For the fifth year, Arrow Video FrightFest will include the New Blood initiative, which encourages new talent to submit their scripts for the chance to take place in a special workshop with some top industry professionals.
Applications are open for 10 days from July 19th with potential participants asked to submit a 400-word proposal through the dedicated New Blood page on the FrightFest website and if selected, each writer is expected to submit the first ten pages of their script idea. The deadline is 28th July. All successful applicants will be notified by July 29th and then will be requested to send over their sample script pages. All participants are expected to pay for their own travel to, and accommodation in, London.
The New Blood networking and workshop event will be held on the morning of Thursday August 25th, the opening day of this year’s festival, in a Central London venue
To date, the scheme has delivered two new projects: Broadcast Signal Intrusion, written by Phil Drinkwater and Tim Woodall and directed by Jacob Gentry (The Signal) was produced by Greg Newman, Nicola Goelzhaeuser & Giles Edwards at Queensbury Pictures and premiered to enormous acclaim at FrightFest 2021, and The Change, written by Carina Rodney has been optioned by another acclaimed UK producer.
Giles Edwards of Queensbury Pictures said, “Having already achieved the initial aim of New Blood, with the discovery of the phenomenal script Broadcast Signal Intrusion from Phil and Tim, which then exceeded our wildest expectations as a finished feature, and another of our mentors falling for Carina’s *absolutely wild* The Change, we’re supremely confident that the cream of UK genre writing talent is out there, just waiting for the opportunity to wrench our collective gut with their visions of true terror.”
Greg Day, co-director of FrightFest added, “For FrightFest to be continuing to support and enable aspiring scriptwriters to have this opportunity is very gratifying, especially as Giles and Queensbury Pictures have proved that they really mean business and are not just playing industry lip-service. Good luck to the New Blood class of 2022.”
Arrow Video FrightFest 2022 takes place from Thursday, August 25th to Monday, August 29th at Cineworld, Leicester Square and The Prince Charles Cinema.
The Scottish genre outfit Hex Studios, best known for cult horrors Lord of Tears and The Devil’s Machine, has announced its latest horror feature, the first in a new offshoot that seeks to champion unique voices in the genre. Titles under the Hellion Video label will feature hand-painted, VHS-inspired cover art, and present bold, original stories with an underground/experimental vibe that will set them apart from the mainstream.
Linger, the first film produced under the new banner, tells the story of the ‘Ghost Crew’, a small-time documentary team, as they unravel the chilling mystery of a notorious abandoned hospital and the tragic events that have taken place there. The locals say the place is cursed, that death will come to all who dare venture into its bleak halls. As the team closes in on the truth, they become targets for the dark forces at play, and a search for answers becomes a battle for survival.
Written by and starring Tom Staunton, and directed by Lawrie Brewster, Linger is a unique horror hybrid that blends the documentary style of Lake Mungo and Noroi the Curse with the haunting aesthetic of Scottish folk horror films like Lord of Tears and The Wicker Man.
Starring alongside Staunton are Megan Tremethick (The Lockdown Hauntings), Antony Strachan (Whiskey Galore), Gordie Holliday (The Devil’s Machine), Richard Pate, Nick Ford, Jon Vangdal Aamaas, and Alexander Zorn.
The filmmakers have just launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the final stages of post-production and to support future projects under the Hellion Video label. An array of rewards are on offer, from Collector’s Edition Blu-rays to T-Shirts, books, and original artwork. The film, a co-production between Hex Studios and Needle’s Eye Productions for Hellion Video, is slated for release in December.
The mecca for horror fans, Arrow Video FrightFest has announced its 2022 line-up of screenings and there are some crackers to look forward to. Several guests have been revealed too, including legendary directors Dario Argento and Neil Marshall, actor/director Brea Grant, cult French actor Brigitte Lahaie, who worked with both Jess Franco and Jean Rollin, and reviewer/media legend Mark Kermode.
The festival returns to its spiritual home of Cineworld, Leicester Square and the Prince Charles Cinema in the heart of London for five days of terror, thrilling fantasy films. This year’s event takes place from Thursday, August 25th to Monday, August 29th.
Opening the proceedings is the world premiere of Neil Marshall’s The Lair, which he describes as “The Dirty Dozen meets The Thing”. The director will also be on hand to introduce a special 4K restoration of the brilliant Dog Soldiers. The closing night film is the European premiere of Scott Mann’s Fall, in which a pair of friends are stranded up a 2000-foot high radio tower.
Fall
Update: Newly added to the festival line-up is Jeff Ryan’s found footage horror comedy Mean Spirited.
Dario Argento returns to the festival for the UK premiere of his latest film Dark Glasses. Other films screening include Ryûhei Kitamura’s The Price We Pay, John Swab’s Candy Land, Dominic Brunt’s Wolf Manor gets its world premiere and there are UK firsts for Carlota Martínez-Pereda’s Piggy, Travis Steven’s A Wounded Fawn, Final Cut (the French remake of One Cut of the Dead), and Jonas Govaerts’ H4z4rd.
The festival embraces the sci-fi side of the genre once more with Mali Elfman’s Next Exit, The Visitor from the Future, Incredible but True, and the latest from the powerhouse directing team of Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, who will be along to chat about the film in person. As will Brea Grant, who directs Torn Hearts and stars in Jacob Gentry’s Night Sky.
Other world premieres include Terrifier 2, Midnight Peepshow, Scare Package II: Rad Chad’s Revenge, The Harbinger, She Came from the Woods, Mastehah, and Ben Parker’s Burial. Ben will be in attendance with some of the cast, including Tom Felton.
The popular documentaries strand includes Orchestrator of Storms, an in-depth look at the work of Jean Rollin, with actor Brigitte Lahaie in attendance. Cult of VHS promises to be a fan favourite, as does Living with Chucky, made by Kyra Gardner, the daughter of FX designer Tony Gardner.
The Brits are not left out, as there are a host of home-grown talent showcased, including Tommy Boulding’s Hounded, Liam Regan’s Eating Miss Cambell, Pat Higgins’ Powertool Cheerleaders vs The Boyband of the Screeching Dead, Paul W. Franklyn’s Croc!, Paul Wilkins’ The Ghost Writer, Steve Johnson’s Stalker, Christopher Hatton’s Raven’s Hollow.
The First Blood strand features Jamie Hooper’s The Creeping starring Sophie Thompson, Scott Lyus’ Walking Against the Rain, Bite, Will Hugo’s The Group, and Sébastien Blanc’s Cerebrum, starring Steve Oram.
The Lair
The Discovery screen films from around the world include Wolfkin, Huesera, The Ghost of Monday, New Religion, Everybody Dies by the End, and Daughter.
Other UK premieres include Hypnohondriac, Holy Shit!, The Breach, The Last Client, Super Z, Family Dinner, plus Sophia Cacciola and Michael J. Epstein’s mock-grindhouse double bill The Once and Future Smash+End Zone 2.
Also screening are Emily Hagins’ Sorry About the Demon, Patrick Rea’s They Wait in the Dark, Eric Pennycoff’s The Leech, Tyler Cormack’a Tiny Cinema, Alexis Bruchon’s follow-up to The Woman with Leopard Shoes, The Eyes Below.
If you prefer things a little more macabre, there’s Bill Posley’s Bitch Ass, Tom Ryan’s Splinter, Pablo Parés’ Pussycake, Mark Meir’s The Summoned, Duncan Birmingham’s Who Invited Them?, Elise Finnerty’s The Ones You Didn’t Burn, Addison Heimann’s Hypochondriac, David Hebrero’s Everyone Will Burn, John Ainslee’s Do Not Disturb, Carter Smith’s Swallowed, Grégory Beghin’s Deep Fear, and Erik Boccio and London May’s Night of the Bastard.
Think that’s everything? Nope, there’s more… Hannah Barlow’s Sissy, Joseph Winter’s Deadstream, Sylvia Caminer’s Follow Her, and the world premiere of Control, the first Canadian sci-fi film to use real-time virtual production tools.
The Visitor From the Future
Among the special events are sneak peeks at The Devil’s Hour, coming to Prime Video with cast and crew attending, a preview of Wreck, a comedy horror series heading to BBC Three, and footage from the eagerly-awaited documentary series looking at the saucy ‘70s cinema, Keeping the British End Up. A new stage show, Duelling Egos: An Audience with Alan and Mark, pits FrightFest co-founder Alan Jones against Mark Kermode. Plus there’s the return of The Duke Mitchell Film Party, the Arrow Video Podcast, and the night before the festival starts, there’s a pub quiz hosted by The Evolution of Horror podcast taking place at the Phoenix Artist Club.
Festival co-director Paul McEvoy said: “We are absolutely delighted with this year’s fantastic Arrow Video FrightFest line-up. This is the wildest and most diverse selection we have ever assembled. The mix includes a stunning variety of the latest must-see SF, thriller, fantasy and horror titles from around the world. With a vast array of premiere screenings, special events and incredible guests the Cineworld Leicester Square and The Prince Charles Cinema will be the ONLY places for film lovers to be over the late August Bank Holiday weekend and we cannot wait to unleash our prime selections to our wonderful audience.”
Arrow Video FrightFest has also announced two new presenting sponsors – SHUDDER and 101 FILMS. The Super screen at the Cineworld Leicester Square will be known as The Shudder Screen and the three Discovery screens will be known as 101 FILMS Discovery Screens 1, 2, and 3.
Tickets are on sale from Saturday, July 16th at noon and single tickets will be available from Saturday, July 23rd at noon. For more information, head over to https://www.frightfest.co.uk/
