29th August 2008.

Well, I’ve just about recovered from the Film4 FrightFest weekend, which seems to go faster and in more of an organizational blur each year. I was exhausted on Monday evening and can only salute those who made it to the Phoenix and stayed until being booted out. How do you do it? Yes, we did have our inter-organizational fights. I’ve now come to terms with the fact that the opening night will always be a stress release explosion after months of intricate planning. And the Goodie Bag hand out situation still isn’t quite right. Honestly, it takes ages stuffing those things! But apart from the FROM WITHIN delay I felt everything else was pretty seamless.

The highlight for me had to be becoming re-acquainted with MARTYRS director Pascal Laugier. I had no idea we had met before when we worked on our mutual friend Christophe Gans’ BROTHEROOD OF THE WOLF. His film played very much as we expected, it is a love or loathe it experience, but I hope you’ll all understand why we had to show it. It was no hype on my part either – two people did walk out (I’d name them but don’t feel that’s fair), and I did push them back into the cinema to watch the ending, and someone was ill in the toilet. I’ll be seeing Pascal again in Sitges in October but I know our screening was an important moment for him. And I’m thrilled to be one of the few to know the real secret of MARTYRS. I’ve sworn to never reveal it.

What about Adam Green and Joe Lynch’s fantastic shorts? We really had no idea how wonderfully scripted and directed or affectionate and funny these special FrightFest valentines would turn out. I’ve already written to our favourite Douche Brothers to tell them they went beyond the call of all friendship duty making those wise and witty gems. They are trying to clear certain rights so a wider audience can enjoy them too. It turned out that as we were showing the final one, both were experiencing terrible turbulence on their flight back to LA. They actually thought they might crash and die and had helmed their own fateful epitaphs! Happily that didn’t happen, they are both safe and well. But I think Adam nearly throttled Joe for mentioning that self-fulfilling prophecy mantra in mid-air.

I was pleased AUTOPSY played so well even though director Adam Gierasch was a mass of neurotic energy for 24 hours beforehand. Jace Anderson must have the patience of a saint is all I can say although I do love both very much. MANHUNT director Patrik Syverson was a sweetheart too. After nine years of FrightFest now I’ve realised there are two types of directors. There are the ones like THE DISAPPEARED’s Johnny Kervorkian and MUM & DAD’s Steven Sheil who will watch their film with the audience in research interest. Then there are the others who nervously pace up and down outside the cinema in total panic over any adverse reaction. While Patrik was definitely in the latter camp, he did it with self-deprecating good humour.

LET THE RIGHT ONE IN author and scriptwriter John Ajvide Lindquist was quite something also. He admitted he knew nothing about the genre (the reason the film works I think because he wasn’t vampire convention bound) and wanted to watch as many movies as he could so he could learn. He was one of the many moved by MARTYRS, another reason to like him a great deal. He was very pleased his film became a frontrunner FrightFest favourite.

I was particularly delighted Frank Henenlotter made his first ever trip to the UK for us. I’ve known Frank ever since I covered BRAIN DAMAGE on location and we spent time together at the legendary Dylan Dog Festival in Milan. Those were the days; the audience didn’t have to pay for tickets (if only) and guests had all expenses taken care of. Tax evasion on behalf of the Dylan Dog publishers ended this cushy number, but Frank and I did stay in touch. I had no idea about his health problems until he revealed them on stage. I think that has changed his attitude towards travel outside New York and, in fact, he visited Stonehenge (a childhood dream) during his stay with us. And when he met Norman J. Warren, you couldn’t tear them apart.

The Odeon were well satisfied with us too. The bar took more money than the weekend gross of MAMMA MIA! apparently. It’s a shame the place will be torn down soon. Manager Chris Hilton still doesn’t know when that will be exactly but we couldn’t leave it to chance for our important 10th anniversary. Going to the Empire is a major challenge we know that. It’s double the capacity of the Odeon. But it’s actually one we are looking forward to because it represents another new level for FrightFest. We will never forget what makes FrightFest the unique event it is, but we feel the Empire move will give us the opportunity to expand the community in truly exciting new ways. We know you’ll be there every step of the way. For without your support throughout the years we wouldn’t be the globally recognised brand that you, studios, distributors and filmmakers appreciate in a wider context than we ever expected.

Onwards and upwards it is.

Until next time…