Special effects artist Hiroshi Katagiri is renowned for his work making strange, ghoulish creatures on blockbuster films like Pirates of the Caribbean, The Hunger Games and War of the Worlds.

He has now directed his first feature, a horror entitled Gehenna – Where Death Lives. But getting it off the ground wasn’t easy at first.

The Hollywood-based artist had difficulty getting a producer on board to finance his dream, and ended up turning to crowdfunding.

That’s where the Ballarat connection comes in. Local designer Darren Collinson heard about the project and got in touch with Katagiri, offering his services as an investor and producer.

Mr Collinson travelled from the Goldfields to the star-studded city of Los Angeles, where he spent time with Katagiri and Gehenna actor Doug Jones, known for his work on Pan’s Labyrinth and Buffy.

Now, Mr Collinson is responsible for the independent film’s release across Australia and New Zealand.

But instead of holding the Victorian launch in Melbourne, he decided to bring the film to his hometown of Ballarat.

Katagiri created the dead mermaids for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides – pieces worth hundreds of thousands of dollars – spending time with the likes of Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz.

He said he first developed his fascination with special effects after watching Michael Jackson’s Thriller and movies like An American Werewolf in London as a young boy.

He said he always wanted to be a film director and set about getting in sideways.

“In the early 90s there was no digital, so if I wanted to make a movie I would have to use film, go to school, maybe use equipment from there, but I did not have money for that,” he said.

“I was working as a special effects artists but I always wanted to do directing. I was known as one of the top names in the industry so that’s how I got the opportunity (to direct).”

Katagiri, who grew up in Japan, said Gehenna was the perfect blend of traditional Japanese, bloodcurdling horror, with the strong, engaging narrative of a Hollywood film.

The film launch, which Katagiri will attend in person, will be held November 29 at Regent Cinemas at 7pm. Tickets at regententertainment.com.au