FrightFest, also known as Arrow Video FrightFest, is an annual film festival held in London and Glasgow. The festival holds three major events each year: a festival running five days over the UK late August Bank Holiday weekend, a Halloween event held in London in late October, and a festival in Glasgow held around February as part of the Glasgow Film Festival.
The first event was held in London in 2000 and the first Glasgow festival was held in 2006. As its name indicates, FrightFest's primary focus is on the horror film genre. However, the event regularly features documentaries, science fiction and thriller films.
History FrightFest was founded by film producer Paul McEvoy, film distributor Ian Rattray, and journalist and film critic Alan Jones, and television PR specialist Greg Day. Paul McEvoy has stated that his initial idea for FrightFest "came from my love and admiration for the seminal 'Shock Around The Clock' events of the 1980s organised by Stefan Jaworszyn and Alan Jones." The first event was in 2000 held at the Princes Charles cinema in London screening a selection of films over the August bank holiday. In an interview with Starburst magazine, Alan Jones explained:
Poster and logo designs are provided by the artist Graham Humphreys.
Direction FrightFest is directed by Paul McEvoy, Ian Rattray and Alan Jones. In 2006, Greg Day joined the company as a co-director. McEvoy and Jones are heavily involved in the selection process for films and this can involve scouting other film festivals but watching all submissions that are made online.
It is managed by the co-directors and two co-festival managers, and events are coordinated by volunteers. The FrightFest Advisory Board also includes those in the film industry professionals and previous FrightFest staff or volunteers, in voluntary positions.
FrightFest has had a number of different sponsors over the span of its life, including the Horror Channel, Film4, Volkswagen Lupo, Bizarre magazine (of which the August issue was given away free), Xfm, Zone Horror and Play.com.
Festival programme The objective of FrightFest is to "provide the UK with a horror fantasy festival similar to the market leaders in Europe, Sitges (Spain) and Brussels (Belgium)." FrightFest is organised in various strands: +Main FestivalEventNotesFrightFest LondonTakes place over 5 days showcasing horror, sci-fi, thriller and documentary films in August each yearMini-FestivalsFrightFest GlasgowMini-festival event at Glasgow Film Theatre taking place over 3 days in March each yearFrightFest HalloweenMini events that take place over Halloween each year at the ODEON Luxe West End on Leicester Square, LondonOther Events'Terror-thon'A regular two-day screening at the Glasgow Film Festival in February each yearSpecial eventsFrightFest organises a number of special events, and has in the past hosted Dario Argento at the Coronet, HOSTEL Day, An Evening with Jessica Alba and COLD IN JULY with director Jim Mickle
Awards FrightFest does not give out its own awards for the films selected and screened during the festival.
Total Film FrightFest Awards Total Film publish their own awards for the festival, independent of FrightFest. Categories include: Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Monster, Best Death, Best Scare, Best Gore, Best Gross-Out, Best WTF Twist, and Best for Striking Originality.
This is the list of winners for Best Film: +YearFilm 2019Bliss2020A Ghost Waits 2022Next Exit2023Where The Devil Roams 2024A Desert
Past Awards The Screen International partnered with FrightFest from 2016 to 2022 when the festival was sponsored by Arrow Video, and presented The Screen International Rising Star Award to celebrate the work of emerging UK genre talent.
The Screen International Rising Star Award +YearNomineesWinner2016Alice Lowe, Paul Hyett, The Ford Brothers, Kate Shenton and Shaun Robert SmithAlice Lowe for Prevenge2017Tom Paton, Dominic Bridges, Joanne Mitchell, Matthew Holness and Danny MorganDanny Morgan for Double Date2018Kevin Chicken, Aislinn Clarke, Mike Mort, Hannah Arterton, Ella Hunt, Sam Gittins and Marcia Do Vales Ella Hunt for Anna And The Apocalypse 2019Abigail Blackmore, Staten Cousins-Roe, Rebecca Rogers, Jack McHenry and Fredi NwakaAbigail Blackmore for Tales from the Lodge2021Prano Bailey-Bond, Leroy Kincaide, Eric Steele, April Pearson and Najarra TownsendPrano Bailey-Bond for Censor
London Festival Line-ups
The following is a listing of each film and shorts (and previews) shown at the festival each year: +YearLocationFilms shownShort films shownNotes2000Princes Charles Cinema in Soho, LondonLighthouse, Ed Gein, Freeway II: Confessions of a Trickbaby, Dario Argento's The Phantom of the Opera, Christina's House, Scary Movie, Pitch Black, Blood, Guts, Bullets and Octane, Ring 2, Blood, The Criminal, Anatomie, Mario Bava: Maestro of the Macabre, Dario Agento an eye for horror, The 13th Sign, Audition, and Cut.Purgatory and In Memory of Laura2001Princes Charles CinemaThe Bunker, Revelation, Kiss of the Dragon, Cubbyhouse, Sleepless, Scary Movie 2, The Devil's Backbone, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Cradle of Fear, Dust, Brotherhood of the Wolf, Battle Royale, Alone, The Isle, Ginger Snaps, and Jeepers Creepers.The Window and UniversalThe Devil's Backbone received a positive reception, prompting director Guillermo Del Toro to dub the festival "the Woodstock of gore".2002Princes Charles CinemaNine Lives, Frailty, The Princess Blade, Donnie Darko, The Eye, Halloween: Resurrection, One Hour Photo, My Little Eye, Swimfan, Tuno Negro, Dark Water, Spider, The Happiness of the Katakuris, Bloody Mallory, Insomnia, and Ted Bundy. Pissboy, The Circerones and WhackedThe front rows became available to weekend passholders for the first time. Director Danny Boyle screened the first reel of 28 Days Later and Paul W. S. Anderson and producer Jeremy Bolt appeared to show a promo for Resident Evil.2003Prince Charles CinemaOctane, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Beyond Re-Animator, Tattoo, Malefique, Cypher, Jeepers Creepers 2, Charlie's Family, Dracula: Pages from a Virgin's Diary, Phone, The Last Horror Movie, Gozu, Cabin Fever, House of the Dead, Between Your Legs, Fear X, and House of 1000 Corpses.Virus, Suspended and The Last DreamIn attendance were directors Marcus Adams, Eric Valette, Julian Richards, and Rob Zombie.2004Princes Charles CinemaOldboy, Haute Tension, Toolbox Murders, Profondo Rosso, The Tesseract, Romasanta: The Werewolf Hunt, The I Inside, Hellboy, Monster Man, The Card Player, Buppah Rahtree, Code 46, Calvaire, Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning, The Eye 2, One Point 0, The Hillside Strangler, Casshern, The Machinist, and Creep.Rex Steele Nazi Smasher, Oltro Ladrillo En La Pared (Another Brick in the Wall), La Guarida Del Ermitano (In The Hermits Lair), L'Autre (The Other), and Amor So De Mae (Love from Mother Only) Directors and producers who presented at the event included Park Chan-wook, Alexandre Aja and actress Cécile de France, Paco Plaza and Brian Yuzna, John Fawcett and Paula Devonshire, Hamish McAlpine, Brad Anderson, and Christopher Smith and actress Franka Potente. Smith and Potente held a Q&A session after the film. Guillermo del Toro was also present to screen his film Hellboy alongside actors Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, and Rupert Evans, who similarly held a Q&A session after the film.2005Odeon West EndNight of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead, Land of the Dead, A Bittersweet Life, Evil Aliens, Do You Like Hitchcock?, Dead Meat, Ban the Sadist Videos, The Neighbour No. 13, Wild Country, The Collingswood Story, Marebito, Red Eye, Night Watch, Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist, The Roost, 2001 Maniacs, Born to Fight, Day of the Dead 2: Contagium, P, Antikörper, and Wolf Creek.The Eel, The Ten Steps, The Victim and Mrs Davenport's ThroatGregory Nicotero made an appearance and displayed zombie props used in the making of the movies, after which director George A. Romero presented Land of the Dead. Others that presented their films at the festival included Jake West, Conor McMahon, Carl Daft, Samantha Shields and Nicola Muldoon, Ti West, David McGillivray, Paul Spurrier, Christian Alvart, and Greg McLean with Cassandra Magrath and Kestie Morassi. 2006Odeon West EndSeverance, Pan's Labyrinth, The Hound of the Baskervilles, Countess Dracula, Twins of Evil, Hatchet, Frostbiten, Isolation, Earthlings Ugly Bags of Mostly Water, See No Evil, Open Water 2: Adrift, Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror, Broken, The Living and the Dead, Ils, Grimm Love, The Lost, Sheitan, H6: Diary of a Serial Killer, Ghost of Mae Nak, Puritan, Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon, and The Host.Gasoline Blood, In the Place of the Dead, Out of the Darkness, snatching time, Missed Call and Deadly Tantrum. The festival hosted the CUT! competition short film showcase, which was made up of Hammer Falls, Torn Flesh, The Silent Scream, Natural Birthing, A Very Grimm Fairytale, The Collector, Curta Veraso, The Fall Down, Dead Wood, and Kasting.The festival brochure/programme expanded too with an original comic strip (Intermission by John-Paul Kamath of London Horror Comic) and an original short story by author/critic Kim Newman. Dave Andrew composed music for FrightFest, which played between movies and a FrightFest exclusive trailer for Hot Fuzz was presented by Edgar Wright. Guillermo del Toro and Alfonse Cuarón were also present at the festival for the UK premiere of Pan's Labyrinth, which occurred after an afternoon Hammer retrospective. Other presenters at the festival included Adam Green, Billy O'Brien, Jordan Baker, Adam Mason, Simon Rumley, Mark Duffied, Hadi Hajaig, David Soul, and Nick Moran.2007Leicester SquareBlack Sheep, Black Water, Hatchet, The Sword Bearer, The Signal, 1408, Teeth, All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, Shrooms, Fritt Vilt, Joshua, Storm Warning, Wrong Turn 2, Disturbia, The Devil Dared Me To, Jack Ketchum's The Girl Next Door, The Zombie Diaries, Kilometer 31, Spiral, Botched, WΔZ, Postal, Seed, Skinwalkers, and Dnevnoy dozor. Other footage shown at the festival was the screening of extra features from the 28 Weeks Later, Doomsday preview footage, and a Don't fake trailer from Grindhouse.The Bride was screened at the festival and on Saturday the Short Film Showcase was made up of the films We're Ready for you now, Dead @17, The Dear Hunter, Pig Tale, and Little Brats.On the festival's final day FrightFest supported an attempt to break the Zombie Walk record to tie in with the showing of The Zombie Diaries. The walk was unsuccessful in breaking the record, falling short of the then current record held by a zombie walk held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Presenters at the event included Andrew Macdonald, Neil Marshall, Mikael Håfström, Paddy Breathnach, Roar Uthaug, Joe Lynch, Kit Ryan, Chris Stapp and Matt Heath, Jonathan King, Tom Shankland and Clive Bradley, Juan Antonio Bayona and Sergio G. Sánchez, Adam Green, Mike Williamson, and Rigoberto Castañeda. Uwe Boll hosted a double bill with a Q&A session while Adam Green and Alan Jones conducted a live commentary for Hatchet. Reece Shearsmith and other cast and crew previewed footage from their film The Cottage and Emily Booth introduced a grindhouse trailers documentary.