Ah, Film4. That rather wonderful thing that gives us a bit of cutting edge cinema and then bungs a load of rare delights onto our Freeview boxes in the middle of a weekday afternoon. Gotta love 'em. And they also do the Fright Fest, a London based festival which is now 11 years old. Here's the gen...
Controversy, carnage, cannibalism, cutting-edge chills and a clutch of classy special guests await the thousands of fans who will descend on the Empire Cinema in London’s Leicester Square for the annual Film4 FrightFest, now in its eleventh horrifying year.

FrightFest has a tight grip on your fear…
From Thurs 26 August to Monday 30 August the UK’s top event for horror fans will unveil 36 films in two screens. Empire 1 will house the main event while ‘FrightFest Discovery’ will play in Empire 4. There are a record-breaking fourteen countries represented across five continents and there are nine world premieres and a record twenty UK or European premieres.
This year there are eight British films in the main programme (another record) including MONSTERS, Gareth Edwards’ sensational post-Apocalyptic debut, The Ford Brothers’ Cannes-hyped African Zombie flick THE DEAD and Johannes Roberts F – in which a school gets a lesson in horror! Other home-grown titles are DEAD CERT (East-End gangsters meet Eastern European vampires), ISLE OF DOGS (nasty gangland horror), Paul Andrew Williams’ harrowing CHERRY TREE LANE and werewolf thriller 13HRS. Plus, Jake West will be presenting his in-depth documentary VIDEO NASTIES: MORAL PANIC, CENSORSHIP AND VIDEOTAPE, which will be followed by a Q & A panel discussion.
The Q & A with director Srdjan Spasojevic should be rather lively as FrightFest is screening the UK premiere of his hot button movie, A SERBIAN FILM. Not far behind in the controversy stakes is the unrated remake of I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE, which will receive its European premiere. Other high-voltage shockers include Simon Rumley’s harrowing psycho-sexual drama RED WHITE & BLUE, the taut horror western RED HILL (with ‘True Blood’ star Ryan Kwanten), the visceral pulse-setter PRIMAL, Robert Lieberman’s twisty thriller THE TORTURED, and stylishly sick Aussie pic THE LOVED ONES.
There’s plenty of bodies on the menu in WE ARE WHAT WE ARE, acclaimed at Cannes as “the Mexican ‘Let The Right One In’” and meal-times get the Gallic touch in Franck Richard’s dark debut feature THE PACK. There’s a body-count of a different kind in KABOOM, as the ‘Mysterious Skin’, director Gregg Araki serves up a wildly sexy and surreal experience.
2010 sees the welcome return of high-calibre Asian fare and three to savour are DREAM HOME, (‘Friday 13th’ meets ‘Location, Location, Location’ Hong Kong style), the beguiling BEDEVILLED, from new South Korean kid on the block Jang Cheol-soo and the high-kicking, splatter-fest, ALIEN VS NINJA.
This year, in partnership with Total Film Magazine, the festival celebrates the career of a living legend – our first ‘Total Icon’ - TOBE HOOPER. As well as showing Hooper’s 1974 masterpiece THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE we will be unveiling his rarely seen, restored and re-mastered 1969 debut EGGSHELLS. In the UK for the first time in 18 years, Hooper will be interviewed on stage by Jamie Graham, deputy editor of Total Film Magazine.
As previously announced Adam Green’s HATCHET II will open the festival and Daniel Stamm’s THE LAST EXORCISM will bring the curtain down. Adam will be attending alongside the main cast – Danielle Harris, Kane Hodder & Tony Todd. Daniel will be attending, alongside producer Eli Roth, Other directors & talent currently confirmed to attend include: Simon Rumley, Johannes Roberts, Gareth Edwards, Tammi Sutton, Jake West, Joe Lynch, Howard T Ford, David Blyth, Srdjan Spasojevic, Paul Andrew Williams, Andy Nyman, Barbara Nedeljakova, Craig Fairbrass, Steven Berkoff, Martin Kemp, Gary Kemp, Isabella Calthorpe, Gemma Atkinson, James Nesbitt, Karen Gillan, Billy Murray, Bruno Forzani & Helene Cattet.
FrightFest Discovery is back by popular demand, where nine new films will be screening including the European premiere of controversial Kiwi-shocker WOUND, directed by David Blyth. There are also UK premieres for serial-killer-themed CHRISTOPHER ROTH directed by ‘Switchblade Romance’ cinematographer Maxime Alexandre, supernatural cult shocker FINALE and OUTCAST, a gripping nomadic tale starring James Nesbitt. There is also the chance to see the artful masterpiece AMER - especially selected for those who were unable to see it at FrightFest Glasgow earlier this year.
Finally, welcome to ANDY NYMAN’S QUIZ FROM HELL, hosted by DEAD SET & GHOST STORIES actor Andy Nyman. This is a chance to pit your wits in a mind-bending and inter-active test of horror knowledge. But if that doesn’t appeal, don’t worry. There’s plenty else going on - special guest appearances, Q & A’s, sneak previews, an international short film showcase (to be announced shortly), signings, competition prizes and give-aways – all of which goes to make up the unique experience that fans across the world have come and made their own.
Alan Jones, joint director of FrightFest comments: "The Film4 FrightFest line-up this year is stronger, pioneering and more relevant to our core followers than ever before. With the Hollywood mindset focused on safe bets and creative bankruptcy, we've gone back to the roots of what true horror fantasy should be about - exploring daring ideas with innovation using new conjugations of shock from new exciting talent. There's something for everyone in Film4 FrightFest 2010, if you dare to look".
Julia Wrigley, Head of Film4 Channel, said: “We are delighted to once again be the headline sponsor, and we are also looking forward to our ‘FrightFest’ season on the channel, with a great line-up of past festival favourites, genre classics and premieres”.
To book tickets call 08 714 714 714 or go online to: www.empirecinemas.co.uk
Festival passes: £150 Day Passes: From £24-£50 Single tickets: £11
For full programme & timetable log onto www.frightfest.co.uk
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