As I’ve stated numerous times, I think the “found footage” subgenre is awesome. I also believe it’s here to stay. Sure, everyone and their moms are attempting to make their own cinema verite horror film, but how is that any different than when Halloween inspired a rash of slasher film that are still alive and well 30+ years later?

Sifting through hundreds of new films inspired by Paranormal Activity, The Blair Witch Project and REC, we here at Bloody Disgusting believe we’ve unearthed a new batch of creepy footage that you guys are absolutely going to love.

Joining Bloody Disgusting Selects is Fernando Barreda Luna’s Spanish-language Atrocious, which landed on our radar after Ryan Daley reviewed it this past January. It had its world premiere at the Slamdance Film Festival, alongside Sundance in Park City, Utah. The pic joins the previously announced line-up of Rammbock, YelowBrickRoad and Cold Fish (more details).

It will be released later this year via AMC Theaters (every single Wednesday and Friday night, expanding if it does well), before arriving on VOD, DVD, online and television. And as stated before, we’ll be highlighting your own personal reviews, good or bad. You guys will make or break the success of the films…

Read the official press release inside.

LOS ANGELES — March 16, 2011 — The Collective, a full-service entertainment management and content company, and top horror website BloodyDisgusting.com, have acquired all US rights from sales agent Celluloid Nightmares to Fernando Barreda Luna’s Spanish thriller Atrocious.

The film will be distributed theatrically in at least 32 key markets through The Collective and Bloody Disgusting’s partnership with leading theatrical and exhibition company AMC Theatres, as well as on DVD through The Collective’s home-video partnership with Vivendi Universal.

Directed by first time helmer Fernando Barreda Luna and produced by Jessica Villegas Lattuada and David Sanz. Atrocious is a Nabu Films and Silencio Rodamos Producciones production. The film premiered internationally at the 43rd Sitges International Film Festival and then at Slamdance this past January, garnering a tide of online buzz and quick comparisons to 2008’s Paranormal Activity. A U.S. remake is already in the works.

In April of 2010, Spanish police reported the discovery of 37 hours of recorded evidence that shed new light on a gruesome murder investigation. The found footage documents a family of five spending their holidays at their summer house, where brother-and-sister Cristian and July Quintanilla pass the time investigating a local urban legend of a girl who disappeared in the Garraf woods. As their investigation intensifies, strange occurrences in and around the house escalate rapidly, before culminating in unspeakable atrocities.

“We are thrilled to be bringing Atrocious to the US marketplace,” said Gary Binkow, a partner at the Collective. “It’s always exciting to showcase upcoming horror directors, and Luna is an obvious talent to watch. Atrocious proves that the ‘found footage’ subgenre of horror still has something new to bring to the table. We want to expose the American audience to more elevated horror than they’ve been getting in recent years, and Luna’s film is a prime example of that philosophy.”

Atrocious is the latest acquisition by The Collective and Bloody Disgusting since launching their distribution partnership with AMC Theaters dedicated to acquiring and marketing the best horror and thriller titles from the festival and international markets. The deal was negotiated by Binkow and The Collective’s Director of Acquisitions, Roxanne Benjamin. Nate Bolotin, a partner at Celluloid Nightmares handled the sale on behalf of the filmmakers.

Director Fernando Barreda Luna was born in Mexico in 1983. A screenwriter, editor, producer, and director, he’s the founder of production company Nabu Films. Atrocious is his feature debut.