Ready, Steady, Gore….
It is with great pride that Film4 FrightFest announces its opening and closing film attractions to bookend five shock-packed days of the highest impact blunt force screen trauma.
The UK’s biggest, best and most renowned genre festival is now a globally recognised brand and its sixteenth year sees yet another enhancement of its core mission to bring the finest in home-grown and international fear to the dark heart of London’s West End at the Vue, Leicester Square, between August 27th – 31st.
Opening Film4 FrightFest is the European Premiere of David Keating’s CHERRY TREE, starring Anna Walton (HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY, SOULMATE), Sam Hazeldine (’71, ‘Peaky Blinders’) and Naomi Battrick (‘Waterloo Road’). Keating directed the acclaimed WAKE WOOD for the revamped Hammer label, and here offers another blood-freezing rural nightmare that’s a provocative and compelling twist on the pagan cult chiller.
We have never opened with an Irish production before. So we figured it was about time to put a sharp focus on all the sterling work the Irish Film Board has done to promote the genre. Over the years we have premiered DEAD MEAT, ISOLATION, DOROTHY MILLS, DARK TOUCH and THE CANAL, and CHERRY TREE follows in their fine tradition offering storytelling excellence, great production values and terrific casting, slathered with that appealing Emerald Isle quirkiness.
Closing Film4 FrightFest is the European premiere of the stunning anthology TALES OF HALLOWEEN, an unbelievably thrill-packed ode to the spooky season by a tight-knit collective of popular horror filmmakers. Not only is this celebration of the treasured October holiday a terrific homage to such beloved classics as Dr. TERRORS HOUSE OF HORRORS and TORTURE GARDEN, it also represents a potted history of FrightFest’s shining heritage due to much of the talent involved both on screen and behind it being our special guests over the past sixteen years.
Sit back and let directors Neil Marshall (THE DESCENT), Darren Lynn Bousman (REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA), Axelle Carolyn (SOULMATE), Adam Gierasch (AUTOPSY, NIGHT OF THE DEMONS), Lucky McKee (THE WOMAN), Dave Parker (THE HILLS RUN RED), Paul Solet (GRACE), Mike Mendez, Andrew Kasch, Ryan Schifrin and John Skipp unleash a host of ghouls, imps, aliens, goblins, demons, axe murders and serial killers on the witching hour. With each segment also starring an eclectic mix of prior guests including John Landis, Pollyanna McIntosh, Marc Senter and Kristina Klebe, this collection of ten tales of terror from the scream of the crop is an experience no discerning horror fan will want to miss.
It’s all treats, no tricks, at this year’s Film4 FrightFest as you will find out on July 2nd when we announce our entire exciting line-up with more extra special events, even more panel discussions, an expansion of our hugely popular Discovery strand and an increased retrospective section.
Film4 FrightFest where genre cinema is everything and the Vue Cinema its vibrant nerve centre.
Graham explains his inspiration: “While I was looking for a theme for this year's poster, I ran with the idea of Magic. At a recent visit to the incredible Cinema Museum in Kennington (one of my favourite haunts) I was admiring their extensive collection, among which I noticed a number of Victorian 'Magic Lanterns'.
This formed the basis if my concept, the idea of magical projection through one of these exotic devices. Running with the theme, I took the application of Aleister Crowley's 'Magik' rituals and placed our regular FrightFest monster posed in the distinctive manner of one of the best known photographs of 'The Beast'.
Using the projection device, a legion of demons is unleashed, surround by magical symbols. They - just as we will - are enjoying the shared spectacle generated by the satanic lamp."
This year’s event takes place at the Vue Cinema, Leicester Sq between Thurs Aug 27 & Mon Aug 31.
Click here to find out more...
FrightFest the UK’s leading horror fantasy film festival and Icon Film Distribution (IFD) have entered into an exclusive partnership that will see IFD releasing FrightFest curated films under the banner ‘FrightFest Presents’.
In a move to expand the respected brand nationwide, select FrightFest endorsed films will be made available across the UK and Ireland via IFD’s digital partners (including Sky, iTunes, Amazon, Blinkbox, Film4OD, VirginMovies, TalkTalk, Google, Volta, and Eircom) giving film fans instant access to some of their favourite FrightFest titles. Each release will have the collective backing of IFD and FrightFest across marketing, PR and social channels. The partnership deal was negotiated by Zak Brilliant, Head of Theatrical, and Sophie Wong, TV and Digital Sales Manager, for Icon, and Greg Day and Ian Rattray, Directors of FrightFest.
Paul McEvoy, Co-Director of FrightFest says, “In expanding the FrightFest brand we are opening up new audiences for horror and fantasy, a genre which already has a clear, devoted and almost fanatical fan base. With Icon as our partner and using their distribution channels, we are looking forward to talking to producers and sales companies about how FrightFest can get their films to more film fans.”
Ian Dawson, Icon Film Distribution CEO says, “Icon has always had a strong relationship with the FrightFest team, never more so than over the past 12 months when they, and their supporters, have been an integral part of our launches for The Guest, The Babadook and It Follows. We have long admired their commitment to genre and the loyal community they have built up over the years. This partnership offers a great opportunity to work together behind new and exciting content, taking it to the widest possible audience, making their community a whole lot bigger.”
Since FrightFest was set up 15 years ago, it has grown in size and stature, and today is internationally renowned for discovering exciting and original horror fantasy genre films. Last August, the festival screened 74 of the best horror films from around the world to UK audiences, with many world and European premieres. Over the years the festival directors, Greg Day, Alan Jones, Paul McEvoy and Ian Rattray, have also brought masters of the genre to the festival including Guillermo del Toro, George Romero, Dario Argento and Sam Raimi. FrightFest has developed into a brand leader for horror film, expanding its footprint in the UK by hosting special strands at other festivals to great success, such as the established three-day event at the Glasgow Film Festival.
IFD has a longstanding track record in releasing genre films, from breakout hit PARANORMAL ACTIVITY which grossed a phenomenal £10 million at the UK box office to the cult vampire thriller 30 DAYS OF NIGHT, as well as re-issues of classic Hammer titles including DRACULA and THE MUMMY. Most recently, IFD released the critical and box office hit IT FOLLOWS as well as THE BABADOOK, Jennifer Kent’s psychological horror story, which burst out of FrightFest’s August festival to become one of the most talked about horrors of 2014.
Select titles for the joint venture will be announced over the coming weeks.
UPDATE - 4th June - The announcement of the full FILM4 FrightFest 2015 will now be on July 3rd at 2pm.
Dates for FrightFest 2015 in London have been confirmed for Thursday 27th to Monday 31st August 2015. The VUE, West End, Leicester Square has been confirmed for a second year, with the addition of a sixth screen, so more films and events.
The headline films for this event will be announced in mid-June, with the full programme on Thursday 2nd. Festival and day passes will be available on Saturday, July 4th with single tickets two weeks later.
A festival pass this year will cost £185. Day passes are Thursday - £30, Friday and Saturday £60, Sunday and Monday £50 and will only be available online.
Single tickets this year will be £13.25.
Festival and day pass sales will commence on July 4 at Noon and will only be available online. Single tickets will go on sale on July 18 through the VUE website, call centre and at the cinema for personal callers.
