan folklore. Directed by Abel Danan and written by Danan and Emma Lacoste, the film stars Lina El Arabi and arrives on North American digital platforms on June 2, 2026.
THE CURSE Brings Moroccan Folkloric Horror to VOD via F. Courtesy of HorrorBuzz.
THE CURSE follows Yara Ouazzani (El Arabi), a young Moroccan woman who moves to Paris to study. Agoraphobic since childhood, she lives a cloistered existence within the walls of her apartment, tormented by nightmares that blur the line between her past and monstrous visions. When a mysterious apparition appears one evening, her reality begins to fracture, pushing her to the very brink of madness.
Abel Danan makes his feature directorial debut here, co-writing the screenplay with Emma Lacoste. The cast includes Ouidad Elma, Sairi Salma, and Souad Labsy. The film previously screened at the Gérardmer Fantastic Film Festival and was featured in the “Tribute to Moroccan Cinema” section at the Angoulême Francophone Film Festival. It was produced by Jad Ben Ammar, Thomas Berthon, Jérémie Galan, Laurent Ghelfi, Matthias Jenny, David Layani, Grégory Ouaniche, and Romain Vissol.
“With THE CURSE, I wanted to film in Morocco, a land of origins and mystery surrounding ghosts and spirits, to tell a story rarely seen and explore it through the lens of folkloric horror,” said Danan. “I approached it with passion to speak about heritage, but also to captivate and frighten audiences with the significance of Moroccan witches. The idea is to leave a mark through rarely seen visuals and a culture that is not widely known, yet deeply fascinating.”
THE CURSE arrives on North American digital HD internet, cable, DVD, and satellite platforms on June 2, 2026. A trailer is available now at https://youtu.be/gNvx-0yy7P8.
