European Genre Forum
Vrykolax
Investigating his family's dark past on a remote Greek island rife with superstition, a British painter struggling with hallucinations and blackouts becomes the target of a murderous conspiracy surrounding the VRYKOLAX, an undead creature from Greek folklore, who returns for revenge.
Vrykolax is a compelling folk-horror tale intertwining murder mystery with Greek supernatural lore. Propelled by his mother’s demise, Thomas, a British painter who has forsaken art because of supposed mental illness, embarks on a journey to uncover his family's enigmatic past on a remote Greek island. There, haunted by visions and inexplicable phenomena, he starts to exhibit special powers akin to a kind of local shaman. When murder erupts, the strange, backward islanders blame the crimes on an undead vampire-like entity known as the Vrykolakas. Thomas grapples with his newfound abilities as he delves deeper into the island's dark secrets. But in a hostile, corrupt community where nothing is as it seems, where is the line between paranormal evil and simple human malice? The race is on for Thomas to uncover the truth before his loved one dies. As the tension escalates, Thomas confronts the chilling possibility that he himself may be the Vrykolax.
Keywords: superstition, alienation, rural life, folk horror
Director's note:
Vrykolax merges Murder Mystery with Greek Folk Horror, focusing on the Vrykolakas, an undead revenant predating the Slavic Vampire. Inspired by Pan’s Labyrinth, the ending offers dual interpretations, questioning reality versus the supernatural and free will versus fate. Driven by a 20-year passionate research in Greek folklore, my goal is to entertain and revive the Vrykolakas legend, reintroducing it as a significant alternative in international vampire lore. Coming from a visual background, I can paint a distinct world to complement the story and create a total artistic vision. Through colour, cinematography, costumes and music, an authentic and grounded world unfolds. The film also addresses social and cultural issues such as religion, superstition, closed communities, and the role of women in patriarchal societies. It prompts reflection on the enduring impact of these beliefs even now, which are more horrible than the myths that surround them.
Producer's note:
Vrykolax is a 16+ audience-oriented genre film with elements of fantasy, mystery and horror. We are now on our third draft as we apply to international pitching & development labs to further fine-tune our story and plan the overall strategy. I intend to follow the same financing and distribution pattern as with my feature folk horror debut ENTWINED which premiered at Toronto IFF, distributed in the USA & Canada and streamed on horror's premier service SHUDDER. We plan to set this up as a trilateral European co-production employing schemes of cash rebates and eurimages. In addition, we are looking into regional support, since the film takes place on the famous island of Santorini. Inspired by such classics as The Wicked Man and Hour of the Wolf, we aim to bring a Mediterranean flair to this new era of European Folk Horror, joining festival favourites such as Border, Lamb, Hagazussa and November in a story that can attract audiences and festivals alike.
Coming from a Fine Arts background, Greek born Achilleas Gatsopoulos moved to the UK to study VFX and Production Design, concluding his studies with distinction in both degrees. Achilleas worked in the Art Department of films such as Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, The Lost Daughter, Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban,and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory while simultaneously creating motion graphics for events. Clients include Mercedes Benz, Volkswagen, Vodafone, Dom Perignon, Absolut Vodka etc. Achilleas has been directing music videos and creating video projections since 2002 for various artists such as Pet Shop Boys, James Blunt, Erick Morillo and SKIN. His work has also been screened & awarded at international film festivals. Achilleas is currently in development of his first feature film VRYKOLAX while also writing a supernatural TV series.
Coming from a Fine Arts background, Greek born Achilleas Gatsopoulos moved to the UK to study VFX and Production Design, concluding his studies with distinction in both degrees. Achilleas worked in the Art Department of films such as Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, The Lost Daughter, Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban,and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory while simultaneously creating motion graphics for events. Clients include Mercedes Benz, Volkswagen, Vodafone, Dom Perignon, Absolut Vodka etc. Achilleas has been directing music videos and creating video projections since 2002 for various artists such as Pet Shop Boys, James Blunt, Erick Morillo and SKIN. His work has also been screened & awarded at international film festivals. Achilleas is currently in development of his first feature film VRYKOLAX while also writing a supernatural TV series.
Minos Nikolakakis is a versatile filmmaker whose works have screened at international festivals such as Toronto, Bucheon, Warsaw, Fantaspoa, and Cinemed. His debut feature, ENTWINED, premiered at Toronto, earned accolades at the Thessaloniki IFF, and was acquired by Shudder. Previously, his short film, THE ATTIC, screened at the Egbert Baqué Contemporary Art Gallery in Berlin, while "21/3, 08.00" was featured in the COVID anthology Spaces alongside works by renowned directors. Nikolakakis is a member of the Hellenic and European Film Academies and has participated in programs like the Trieste – When East Meets West Genre Lab, Toronto IFF Writers’ Studio and Filmmakers’ Lab, Zurich Talents Academy, MIDPOINT INSTITUTE, Berlinale, and Sarajevo Talents. As a producer and co-founder of genre-oriented Asphalt house, he co-produced the feature film SHOOTING BLANKS by Ziga Virc. Currently, his upcoming feature film, ASPHALT, is in the funding stage, while he develops two other features and a series.
Vassilis Economou serves as the Public Relations officer, senior writer, and industry reporter at Cineuropa.org, the leading European portal. In his capacity as a producer, he leads project development, promotion, and outreach for Asphalt, an Athens-based production house with a mission to push the boundaries in the realm of genre cinema. Previously, he contributed to the success of the Tallinn Black Nights International Film Festival (PÖFF) as a programmer and a member of the selection committee. He also gained experience as the International Press Coordinator at the Odesa International Film Festival and served as a member of the Antalya Film Forum Consultants' Board. Furthermore, he has collaborated with Locarno Pro, the industry section of the Locarno Film Festival, and been part of the preselection committee for Le Groupe Ouest's project development platform, Less is More (LIM).
Genre screenwriter, script doctor, script consultant, novelist and author of more than 30 non-fiction books on folklore and the paranormal. BA in Film & Media Studies (University of Stirling) and Master Screenwriter Certificate (ScreenwritingU, Los Angeles). Winner of the Genre Summit Screenplay Competition, the Visceral Films International Horror Screenplay Contest and the University of Chichester Thresholds Prize for Non-Fiction. Member of the Writers Guild of Great Britain. Likes dogs.
Dark Sense, paranormal thriller Deadly Secrets,TV movie Sex and Fame, documentary Scotland the Mysterious Country, documentary series The Greatest Game, documentary Mary Frankenstein Gothic fantasy, pre-production The Boy Who Belonged To The Sea, magical realism drama, pre-production
About: Minos Nikolakakis and Vassilis Economou founded ASPHALT to manifest their creative vision with projects that will entertain wider audiences and can help find meaning in the turmoil of the contemporary world. It will explore the boundaries of genre cinema and focus on international co-productions. Filmography: Occurrence (2026) In Development - TV Series Asphalt (2025) In Development - Feature Planet Tinos (2025) Preproduction - TV Series Shooting Blanks (2023) - Feature Entwined (2019) - Feature