Spawned by Paul McEvoy, Ian Rattray and renowned U.K. critic Alan Jones, who continues to spearhead its curation, London’s FrightFest came onto the scene to compete with market frontrunners in Europe, Sitges and Brussels. Today, it’s “the premiere U.K. festival for genre cinema,” declares a panelist, who emphasizes that “inclusion in the program can help to secure a U.K. release.” Now-timeless modern classics like Neil Marshall’s The Descent (2005) were first discovered at FrightFest, and Guillermo del Toro dubbed it “The Woodstock of Gore” when he took Pan’s Labyrinth there for its first post-Cannes screening in 2006. Beyond its main event, FrightFest is also an event-heavy three-ring circus of sorts: A three-day Scottish mini-festival (part of the Glasgow Film Festival each February), a five-day, 60-plus film buffet each August in Leicester Square of London’s West End, and a Halloween bash with the largest screen in London’s Empire Haymarket Cinema reserved each October, the thrills and chills barely stop before they start right back up again.
Horror Channel FrightFest 2017 invades Cineworld Leicester Square, London. (Cue religious outrage.) Photograph by Julie Edwards
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Loved reading this, especially seeing Roger Corman, Larry Cohen(THE STUFF), Michael Moriarty(Q THE WINGED SERPENT), Adrienne Barbeau(ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK) and more recognizable memorable greats in film. Thanks for sharing!
Who knew there are so many fests dedicated to horror. Excited to have these in my conscious reservoir to keep up with their output in the future.
I felt it could have had more members to the panel more diversity of people who head to the larger fests as well as the rest. Of course there will be interweaving festivals but this list primarily focuses on larger ones but does not include many of the fests who r in the mid part of the US among other things.
Don't get me wrong, I'm Not putting down what this article is and contains. For me, it's not a piece that shows festivals that are on the rise or in the tier below many of these. Have nothing but respect for panel and the writer. No doubt more incarnations to come ... ;)
Missing Nightmares FILM FEST!!!
Solid list, but missing the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival is a huuuuge oversight. One of the best genre film festivals in Europe since 1983! One of the few festivals I've been to worldwide that truly has unique, internal festival culture. Really fosters a sense of community.
Other stuff worth mentioning includes:
Shockproof (Prague)
Next Fest (Los Angeles)
PUFF (Philadelphia)
Telluride Horror Show (Telluride, Colorado)
I feel like this is not a complete list of the best genre fests! some of these are all genre fest with a horror event thrown in. What about my favorite one Shriekfest? I've been submitting and involved with that fest for years now and they treat everyone great! The fest director is the best I've ever met!