"Exorcism"

Pseudo-documentary thriller "Exorcism" by young director Ma Kai could very well be China's "The Blair Witch Project." The film, only made with a budget of 50,000 yuan (about US$7,500), stood out at the FIRST Film Festival Xining 2016. Using its documentary style to explore the superstitions of rural areas, the film is able to build tension by secretly shooting and following the characters, and features a number of twists and turns. Many who had seen the film are calling it "the best domestic thriller in a decade" and "really scary." After winning praise at FIRST, Ma has become one of the most sought after independent directors. Tencent Pictures has acquired the film and will give him a budget and professional crew to reshoot part of the film, in order to make it better.

The film is set for a 2017 release and could be a dark horse in the Chinese market.