Full Moon Features puts a modern spin on the classic vampire tale with their upcoming film Death Streamer, for which the first trailer was recently released.
In the film, “A modern day vampire opts to adapt to the modern age by employing technologically advanced glasses that enable him to not only hunt his victims in and out of the virtual world…but also LIVE STREAM his bloody feasts for all to see. As this high-tech ghoul continues to glut on his screaming victims, his internet-based cult of personality expands, and soon, he finds himself with a rabid fanbase, all of them addicted to watching his sickening slaughter. But when an intrepid trio of young supernatural investigators lock-down on the trail of the “Death Streamer”, the fiend turns the tables and begins stalking them. As supernatural murder continues its vile viral media-onslaught, will our three heroes be able to stop the unholy monster in his tracks, or just end up as more gory “content” for his channel?”
The film is directed by Charles Band and stars Maddy may, Emma Massalone, Piper Parks, Llana Barron, Aaron McDaniel, Sean Ohlman, and Kaitlin Moore.
Full Moon Features is an American independent production and distribution company headed by B-movie veteran Charles Band. It is known for the direct-to-video series Puppet Master, Trancers, and Subspecies.
Death Streamer will release from September 27th, 2024. Watch the trailer below:
Patricia Arquette and Tom Felton are on board to star in They Will Kill You, the thriller produced by the new horror label Nocturna Pictures, which was created by Skydance and Andy and Barbara Muschietti.
New Line is co-financing and distributing the feature, which will be directed by Kirill Sokolov when filming begins in mid-September. Sokolov co-wrote the script with Alex Litvak.
Zazie Beetz is toplining the film, which is being described as a horror laced with black comedy, and tells the story of a woman (Beetz) who answers a help wanted ad to be a housekeeper in a mysterious high-rise in New York City, not realising she is entering a community that has seen a number of disappearances over the years and may be under the grip of a Satanic cult. The project has also been described as a tonal mix of Radio Silence’s Ready or Not and The Raid.
Arquette reportedly plays the head of the co-op in They Will Kill You, while Felton will play a member of the cult. Patricia Arquette is best known for her work on Boyhood, True Romance, and the television series Medium, and has recently starred in Apple TV+’s Severance. Tom Felton is best known for portraying Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter film franchise.
The First Purge director Gerard McMurray has boarded Goons, a new horror feature set amid the eerie backdrop of Louisiana’s cane fields and plantations. Power‘s Michael Rainey Jr. and The Exorcism andSwarm‘s Chloe Bailey will star in the movie, which has begun filming in New Orleans and surrounding areas.
Tommy Oliver is producing via his Confluential Films company, which will make the project under its new genre label, New Fear Unlocked Productions, which is dedicated to “bold, elevated, culturally specific horror films from creators of colour”. “I can’t wait for audiences to see what Gerard and I are cooking up with the kick-ass squad we’ve assembled. I also couldn’t be more excited to kick off New Fear Unlocked with this film from such a talented director,” said Oliver.
McMurray directs from a script he co-wrote with Hodge K. Johnson. “I’m beyond excited to direct a film in the horror genre,” says McMurray. “Goons is a love letter to my hometown of New Orleans, and a deeply personal story for me. Producing this film along with Confluential/New Fear Unlocked shows the power of Black storytellers with a collaborative spirit.”
McMurray is known for having directed Burning Sands, The First Purge, and an episode of The Twilight Zone.
Fans of the stop-motion genius Ray Harryhausen will be delighted to hear a free exhibition of some of his work will take place in Sale, Manchester from October 26th.
Developed in partnership with The Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation, The Lost Worlds of Ray Harryhausen exhibition will feature rare and previously un-exhibited pre-production artwork for some of his classic and much- loved films including Clash of the Titans, Jason and the Argonauts, and The 7th Voyage of Sinbad. Artwork ranging from early sketches through to detailed key drawings will show the creative process behind his groundbreaking special effects, containing some of his most iconic creatures and sequences.
Additionally, sketches, key drawings and prototype models for un-realised Harryhausen projects such as The War of the Worlds, Baron Munchausen, People of the Mist, and Force of the Trojans will also be displayed, many of which for the first time. For every project that Ray was able to produce for the cinema going audience, there were several which remained uncompleted and which live on through the incredible collection cared for by the Harryhausen Foundation.
As Connor Heaney Collections Manager from the Ray Harryhausen Foundation explains: “This exhibition presents a unique insight into Ray Harryhausen’s lifetime of imagination and creativity. Featuring artwork which spans his earliest experiments in the 1930s through to the unrealised Story of Odysseus in the late 1990s, this display will demonstrate the true extent of his genius. Fans of cinema will be fascinated to see alternate artwork for some of Ray Harryhausen’s most iconic creations, alongside previously unseen prototype models from the Foundation’s archive. Given the special historic connection between Ray Harryhausen and Cosgrove Hall Productions, Waterside Arts represents the perfect venue to showcase these unique and unseen treasures”.
This exhibition will also feature some of Ray’s work from unseen projects and untold stories that connect his artistry to the North West – a largely unknown connection. In 1996, Manchester-based and internationally acclaimed animation studio, Cosgrove Hall Productions approached Ray for a project inspired by his own work. This became the un-realised The Story of Odysseus (1996-1998) – an ambitious project aimed to create a 75-minute film, followed by 26 episodes, combining traditional stop motion and new technology at the time. This will be the first time audiences will be able to see objects and clips from this unfinished work together, reuniting the Cyclops housed by the Cosgrove Hall Film Archive with other work from the lost production.
Rosy Whittemore, Project Curator, Cosgrove Hall Films Archive comments: “This is a very special exhibition for all of us at Waterside, working collaboratively with The Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation to bring John Walsh’s Lost Movies book to life. I think people will really respond to seeing Harryhausen’s creative process in a new way, how he shaped and built his characters and creatures. Using his untold stories as a springboard, visitors will see rare and more experimental work from the animation legend for the first time in the North West and we are thrilled that we are the current custodians and guardians of such cinematic greatness.”
Trafford Council’s Executive Member for Leisure, Arts, Culture and Heritage, Cllr Catherine Hynes adds; “We are honoured to be hosting this wonderful and unique exhibition at Waterside. This reinforces the importance Trafford Council places on culture for all residents and reflects on our commitment to fostering rich, real and accessible cultural experiences for everyone.”
The Lost Worlds of Ray Harryhausen: Creatures, Martians and Myths runs at The Lauriston Gallery, Waterside, Sale from October 26th, 2024 – January 4th, 2025
One of the hugely popular draws for any film festival is the short film selection. This year’s Pigeon Shrine FrightFest selection is set to be just that. Taking place at the Odeon Luxe West End, the three short film showcases will contain entries from all of the world and will have something for everyone.
This year there are six pre-feature shorts in the Main and Discovery Screens, including the UK Premiere of Bella Thorne’s directorial debut Unsettled, based on a true queer revenge saga. Other pre-feature shorts in the Discovery screens are the UK Premiere of Brea Grant’s murderous millennial drama MLM, with Barbara Crampton, the World Premiere of Thom Newell’s vampiristic Full Moon Glory Hole, the UK Premiere of Zach Parker’s coffee and carnage-filled Barista, the World Premiere of Adam Mason’s Hotline, a chilling homage to the classic ‘70s horror When A Stranger Calls and the UK Premiere of Jackson Stewart’s Stereo-Vision, produced by Tyler MacIntyre.
This year’s three showcase line-ups features a range of International Premieres, including the World Premiere of Open Your Eyes, directed by Samantha Scaffidi, who portrays Victoria Heyes’ in the Terrifier films. Other US highlights are Colin Minihan’s surreal VFX-inspired Trip, animation horror VHX, eye-popping horror rom-com HIDE YOUR CRAZY, the twisted, giallo-inspired Bath Bomb, the atmospheric Shadow from Lebanese American filmmaker Kamell Allaway and Sketch, a creepy, Babadookian romp.
From Germany comes manipulative love story Forever Yours, from France we have the immersive, visually stunning The Cost Of Flesh and Game Over, where words can definitely kill. Finally, from Denmark is FOMO/Armageddon, where family illness and neglect lead to a moving, apocalyptic conclusion.
The UK is represented with twenty-two entries, including the World Premiere of The Awakening, starring Line of Duty actor Daniel Mays. Three returning directors this year are David Yorke, with the World Premiere of Safe, Tony Hipwell, with the World Premiere of Body Worn Video, and John Ferrer, with two entries this year – The Milk Situation and 1 Star Review.
Other highlights are Breakfast, the scariest meal of the day, Deliverance, where fast food can be your salvation, Off Cuts, where fear will eat you, and loneliness kills in Dead Of Night. Then there’s the horror of DIY dentistry in The Vampire Theory, folk horror mockumentary End of Days, stalker chiller Yellowmeads, the sexually charged Skewered, and the wrong late-night spirits are served in Nyctophobia.
Other terror tales include Cakes! where one slice is never enough, the malevolent Unravelling, the delirious, dialogue-free Clubhammer, the poetically subversive The Wedding Veil Of The Proud Princess, surreal fantasy Punch, demonic love-story It’s Really You, the unnerving Road Ahead Closed. And, finally, be careful what you fish for in What A Catch.
1 Star ReviewClubhammerHide Your CrazyThe Vampire TheoryThe Awakening
Here’s the schedule so you can plan ahead!
SUNDAY 25 AUG: MAIN SCREEN – Unsettled (UK Premiere)
Playing before Saint Clare, 6.15pm
Director: Bella Thorne, Cast: Chris Zylka, Chris Santos, Bella Thorne. USA. 2024. 15min.
A young man is drugged and abducted from a gay club, escapes and seeks to bring his tormentors to justice in a deeply conservative Bible Belt Oklahoma
Director: Brea Grant. Cast: Jessika Van, Courtney Pauroso, Barbara Crampton. USA 2024. 18 mins.
When Sarah joins a multi-level marketing company called La La Leggings, she isn’t ready for the horrific consequences of not selling.
FRIDAY 23 AUG: DISCOVERY SCREEN 2 – Full Moon Glory Hole (World Premiere) Playing before Drive Back, 1.10pm
Director: Thom Newel. Cast: Courtney Bandeko, Sam Huntington. USA 2024. 5 mins.
When Francis is beckoned to a glory hole in a dank gas station bathroom, he gets more than he bargained for. Perhaps he should have realized it was a Full Moon!
Director: Adam Mason. Cast: Paris Berelc, Bourke Floyd. US 2024. 8 mins.
A young woman (Paris Berelc) is manning the night shift at a mental health crisis call centre when she starts to get harassed in increasingly terrifying ways by one of her callers. ‘HOTLINE’ is a chilling homage to the classic 70’s horror ‘WHEN A STRANGER CALLS’ by FrightFest alumni Adam Mason and Simon Boyes.
Playing before From Darkness (Saturday, 12.55pm and Sunday, 6.40pm)
Director: Jackson Stewart. Cast: Jocelin Donahue, Jill Schoelen, Matt Betinelli-Olpin, Chad Villella. USA 2024. 12mins.
After her abusive Mom suffers a debilitating stroke, Alexis Barrows finds a mysterious childhood toy that offers a euphoric escape with a hefty price. From Beyond The Gates writer/director Jackson Stewart and produced by Tyler MacIntyre.
FRIDAY 23 AUGUST – SHORT FILM SHOWCASE 1
ODEON LUXE WEST END SCREEN 2 from 15:45
Forever Yours (UK Premiere)
Director: Elliott Louis McKee. Cast: Andrea Ariel, James Tuft, Simone Bucio. GERMANY 2024. 15 min.
Following a devastating accident that leaves the love of her life, Sebastian, paralysed, Valeria becomes his dedicated caretaker, triggering a disturbing obsession.
VHX (World Premiere)
Directors: Alisa Stern, Scott Ampleford. Cast: Erin Natal, Scott Ampleford, Henry Thompson. US 2024. 5 min.
A collection of home movies languish on a shelf, longing to be watched again. Little do they know, there’s a fate far worse than being forgotten.
The Cost of Flesh (UK Premiere)
Director: Tomas Palombi. Cast: Nayla Berrada, Camille Monchy, Baptiste Philippe. FRANCE 2023. 10 min.
Alice is a totally paralysed teenager who can only communicate through the movements of her eyes. Her brother and sister try an obscure method to free her from the evil that hinders her…
Game Over (UK Premiere)
Director: Adrian Cacciola. Cast: Jean-Yves Lissonet, Lynne Verall, Adrian Rawlins (voice). FRANCE 2023. 9 min.
Sunday afternoon is Scrabble Day for an elderly couple. The sunny scene opens with the old man’s hateful inner monologue as he is forced to take part for the umpteenth time. But the game suddenly intensifies when the old man realises that the words being played are becoming reality.
Hide Your Crazy (London Premiere)
Director: Austin Kase. Cast: Amy-Helene Carlson, Will Toussaint. US 2023. 14 min.
A young man’s surprise birthday dinner for his girlfriend is not met with the response he was expecting, leading to the most frightful night of their lives.
Bath Bomb (UK Premiere)
Director: Colin G Cooper. Cast: Anders Yates, Daniel Henkel. US 2023. 10 min.
A possessive doctor prepares a romantic bath for his narcissistic boyfriend, but after an accusation of infidelity, things take a deeply disturbing turn.
Shadow (UK Premiere)
Director: Kamell Allaway. Cast: Katy Wright-Mead, Valentina Gordon, Christy St. John. US 2023. 12 min.
A young mother’s shadow takes on a life of its own, terrorizing her and her daughter over the course of one night.
Sketch (European Premiere)
Director: Joshua David Matthews. Cast: Erin Ownbey, Brett Brooks. US 2024. 5 mins.
A young woman discovers the creature she just sketched is in the bedroom with her.
The world is coming to an end and teenager William is convinced that it is his fault.
Trip (World Premiere)
Director: Colin Minihan. Cast: Amanda Grace Benitez, Levi Meaden, Timothy Kennedy. US 2023. 14 min.
Three friends take a designer drug that lifts an astral veil and introduces them to a mysterious figure named Tom. Whatever you do… don’t look him in the eye.
TOTAL RUN TIME: 105 mins
SUNDAY 25 AUGUST – SHORT FILM SHOWCASE 2
ODEON LUXE WEST END SCREEN 1 from 13:15
Safe (World Premiere)
Director: David Yorke. Cast: Sharon Sibyl Gatt, Joshua Whincup. UK 2023. 2 mins.
All is not as it seems when a young woman battles for her life against a relentless masked killer.
Breakfast (London Premiere)
Director: Shaun Munro. Cast: Shaun Munro. UK 2024. 12 mins.
A day that begins like any other soon enough descends into chaos for one man as a supernatural force terrorises him while he tries to eat his damn breakfast.
A Sikh delivery driver is asked for help by a customer, a Priest.
Off Cuts (World Premiere)
Director: Ben Steiner. Cast: Simon Meacock, Alex Reid, Tim Wilderspin. UK 2024. 4 mins.
It wants your bits.
The Vampire Theory (UK Premiere)
Director: Dominic Grose. Cast: Corinne Strickett, Tom Harden. UK 2023. 12 mins.
Oscar’s teeth have withered. After reading an old medical journal on the slow effects of vampirism, his reclusive mother fears that her sons only salvation is to evolve into something inhuman.
End of Days (London Premiere)
Director: Mimi Templar Gay. Cast: Larry Dean, Michael Crump, Lou Conran. UK 2024. 12 mins.
A folk horror mockumentary following a struggling Pagan cult as they attempt to bring about the end times.
The Milk Situation (European Premiere)
Director: John Ferrer. Cast: Felix Garcia Guyer, James Bradwell, Annabel Brook. UK 2024. 5 mins.
In a world overrun with monsters, Pip and Po’s clean up service is the only thing that stands between good and evil.
Nyctophobia (World Premiere)
Director: Blake Jett. Cast: Abbie May Wilson. UK 2024. 8 mins.
Whilst working the closing shift, a bar tender unintentionally frees a malevolent spirit from its previous containment.
Dead of Night (World Premiere)
Directors: Mikel Iriarte, Jack Downs. Cast: Eryn Tett. UK 2024. 2 mins.
A young woman moves into a new house and is awoken to something going bump in the night.
Open Your Eyes (World Premiere)
Director: Samantha Scaffidi. Cast: Ella Loudon, Daisy Bevan, Ava Loudon – Lee. US 2024. 14 mins.
Haunted by recurring dreams of a sinister hallway and a young girl, Lily does everything she can to stay awake, But the harder she tries the more her paranoia increases.
Yellowmeads (UK Premiere)
Director: Christian Burnett. Cast: Caroline Nield, Adie Mueller, Tina Nya, Darren Stoneham. UK 2024. 9 mins.
On the London council estate of Yellowmeads, Vicky is stalked by an unsettling stranger.
Skewered (London Premiere)
Director: Nick Ray Rutter. Cast: Hanako Footman, Graham Dickson. UK 2023. 17 mins.
Opposing sexual appetites and dietary ethics bring a stagnant relationship to a theatrical and surprising crescendo as a heartfelt revelation confronts the elephant in the room.
Meeting a closed road on his route home, a young man takes a risky turn, only to become hopelessly lost on a maze of backroads, where something sinister lies in wait.
1 Star Review (World Premiere)
Director: John Ferrer. Cast: Charlie Clee, Sarah J Parker, Amelie Leroy. UK 2024. 9 mins.
Chef Michael has a murderous obsession with changing negative reviews to save his restaurant, but a date with his latest critic Elysia makes him question his motives.
Cakes! (London Premiere)
Director: Johnny Herbin. Cast: Rebecca Ritchie-Smith. UK 2024. 2 mins.
A grieving woman follows a singing cake into a magical world within her oven.
Fion tries to care for her chronically ill grandmother, but as her invisible illness begins to physically manifest into a malignant entity, Fiona is forced to confront her worse fears.
What A Catch (UK Premiere)
Director: Thomas Pickering. Cast: Nathan Geering. UK 2024. 5 mins.
On a late-night trip to the lake, a Victorian fisherman’s evening takes a sinister turn.
Clubhammer (World Premiere)
Director: Oscar Simmons. Cast: Robert Rhodes, Elliot Eason. UK 2024. 14 mins.
How much brutality can the bound Muse endure before reaching a breaking point?
The Wedding Veil of the Proud Princess (London Premiere)
The most beautiful princess in the world demands the impossible: to marry a king who conquers all kings.
Body Worn Video (World Premiere)
Director: Tony Hipwell. Cast: Chanelle Alle, Oliver Devoti. UK 2024. 11 mins.
A child abuse call isn’t the best way to end a day, but for officers Cane and Adel, it’s not just their shift that’s about to end …
Punch (World Premiere)
Director: Ross Scott. Cast: Ben Allen, Ryan Marinello, Emily Morus-Jones. UK 2024. 4 mins.
A mountain biker discovers an ancient puppet theatre deep within the forest, and he’s just in time for the show.
It’s Really You (European Premiere)
Director: Rich Rose. Cast: Richard Huw, Aminita Francis, Joseph Adelakun. UK 2024. 15 mins.
A priest arrives at a house to perform an exorcism, unaware that he’s about to be reunited with an old flame…
The Awakening (World Premiere)
Director: Al Campbell. Cast: Daniel Mays. UK 2023. 15 mins.
Mike lives alone in a quiet village. He wakes one morning with muddy feet. Intrigued to know what he’s getting up to in the middle of the night, he sets his phone to record the room next time he goes to bed…
Total Run Time 98 mins
Pigeon Shrine FrightFest 2024 runs from August 22 – 26 at ODEON Luxe Leicester Sq and ODEON Luxe West End.
Xavier Dolan, best known for directing I Killed My Mother, It’s Only the End of the Worldand Tom at the Farm, has revealed that he’s working on a period horror film, set in 1880s France.
The untitled project plans to begin shooting late next year. Xavier Dolan told the podcast Sans Filtre that “it’s something I wrote before the pandemic, and I’m looking at again… it’s a genre film, a horror film, set in 1880s in France.” If the project goes ahead, it will be Dolan’s first feature since Matthias & Maxime, which premiered in Competition at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019.
“It feels removed from my life and what I know but on re-reading it, I understood that it is a film about the fear of failure, the fear of being rejected, of being misunderstood, the difficulty of creating,” Dolan continues, teasing what to expect from his upcoming project.
He adds, “Unconsciously, I’ve returned to the same themes, in a period that I don’t know, but which appeals to me and in a style which appeals to me, but with a completely different proposition. I feel that I can surpass myself, learn and grow with themes that are dear to me but in the horror genre.”
“It’s going to cost a lot. You’ve got the costumes, the lighting,” he said of the production, which he plans to shoot on location in and around the iconic Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy, as well as in the studio.
As promised, the team behind the Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey films continues to expand their “Poohniverse” with Bambi: The Reckoning. A corruptive horror twist on the classic children’s character, Bambi goes the way of Pooh to become a vicious killing machine.
Bambi: The Reckoning is promisingly being described as “Cujo meets Jurassic Park”. In it, “after a mother and son get in a car wreck, they soon become hunted by Bambi, a mutated and grief-stricken deer on a deadly rampage seeking revenge for the death of his mother” The film is aiming for an early 2025 release by ITN Studios and Premiere Entertainment.
Not mincing words, director Dan Allen (who previously helmed 2017’s Unhinged), previews, “It’s gonna be terrifying. When people see a deer in the wild after this film they’re gonna run for the hills. This film is about the death of childhoods as much as it’s gonna ruin childhoods. Expect bloodshed, tears and rabbits… and one mean killer deer. At last, the British countryside will finally get its Godzilla.” Rhys Warrington wrote the script.
The “Twisted Childhood Universe,” dubbed the Poohniverse, will also feature previously announced films Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare and Pinocchio Unstrung, and introduce new characters such as Sleeping Beauty, The Mad Hatter, and Rabbit from Winnie-The-Pooh: Blood and Honey. All of these characters will come together in Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble in 2025 when the childhood heroes-turned-villains join forces to take down the world.
Bloody Disgusting broke the news, and exclusively unveiled the poster for Bambi: The Reckoning.
Following its premiere at FrightFest two years ago, the mockumentary The Once and Future Smash and its companion piece, the ‘lost’ slasher End Zone 2, is now available to stream ahead of its physical release.
The film follows the stars of the American football-based ‘70s cult film End Zone 2 at a signing convention as they hope to grab the role of Smash Mouth in a rumoured reboot. Michael St Michael (The Greasy Strangler) is Mikey Smash and Bill Weeden (Sgt Kabukiman N.Y.P.D.) is William Mouth, while A.J. Cutler takes the role of A.J., Mikey’s assistant. The film’s hilarious premise also features earnest talking head footage of the likes of V.C. Dupree (Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan), Victor Miller (writer of Friday the 13th), Richard Elfman (director of Forbidden Zone) and more.
It’s directed by Sophia Cacciola and Michael J. Epstein (Blood of the Tribades), who won the Best Feature award at the 2019 STARBURST Film Festival for Clickbait. You can watch the documentary as well as the restored version of End Zone 2 (or at least all that remains of it!) below.
The current guest list for this year’s Pigeon Shrine FrightFest has been revealed alongside an extra film that will screen on Friday, August 23rd at 8.30pm
The movie is the new 4K remaster of the classic, much-loved The Hitcher (1986). The cult film is directed by Robert Harmon and stars C. Thomas Howell, Rutger Hauer, Jennnifer Jason Leigh, Jeffrey DeMunn. The screening heralds the 4K UHD release by Studiocanal.
As always, there will be a fabulous array of guests from all over the world attending, including some returning friends of the festival. Director Joanne Mitchell will be there for the opening film Broken Bird alongside cast members Rebecca Calder and James Fleet. Saint Clare director Mitzi Peirone and FrightFest favourite Graham Skipper will be introducing his new movie The Lonely Man with the Ghost Machine, as well as hosting FrightFest’s annual quiz.
Other international directors attending include Joshua Erkman for A Desert, Cutter Hodierne for Cold Wallet, Parker Brennon for Hauntology, Tim Cruz for Ladybug, alongside cast including Anthony Del Negro, Chris Struckman for Selby Oaks, alongside lead actor Camille Sullivan, Elric Kane for The Dead Thing, Loic Tanson for The Last Ashes, Pierre Tsigardis for Traumatika, Mike Capes for The Invisible Raptor, Aurelia Mengin for Scarlet Blue, Rye Levey for Boutique: To Preserve And Collect, J.D Phillips for Cursed In Baja, Arro Stefansson for Delirium, Philip da Silva for From Darkness, Ludvig Gür for In The Name Of God, Buddy Cooper for Mutilator 2, Vivieno Caldinelli for Scared Shitless, Michael Felker for Things Will Be Different, Michael Turney for Video Vision, and David Yohe and Matt Devino for The Daemon. Also, we are pleased that John Farrelly, the director of An Hiabhse (The Ghost), the first Irish Language horror film ever made, will be joining us with the main cast.
Other returning FrightFest alumni are Jake West, who, on its 25th year anniversary, will be hosting a special 4K Restoration screening of Razor Blade Smile, Neil Marshall and Chris Smith, who are contributors for Sarah Appleton and Phillip Escott’s documentary Generation Terror, director Micky Keating for Invader, director Jill Gevargizian for Ghost Game, alongside lead actor Kia Dorsey, and director Brian Hanson for The Bunker, alongside lead actor Chelsea Edmundson.
Homegrown talent will be present in abundance this year. We have director Marc Coleman for Members Club, alongside cast including Steve Oram, director Sean Cronin for Bogieville, alongside cast including Sarah Alexandra Marks, Ayvianna Snow, Andrew Lee Potts, and Sarina Taylor, attending with Queen’s Roger Taylor, director Jon Spiro for The Life And Deaths Of Christopher Lee, alongside Jonathan Rigby, (Lee’s biographer), directors Justin Hardy, Dominic Hardy, and Chris Nunn for Children Of The Wicker Man, director Louisa Warren plus cast for Cinderella’s Curse, director Warren Dudley plus cast for Fright, director Jonathan Zaurin plus cast for Derelict, director and actor Georgia Conlan for Charlotte, with lead actor Dean Kilbey (who also stars in Members Club and Derelict), director Hayden Hewitt with Cara, alongside cast including Johnny Vivash and Laurence R. Harvey, and director Elliott Léon with The Freaks Of Fancy.
The First Blood strand goes from strength to strength and all the helmers will be around, supported by their cast and crews. We have The Monster Beneath Us director Sophie Osbourne, Scopophobia director Alec Owen, Touchdown director Josephine Rose, YEAR 10 director Benjamin Goodger, Protein director Tony Burke and 7 Keys director Joy Wilkinson. Another ‘discovery’ is Damon Rickard, a FrightFest regular turned film director, who will be presenting his debut feature Never Have I Ever.
This year sees the return of the Duke Mitchell team, back to help celebrate the 25th edition of the festival with a film party where guests will lose their sanity in a maelstrom of celluloid-tinged madness. Expect trailers, trains, scary PSEs, delightful discoveries, and, most importantly, utter chaos.
Also, Film Sussex, run by FrightFest stalwart Chris Collier, presents From Figment To Finance, A Case Study, a presentation hosted by film producer Jen Handoff (Prevenge, The Borderlands). This free event will demystify the complexities of film finance through an in-depth case study of an award-winning horror film currently in development.
In an event sure to be hotly debated, Tom Paton, head of FrightFest’s headline sponsor, Pigeon Shrine, will host an open forum entitled AI: For You? Tom will invite a discussion on the future of entertainment production and the role that AI technology will play. This is a free event.
There will also be a closed caption screening of The Last Voyage of the Demeter, courtesy of Lionsgate.
Pigeon Shrine FrightFest takes place from August 22nd to 26th at The Odeon Luxe Leicester Square and The Odeon Luxe West End. For full programme details, head over to http://www.frightfest.co.uk/
Steve Desmond and Michael Sherman, the writing team behind M. Night Shyamalan’s previous thriller Knock at the Cabin, have been tapped to adapt the coming-of-age horror thriller Wilderness Reform. The Paramount Pictures project is based on the novel of the same name, authored by Harrison Query and Matt Query.
Pet Sematary: Bloodlineswriter-director Lindsey Anderson Beer will be producing the feature via her Lab Brew production company, as part of her first-look deal with Paramount. Ground Control’s Scott Glassgold is also aboard as producer.
In the Wilderness Reform novel, thirteen-year-old Ben is sent to a remote reform program for troubled teens by a juvenile court judge. But when he arrives at the camp, located on the edge of the vast wilderness of north-western Montana, he immediately senses that there is something off about the counsellors. Not only that they’re too friendly and upbeat, but that there’s something sinister lurking in the camp.
As he gets to know the boys in his cabin, he soon discovers that they each have far more going for them than whatever crime landed them there. And each has a different critical skill, one that could help them unearth what is really going on in this place—and how to make it out alive. They are inching ever closer to the truth, and the hidden evil beneath the camp’s surface will make itself known in order to deter them.
