ABOUT FRIGHTFEST

FrightFest first hit the scene in August 2000 and right from the start the festival set out its stall with the World Premiere of Ed Gein and UK premieres of Scary Movie, Pitch Black and Audition.  Then based at the world famous London grindhouse The Prince Charles Cinema, the annual 4-day festival has grown to become, in the words of Time Out, “the premiere event of the year for horror fans”, helping to launch the careers of directors Christopher Smith (Creep, Severance) and Simon Hunter (Mutant Chronicles) plus hosting many first UK screenings including Shaun of the Dead and Eli Roth’s Hostel.

Always held over the August Bank holiday weekend, FrightFest has become a hip alternative to the usual Bank holiday offerings.  The festival attracts predominantly young audiences, many of whom travel from all over the UK to attend.  Over 75% of the films shown have been UK, European or world premieres.  These have included Scary Movie (1 & 2), Donnie Darko, Dark Water.  Insomnia, One Hour Photo, My Little Eye, Battle Royale, Jeepers Creepers, Brotherhood of the Wolf, The Devil’s Backbone, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Cabin Fever, House of a 1000 Corpses, Hellboy, Switchblade Romance, Old Boy, Land of the Dead, 2001 Maniacs, Night Watch and Wolf Creek. 

In 2005, having outgrown it’s spiritual home and attracting sponsors such as Channel 5, Bizarre Magazine, Volkswagen, Activision, The Horror Channel and XFM FrightFest moved to the Odeon West End, where it currently resides.  The festival name was also in demand nationally and FrightFest Presents events have sprung up in Cambridge, Glasgow and Brighton. We also host a Halloween all-nighter at the ICA.

In 2006, the festival was the biggest and most successful yet.  Headline sponsored by Zone Horror, with The Times newspaper on board as a media partner, twenty three films were unspooled in front of sell-out audiences, including the UK premieres of: Pan's Labyrinth, Hatchet, Grimm Love, The Lost, Behind The Mask and The Host.  Guillermo Del Toro was in attendance choosing FrightFest before The London Film Festival for his films UK launch.

In 2007 Film4 came on board as the headline sponsor, signing a two-year deal, gaining the festival even more profile and rising attendances. Over five days seven world, six European and six UK premieres were screened.

Now in its 9th year FrightFest has grown to become one of the genre's most vibrant, credible and recognisable brands, with plans for more nation-wide events, a DVD label and online content services.

About the FrightFest organisers

Thanks to Optimum Home Entertainment we have five copies of FrightFest favorite George A. Romero's latest film Diary Of the Dead to give away. Diary of the Dead will be available to own and rent on DVD and Blu-ray on the 30th of June 2008. To enter click here.
 

Thanks to Universal UK, we have three copies of Untraceable to give away. Untraceable is available to rent and own from the 20th of June. To enter this competition click here.