Anna And The Apocalypse

Grimmfest is Manchester’s signature celebration of Horror, Cult and Fantastic Film and this year is celebrating its tenth anniversary with an extra-special array of screenings, premieres and star attendees, all coming to the ODEON Great Northern this 4-7 October.

2018 marks the biggest ever selection of European, UK and Regional film premieres too.

In homage to the festival’s roots as a celebration which has developed in the North, Grimmfest 2018 will also include a special North-West programme, featuring three new shorts. After all, the festival was originally known as ‘Grimm Up North’, in eerie acknowledgement of its location.

Another homage to the Grimmfest’s beginnings is a retrospective screening of Festival Directors Simeon Halligan and Rachel Richardson-Jones's debut feature SPLINTERED which has been fully remastered and will be presented in a razor-sharp new cut.

This celebration of North-West talent will also feature a family-friendly screening of CBBC and DHX’s horror anthology CREEPED OUT, along with guest appearances from co-creators and showrunners Bede Blake and Robert Butler.

Dead Night

Then there is the main body of the festival, with plenty of freakish film fun. A key highlight is RE-ANIMATOR which will be introduced by Grimmfest’s special star guest Barbara Crampton.  The legendary actress will also be in attendance for two brand new films making their regional debuts: PUPPET MASTER: THE LITTLEST REICH and DEAD NIGHT. Barbara will furthermore be receiving the first Grimmfest Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by Horror Channel.

As well as numerous industry icons coming to Grimmfest, 2018’s event is also showcasing the work of plenty of festival first-timers; so expect cutting-edge and exciting content.  This includes the European premieres of Daniel Robbins' PLEDGE and Olivier Afonso’s GIRLS WITH BALLS. Also screening are UK Premieres of the darkly humorous BROTHERS’ NEST from Australia's Clayton Jacobson, the gruesome FRAMED from Spain's Marc Martínez Jordán and Lin Oeding's OFFICE UPRISING.

Girls with Balls

The line-up also features a range of regional Premieres, including the Northern Premieres of Jon Knautz's unsettling THE CLEANING LADY, Andy Mitton's THE WITCH IN THE WINDOW, Aislinn Clarke's chilling THE DEVIL'S DOORWAY, and TIGERS ARE NOT AFRAID from Issa López.

 Also screening are the Greater Manchester Premieres of Nicolas Pesce's discomforting anti-Rom-Com PIERCING and Bradford Baruh's DEAD NIGHT, the latter which stars Barbara Crampton herself.

Grimmfest 2018 is furthermore welcoming back a number of filmmakers who have been a big part of the festival over the past decade. Rob Grant (FAKE BLOOD, MON AMI) presents the UK Premiere of the much-anticipated ALIVE, whilst Johnny Kevorkian (whose THE DISAPPEARED screened at the very first festival) now returns with the Northern Premiere of sci-fi horror AWAIT FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. There's also the UK Premiere of Gothic noir I'LL TAKE YOUR DEAD from Chad Archibald (ANTISOCIAL) and the Northern Premiere of SUMMER OF '84.

Satan's Slaves

Other highlights include an unnerving reimagining of cult film SATAN'S SLAVES from Joko Anwar, as well as the World Premiere of a new short film MYSTERY BOX from Sonny Laguna and Tommy Wiklund.

There are a number of Grimmfest favourites coming back with new work, it seems. For example, Alejandro Brugués, director of JUAN OF THE DEAD, joins Joe Dante, Mick Garris, Ryûhei Kitamura and David Slade for the much-anticipated NIGHTMARE CINEMA, which is another UK Premiere. Lora Burke, powerhouse star of POOR AGNES also returns in the Greater Manchester Premiere of Justin McConnell's LIFECHANGER.

And to add to the series of screenings, is a generous glut of short film programmes, with an especial focus on female talent this year. For example, director Faye Jackson returns to the festival with her new short THE WOMAN WHO HID HER FEAR UNDER THE STAIRS.

Anna And The Apocalypse

There’s also some seriously unique content, as the Greater Manchester Premiere of zombie high school musical extravaganza ANNA AND THE APOCALYPSE comes to Grimmfest – so expect to be thrilled.  

All selected films are in the running for the GRIMMFEST AWARDS, which were previously announced on HAUNT. In this exciting announcement Grimmfest revealed that it would be partnering up with film financing group BCL to offer £40,000 worth of post-production services to each of the winners of the BEST FILM and BEST DIRECTOR awards categories.

Grimmfest’s 10th edition will take place from the 4th to the 7th October at the ODEON Manchester Great Northern, with a Preview Night taking place on 1st October at the Plaza Cinema, Stockport.

The full line-up can be accessed now via grimmfest.com, where full festival passes, day passes and individual film tickets are available.