FrightFest, the UK’s biggest, horror & fantasy film festival, returns to the Cineworld Leicester Square, London, for its 24th edition, this year with pioneering technology & entertainment company Pigeon Shrine as its headline sponsor. The company is the brainchild of Tom Paton, working alongside industry finance veterans Jamie McLeod-Ross and Charley McDougall.
Running from 24 to 28 August, Pigeon Shrine FrightFest will programme seventy films across four screens. There are twenty-five world, twenty-three International/European and twelve UK premieres, with fourteen countries represented.
The festival opens with the European premiere of SUITABLE FLESH, from Joe Lynch, who has created a love letter to the late, great Re-Animator director Stuart Gordon. Co-producer and co-star of the film, the genre screen icon, Barbara Crampton, will be returning to FrightFest for the third time.
The Closing night film is the European premiere of THE SACRIFICE GAME. Director Jenn Wexler’s second feature, is a tribute to the beauty and boldness of classic 1970’s horror. It stars Olivia Scott Welch, who also takes a leading role in genre-bending, fantasy thriller THE BLUE ROSE, a debut feature from 18-year-old George Baron, receiving its World premiere.
Another 18-year-old making her FrightFest debut with the European premiere of T BLOCKERS, is transgender filmmaker Alice Maio Mackay. And transgender icon Eddie Izzard takes on the title role of Nina Jekyll in DOCTOR JEKYLL, which receives its World premiere.
FrightFest has teamed up with Warner Bros to celebrate their centenary with two anniversary retrospectives. James Wan’s THE CONJURING and THE EXORCIST with an exclusive presentation of ‘The Version You Never Saw’ hosted by Mark Kermode.
The line-up reflects the festival’s legacy in championing emerging and established voices from across the world and sees the return of filmmakers discovered over the years. Xavier Gens brings his latest FARANG, writing/director duo Erik and Carson Bloomquist return with holiday slasher FOUNDERS DAY. The Adams Family return with their latest creation, WHERE THE DEVIL ROAMS. Plus, Marcel Walz, with THAT’S A WRAP. Director Alex Kahuam, presents Ted Raimi in FAILURE!, all shot in one single take.
This year also sees the return of Andy Edwards with seaside slasher PUNCH, Mitch Jenkins with A MILLION DAYS. Stuart Sparke with HOW TO KILL MONSTERS, Airell Anthony Hayles with WEREWOLF SANTA, Sean Hogan with TO FIRE YOU COME AT LAST, and Nicholas Vince, in the director’s chair for the filmed version of his autobiographical one-man show I AM MONSTERS!
Graham Hughes is also back with HOSTILE DIMENSIONS. Jake West returns with the World premiere of his documentary MANCUNIAN MAN: THE LEGENDARY LIFE OF CLIFF TWEMLOW. And actor Richard Brake returns in James Bushe’s campfire chiller LORE.
The Main Screen plays host to Nick Psinakis’s CHEAT, Matt Sampere’s CREEPING DEATH, Raymond Wood’s FACELESS AFTER DARK, Steven Pierce’s HERD, Michael J. Hurst’s TRANSMISSON, serial killer two-hander COLD MEAT and the haunting HOME SWEET HOME: WHERE EVIL LIVES.
Other main screen titles include Paris Zarcilla’s RAGING GRACE, Bishal Dutta‘s IT LIVES INSIDE, Anthony Waller’s PIPER, underwater frightener THE DIVE.
Plus NEW LIFE, John Rosman’s thriller, Quarxx’s macabre PANDEMONIUM, the darkly claustrophobic sci-fi chiller MONOLITH, Barnaby Clay’s THE SEEDING and Samuel Bodin’s ghostly gripper COBWEB, which will also have an additional Closed Captions screening.
Turning to documentaries OTTO BAXTER: NOT A FU**ING HORROR STORY, which explores how director Otto Baxter, who has Down Syndrome, uses his short horror film, A PUPPET ASYLUM, to explore his birth, adoption and epic battles. FrightFest will follow the doc with a screening of his short film.
Others are [REC] TERROR WITHOUT PAUSE, which explores the Spanish horror classic, THE J-HORROR VIRUS, which delves into the world of Japanese supernatural chillers, THE DARKSIDE OF SOCIETY, an exploration of the truths behind the making of Society, 1982: THE GREATEST GEEK YEAR EVER! a celebration of one of the greatest years in movie history. KIM’S VIDEO, on the quest to track down Kim’s legendary collection of rental videos. As well as the crazy world of Bruceploitation with ENTER THE CLONES OF BRUCE LEE.
Asian genre cinema is represented with the return of Takeshi Kushida with MY MOTHER’S EYES. There is also RIVER, from Junta Yamaguchi, THE GHOST STATION, a hybrid of Korean/Japanese atmospherics. And a FrightFest first from The Philippines – the thriller TOPAAK/TRIGGER.
Scandinavian horror returns with Norwegian director Viljar Bøe’s GOOD BOY, and in THE KNOCKING, the debut feature from Finnish directors Jonaas Pajunen and Max Seeck.
The three Discovery screens will feature comedy fantasy, MINORE, FrightFest’s first Greek entry, POUNDCAKE, edgy noir thriller WHAT YOU WISH FOR, psychological horror BLACK MOLD, paranormal thriller SPOOKT, sci-fi shocker THORNS, FrightFest Glasgow hit HERE FOR BLOOD and THE BLACK MASS, the directorial debut of genre staple Devanny Pinn.
The States contributes with Zach Passero’s THE WEIRD KIDZ. There are also World premieres for Clare Cooney’s DEPARTING SENIORS, and Ariel Vida’s TRIM SEASON. Plus, there’s an international premiere for Austin Jennings EIGHT EYES.
FrightFest’s First Blood strand continues to thrive and will showcase four films. Chris Cronin’s haunting THE MOOR, Tariq Sayed’s ISAAC, Tony Devlin’s THE GLENARMA TAPES, and Dominic O’Neill’s HAUNTED ULSTER LIVE, inspired by the iconic BBC series Ghostwatch.
There is a special retrospective screening of Lewis Teague’s 1980 cult monster movie ALIGATOR and an exclusive IT FOLLOWS 4K RESTORATION World Premiere event.
The festival guest line-up and full details for the Short Film Showcase events will be revealed soon.
Passes on sale from Sat 15 July, noon
Single tickets on sale from Sat 22 July, noon
For booking and programme details visit
www.frightfest.co.uk