Aboriginal horror short The Moogai wins at SXSW

Jon Bell's The Moogai stunned the jury in the Midnight Short section at SXSW with its exploration of the continuing horror of stolen Aboriginal children.

Austin’s SXSW Film Festival may be a huge sprawly thing, but a short Indigenous film cut through via the spooky hours when terror claims the Texas night, winning the Jury Award Prize. 

The Moogai, a psychological horror short, won its Jury Prize in the Midnight Short section. No Coincidence Media offers this synopsis: ‘The Moogai is a psychological horror about a young mother, Sarah, who becomes terrorised by a malevolent spirit she believes is trying to take her children. Sarah’s husband Fergus desperately wants to believe her but as she becomes more unstable, Matt is increasingly concerned for the safety of their family.’

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David Tiley was the Editor of Screenhub from 2005 until he became Content Lead for Film in 2021 with a special interest in policy. He is a writer in screen media with a long career in educational programs, documentary, and government funding, with a side order in script editing. He values curiosity, humour and objectivity in support of Australian visions and the art of storytelling.