Martin Nuza Productions presents

One Night
in Rila

Една нощ в Рила

Nightfall changes everything.

Coming Spring 2027

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The Story

Ryan, his sister Alice, and their friends head to Bulgaria for a rock concert, but their carefree stay in a mountain villa turns unsettling as mysterious nighttime movements hint at an unseen presence.

Set against the hauntingly beautiful and often unforgiving landscape of Bulgaria’s Rila Mountains, this high-concept teenage psychological thriller unfolds in a world where isolation magnifies fear and the line between reality and imagination begins to fracture.

A group of teenagers, drawn together by circumstance, find themselves cut off from the outside world in a remote mountain setting that is as mesmerizing as it is menacing. What begins as an escape - an adventure filled with breathtaking views - slowly unravels into a descent into paranoia, mistrust, and psychological turmoil.

As tensions rise within the group, each character is forced to confront not only the dangers lurking in the wilderness, but also the darker corners of their own minds. The mountains, with their vast silence and looming presence, become a character in their own right - watchful, oppressive, and filled with unseen threats.

Visually striking and emotionally charged, the film blends atmospheric tension with deeply human stakes, creating a layered narrative that explores identity, vulnerability, and the fragile nature of trust. Shadows stretch longer as night falls, and with each passing moment, the sense of unease deepens, pulling audiences into a suspense-driven journey where every sound, every glance, and every silence carries weight.

Crafted with a cinematic flair that emphasizes both scale and intimacy, the story balances moments of raw emotional connection with pulses of gripping suspense. Its focus on psychological depth ensures that the horror resonates beyond surface-level scares, tapping into universal fears of isolation, rejection, and losing control. With its unique setting, compelling characters, and escalating tension, the film promises a haunting and immersive experience - one that lingers long after the final frame, appealing not only to genre enthusiasts but also to a broader international audience seeking bold, emotionally resonant storytelling.

  • Horror / Thriller
  • 95 min
  • Filmed in Bulgaria
One Night in Rila poster: a lit villa beneath the moonlit Rila Mountains, a bloodied knife in the foreground

“The mountains, with their vast silence and looming presence, become a character in their own right - watchful, oppressive, and filled with unseen threats.”

Shot on location in Bulgaria - May 2026

The Cast

  • Jack AldridgeJack Aldridgeas Ryan
  • Eliza BoyceEliza Boyceas Alice
  • Belle TaylorBelle Tayloras Chelsie
  • Ella KnightElla Knightas Maggie
  • Anna BarrowmanAnna Barrowmanas Melissa
  • Adam PeakeAdam Peakeas Josh

Also starring Tayah Kansik · Peter Jakeson · Josh Simpson · Kurt ‘Walsh’ Dirt

Martin Nuza

Director

Martin Nuza

Award-winning filmmaker and author Martin Nuza has built an international reputation as a dynamic and versatile creative force across film, television and publishing. With a career spanning more than two decades, his body of work includes feature films, documentaries, television series, novels and music videos - earning him over 20 international awards and numerous nominations worldwide.

Nuza’s latest project, the feature film One Night in Rila, was shot in Bulgaria in May 2026 and is now in post-production. It marks another ambitious step in his expanding international slate, further demonstrating his commitment to bold storytelling and global collaboration.

In 2024, Nuza produced the horror feature Dracula: Rise of the Vampire, directed by Dean Meadows and shot in the United Kingdom, further cementing his presence in the genre. The previous year was a prolific one: he published the crime novel Snatched: The Unforgettable Cruise, based on true crimes aboard cruise ships, while also writing, producing and directing the feature film In Tenebras: Into The Darkness. Both projects received significant festival recognition, including awards for Best Crime Script and Best Feature Script.

His 2019 award-winning film The Woods Encounters, which he wrote and produced, became a festival favourite, earning multiple accolades across Europe and the United States. In 2020, he was named Best Producer at the Oniros Film Festival in Italy and the Vegas Movie Awards in the United States, among many other international honours.

His extensive executive producer credits include Adrenaline (dir. Massimiliano Cerchi), Bloodthirst (dir. Michael Su), Bridge of the Doomed (dir. Michael Su), Attack of the Unknown (dir. Brandon Slagle), The Shepherd (dir. Laszlo Illes), Scotland (dir. Manish Vatasslaya) and the award-winning Spanish comedy La Guinda Del Pastel (dir. Pedro Sanchez Roman). He also served as executive producer on The Woods Encounters: The Movie (dir. Pedro Sanchez Roman).

In television, Nuza co-wrote the first season of Station 2-1-1 with Sundown Club Films and wrote six episodes of the Moon Drake series for Broken Hand Productions. Earlier in his career, he worked alongside the BBC’s The One Show on Soldiers in the Rock of Gibraltar (dir. Hamish Summers, presented by Dan Snow) and served as television consultant for YGTV Your Gibraltar TV from 2011 to 2013.

His documentary Operation Tracer (2012), which he produced and directed, received multiple festival awards, including Best Director and Best Documentary Feature at the Tagore International Film Festival and Best Editing at the Vegas Movie Awards.

Beyond film, Nuza is an accomplished author. His publications include Promises: The Mason Ordeal (Minerva Press, 2002) and Promises: Emily’s Harrowing Story (Best Publishing, UK), as well as his acclaimed crime screenplay and novel Snatched: The Unforgettable Cruise.

Throughout his career, Martin Nuza has shown a consistent commitment to powerful storytelling, genre versatility and international collaboration - expanding his global footprint while delivering compelling, award-winning work to audiences worldwide.

Selected credits
  • 2024 In Tenebras: Into The Darkness - writer, producer, director
  • 2024 Dracula: Rise of the Vampire - producer
  • 2023 The Woods Encounters: The Movie - executive producer
  • 2021 The Curse - producer, writer
  • 2019 Scotland - executive producer
  • 2019 The Woods Encounters - writer, producer
  • 2013 Operation Tracer - producer, director

Behind the Scenes

On set in Bulgaria, May 2026.

Official merchandise

Merch

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Press & Industry

Genre
Horror / Thriller
Running time
95 min
Director
Martin Nuza
Locations
Bulgaria
Status
Post-production
Release
Spring 2027
Production
Martin Nuza Productions in association with Temple Gate Films & Broken Hand Productions

Press contact

martinmnuza@gmail.com
One Night in Rila official poster Download posterPNG · 2.3 MB

Coverage

BTA · May 2026
bTV · „Преди обед“ · May 2026