Maya Annik Bedward's 'Black Zombie' documentary debuts internationally

Maya Annik Bedward’s feature debut, Black Zombie, premiered at SXSW in March and has since screened at major festivals including Fantasia in Montreal and the BlackStar Film Festival in Philadelphia. The film, acquired for U.S. distribution by Kino Lorber (release set for September 11) and for the UK and Australia by Blue Finch, explores the Haitian Vodou origins of the cinematic zombie.

Combining documentary footage, narrative scenes and animation, Black Zombie traces the term’s history from Haitian plantation folklore through early Hollywood portrayals such as White Zombie (1932) and The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988). The film features commentary from cultural historians, filmmaker Tananarive Due, musician Slash and director Zandashé Brown, and seeks to dismantle harmful stereotypes linking Vodou to black magic.

Bedward says the project grew from a Canadian exhibition on Vodou and a decade‑long research effort, aiming to highlight the broader experience of enslaved Black people through the zombie metaphor.