The mentors and participants from the inaugural New Blood event in 2017.

Submitted the inaugural year of New Blood in 2017, BROADCAST SIGNAL INTRUSION was written by British writers Phil Drinkwater and Tim Woodall and purchased by Queensbury Pictures to finance and produce. Directed by Jacob Gentry (THE SIGNAL, SYNCHRONICITY) the finished film had its World Premiere at 2021’s SXSW Film Festival in Texas and will come home to Frightfest for its European Premiere on Friday 27th August.  

Submitted for 2019’s New Blood, THE CHANGE, a bold and outrageous tale of female empowerment and modern day occult, was written by Carina Rodney and was optioned for production by PREVENGE and THE BORDERLANDS producer Jennifer Handorf, one of that year’s exemplary New Blood mentors. 

It could be your screenplay next.  Successful shortlisted applicants will workshop their ideas in a group setting under the guidance of top industry professionals and genre experts. Among this year’s panel are 2021 Variety Magazine 'Director to Watch', recipient Prano Bailey-Bond and acclaimed writer/director of CENSOR, Jed Shepherd, co-writer of 2020’s genre sensation HOST and Rob Savage’s upcoming secret Blumhouse project, Najarra Townsend, actress and producer, THE STYLIST and Queensbury Pictures’ Giles Edwards.   

Giles Edwards of Queensbury Pictures said, “Having already achieved the initial aim of New Blood, with the discovery of two phenomenal scripts, Tim and Phil’s BROADCAST SIGNAL INTRUSION and Carina’s THE CHANGE, we’re more adamant than ever that the cream of UK genre writing talent is out there, just waiting for the opportunity to wrench our collective gut with their visions of true terror.” 

Greg Day, co-director of FrightFest added, “For FrightFest to help and enable aspiring scriptwriters have this opportunity is very gratifying, especially as Giles and Queensbury Pictures have proved that they really mean business and are not just playing industry lip-service.” 

The New Blood networking and workshop event will be held at on Thursday 26th August, the opening day of this year’s festival, in a Central London venue.” 

Now read the T&Cs HERE