Cruel Hands
Director: Al Kalyk | 2026 | 96 mins | Thriller | Australia | English
Official Selection – Austin Film Festival
Official Selection – Beyond Fest Chicago
Official Selection – Panic Fest
Official Selection – Cleveland International Film Festival
Amid the worst bushfires in Australia’s history, Maria and her son Dai escape a violent and abusive husband and make their way to an abandoned farmhouse. While keeping hidden, Maria tries to create a new home for Dai, as Jason, the police, and the fires rage toward them. In a climactic battle, the fate of Dai is fought over by two damaged and traumatized parents, with deadly consequences.
Al Kalyk – Director
Mavournee Hazel
Diesel La Torrac
Josh McConville
Harry Greenwood
Genevieve Lemon
Dark Sky Films, a wholly owned subsidiary of MPI Media Group, is an independent genre film production and distribution label founded in 2008. Dark Sky Films works with emerging talent as well as established veterans to develop, produce and finance feature films and episodic television projects. Representing films from some of most talented directors working today, such as Ti West’s The House of the Devil and The Innkeepers, and Jim Mickle’s Stake Land, Dark Sky continues to identify original talent and projects to bring a vibrant slate of films to the world market, with original productions and releases such as Girl on the Third Floor, We Are Still Here, Deathgasm, Emelie, Catfight, Darlin’, Bliss and most recently, The Dark and 1BR. | Follow us on twitter: @darkskyfilms @mpimediagroup
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