Filmmaker Alice Maio Mackay shows no signs of slowing down. After delivering genre titles like So Vam, Bad Girl Boogey, and this year’s The Serpent’s Skin, the rising horror director is returning with her latest twisted vision: the sci-fi horror Our Effed Up World.

Produced by Dark Star Pictures, the film stars Annapurna Sriram (Fucktoys), Sara Thompson (One of Us Is Lying), and Jess McLeod (It’s a Wonderful Knife), and will make its international premiere at Fantasia International Film Festival on July 18, 2026.

Ahead of its festival debut, the first teaser has arrived, giving audiences a glimpse at the chaos that unfolds when a mysterious extraterrestrial entity crashes into the woods and unleashes a terrifying threat.

The official synopsis reads:

“Sheri thought her biggest problem in life was dealing with the recent loss of her beloved grandma. But when a mysterious entity crash lands in the woods, only she and her group of shitkicker friends are what stands in the way of an insatiable, intergalactic hunger.”

The cast also includes Scott Major, Brandon Flynn, Jordan Dulieu, JackHaven, Leela Varghese, Tommy Dorfman, and Chris Gun.

The film is produced by Jane Schoenbrun, the filmmaker behind I Saw the TV Glow and Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, with Mackay directing from a screenplay co-written with Ben Pahl Robinson.

Describing the project, Mackay calls Our Effed Up World her latest no-budget queer genre experiment, exploring science fiction while maintaining the camp, emotion, and melodrama that have become hallmarks of her work.

“I wanted to delve into a completely new sub-genre—sci-fi. But still through my signature lens and blend of campiness and melodrama,” Mackay explained.

The filmmaker also describes the film as a story about grief, identity, and holding onto what matters most while navigating an increasingly chaotic world.

With an alien threat, a group of unlikely survivors, and Mackay’s unmistakable style behind the camera, Our Effed Up World looks ready to deliver a strange, heartfelt, and completely unpredictable sci-fi horror experience.

Stay tuned for more coverage from Fantasia International Film Festival.