FrightFest, the UK’s No.1 horror & fantasy film event, is back at the renowned Glasgow Film Festival for its 20th year, running from Thurs 6 March to Sat 8 March 2025.Be prepared for mayhem, menace and monstrosity as this year’s FrightFest
The three-day event, housed at the iconic Glasgow Film Theatre, presents a curated programme of new features and shorts which showcases the vibrant mix of talented filmmakers currently bursting onto the genre scene. The programme includes four world premiere features, while the short film showcase highlights filmmakers exclusively from the UK and Ireland, including two from Scotland.
FrightFest co-director Alan Jones said: “There has never been a better time to be a fan of the horror, fantasy and science fiction genre and FrightFest, the UK’s biggest and most influential event, plays its vital part in spreading the communal message. This includes our residency at the Glasgow Film Festival, where the FrightFest audience is vibrant, welcoming and eager to embrace the dark unknown, and we absolutely love being a strand of such a truly interactive experience with the art of film”.
PSYCHE
FrightFest kicks off in mind-bending style with a special screening of PSYCHE, directed by Stephon Stewart (Bigfoot County). This thought-provoking sci-fi thriller boasts a riveting performance by Sarah Ritter, as Mara, who, with the aid of a vintage 1980s computer, embarks on a surreal journey where nothing is as it seems. Stephen will be attending the screening.
FrightFest’s traditional two-day pass event kicks off on Friday 7 March with the UK premiere of HOUSE OF ASHES, Izzy Lee’s highly anticipated feature debut – an unpredictable and wonderfully deranged ghost story, complete with thought-provoking gender commentary and Joe Lynch as a nosy jogger. Izzy Lee, lead actress Fanya Sanchez and writer / producer Steve Johanson will host the screening.
HOUSE OF ASHES
This is followed by the UK premiere of THE LAST SACRIFICE, an incredible documentary by filmmaker Rupert Russell, framed as an unsettling true-crime investigation that probes into the eerie, enigmatic cultural undercurrents that shaped the 1970s folk horror genre. Rupert will be joining us.
THE LAST SACRIFICE
Next is the World premiere of David Luke Rees’s sinister UK-set horror BY THE THROAT, starring Sex Education's Patricia Allison and Bridgerton star Rupert Young.
BY THE THROAT
The main evening presentation is from the team that brought FrightFest Glasgow audiences one of the hits of 2019 – Here Comes Hell. Director Jack McHenry once again delivers gross-out gore and wacky period story-telling with THE DOOM BUSTERS, “where Dad’s Army meets Predator”. Jack and cast will be present.
THE DOOM BUSTERS
Friday evening climaxes with the UK premiere of Oscar-nominated filmmaker Pedro Kos’ feature debut IN OUR BLOOD, which masterfully blends psychological mystery with chilling horror, weaving a twisted tale of reconciling with the ghosts of our past and confronting the complicity we share in creating a world preying on the most vulnerable.
A MOTHER’S EMBRACE
Saturday’s monstrous menu starts with the UK premiere of Brazilian supernatural horror A MOTHER’S EMBRACE. Set in 1996, during one of the biggest storms to ever hit Rio de Janeiro, Cristian Ponce’s masterful, rain-soaked occult thriller sees lead actress Marjorie Estiano in brilliant form.
AN AMERICAN BACKYARD
For the first time in Glasgow, FrightFest presents its renowned SHORT FILM SHOWCASE, strand, which shines the spotlight on home-grown talent, unleashing the creative imaginations of seven up-and-coming directors from the UK and Ireland. All the directors and various cast will be at the event to introduce their films.
HEARTS OF DARKNESS: THE MAKING OF THE FINAL FRIDAY
Served up next is the World premiere of HEARTS OF DARKNESS: THE MAKING OF THE FINAL FRIDAY. In this probing documentary director Adam Marcus (helmer of the FrightFest Glasgow 2018 attraction Secret Santa) takes you behind the scenes for a never-before-seen look at the controversial ninth episode in the iconic series. Adam and director Michael Flesher will be attending.
The evening programme opens with the UK premiere THE AMERICAN BACKYARD, helmed by Italian filmmaker Pupi Avati, director of the giallo masterpiece The House with Laughing Windows. Here, the cult shocker returns to his gothic thriller roots with a tale of absolute fear, which co-stars Rita Tushingham.
This is followed by the International premiere of Paul Boyd’s supernatural comedy horror SCARED TO DEATH, which stars Lin Shaye and Bill Moseley. A chaotic film crew conducting a séance in an abandoned children’s orphanage. What could possibly go wrong?
RUMPLESTILTSKIN
The event climaxes with RUMPLESTILTSKIN, an eerie folk-horror adaptation, written and directed by Andy Edwards, which plunges audiences into the dark underbelly of the Brothers Grimm universe. Andy will be joining us alongside leading cast Hannah Baxter-Eve and Joss Carter, who plays Rumpelstiltskin.
Ticket information.
FrightFest Passes are £88 and available from 10am on Friday 17 January 2025. Passes will be exchanged for admission wristbands, which must be worn at all times to access all FrightFest films on Friday 7 March and Saturday 8 March ONLY.
Tickets for PSYCHE, plus individual tickets for the Friday and Saturday films are on sale to GFT Cinecard holders on Thursday 23 January from 10am. General sale starts on Monday 27 January at 10am.
Prices: £12.00 / £9.50 (concessions).
How to get Tickets:
Individual Films - https://www.glasgowfilm.org and search by title or date
By Phone: (0141) 332 6535, extension 2 (please leave a voicemail if we are unable to answer your call)
In Person: Glasgow Film Theatre Box Office, 12 Rose Street, Glasgow G3 6RB.
Please note that all films contain graphic scenes of strong violence and sustained threat.
Programme details
THURS 6 MARCH – GFT Screen 1
20:55 PSYCHE (Scottish Premiere)
Director Stephon Stewart. Cast Sarah Ritter, Eva Ariel Binder, Rodrigo Varandas, Danielle Cichon USA 2024 1h11m N/C 18+ Thanks to Red Owl Films
Trapped in limbo during a near-death experience, Mara and a vintage 1980s computer she finds buried in the sands of time form an alliance to figure out the meaning of life from discarded memories of friends, family and fantasy. Together, they navigate through a dystopian world of surreal, broken realities deciphering cryptic clues and puzzles laid out before them, causing Mara to embark on a profound quest of self-discovery and redemption. Contains: Science Fiction threat, peril, strobing.
FRIDAY 7 MARCH – GFT Screen 1
13.00 HOUSE OF ASHES (UK Premiere)
Director Izzy Lee. Cast Fayna Sanchez, Vincent Stalba, Mason Conrad, Joe Lynch. USA 2024 1h35m N/C 18+ Thanks to Nihil Noctem Films
Imagine being jailed for a common occurrence beyond your control, something that your body decides for you? In the USA, this could happen to you if you have a uterus, depending on where you live. The terrifying rise of the treatment of women is the socio-political backdrop for this cautionary tale where Mia is under house arrest but must also contend with the suspicious death of her husband. Mia experiences strange phenomena that could be man made or supernatural. Or both? One thing is quite clear — Mia is in danger and cannot leave her home.
Contains: Blood, suicide themes, traumatic scenes, profanity, miscarriage.
15:30 THE LAST SACRIFICE (UK Premiere)
Director Rupert Russell. Cast Geraldine Beskin, Gavin Bone, Janet Farrar, Adam Godley. UK 2024 1h30m N/C 18+ Thanks to Anti-Worlds
Did you know the real-life 1945 witchcraft killing of Charles Walton was the terrifying event that inspired the classic shocker The Wicker Man? From filmmaker Rupert Russell comes an incredible documentary looking into the dark heart of Britain and finding a country in a deep and frightening identity crisis – with an almost national descent into madness reflected in the strand of cinema it produces. A brave, new exploration of how events within society can become mirrors of the times they occur in.
Contains: Blasphemous images, witchcraft, nudity, violence.
18:15 BY THE THROAT (World Premiere)
Director David Luke Rees. Cast Patricia Allison Jeany Spark, Rupert Young, Matt Cottle. UK 2025 1h18m N/C 18+ Thanks to SC Films International
Trying to get over a deeply distressing attack that ended in fatality, Lizzy Roberts agrees to act as a carer-cum-housekeeper for Amy and Alex Cummings at their remote country home. But with Alex on a business trip, and Amy still clearly traumatised by the accidental death of their only child, Lizzy finds her new job not quite as straightforward as she’d hoped, especially when she starts having nightmares and finds that normality is being twisted by evil forces.
Contains: Constant threat, bloody violence, psychological trauma and blasphemy.
20:30 THE DOOM BUSTERS (World Premiere)
Director Jack Lawrence McHenry. Cast Tom Bailey, Margaret Clunie, Timothy Renouf, Jessica Webber UK 2025 1h20m N/C 18+ Thanks to Trashhouse Production
1940. Britain prepares for the coming invasion. But for men like Arthur Roundtree, serving in the Home Guard, the war is a dull affair. However, that all changes when an extra-terrestrial creature crashes on the outskirts of their village, turning a training exercise into a deadly game of cat and mouse. Soon, Arthur and his companions realise they are not only fighting for their lives but fighting to save the entire Galaxy!
Contains: Violence, drugs, swastikas, firearms, profanity, strobing images.
22:45 IN OUR BLOOD (UK Premiere)
Director Pedro Kos. Cast Brittany O'Grady, E. J. BonillaKey, Alanna Ubach, Krisha Fairchild. USA 2024. 1h28m N/C 18+ Thanks to Liberty Films
Nothing is what it seems when filmmaker Emily Wyland teams up with cinematographer Danny to shoot an intimate documentary about reuniting with Emily’s estranged mother. When her mother suddenly goes missing, possibly succumbing to the addictions that first tore her family apart, the duo must piece together increasingly sinister clues to find her before it’s too late.
Contains: Violence, threat, supernatural horror.
SATURDAY 8 MARCH – GFT Screen 1
10:45 A MOTHER’S EMBRACE (UK Premiere)
Director Cristian Ponce. Cast Marjorie Estiano, Pablo Guisa Koestinger, Javier Drolas, Rafael Canedo. Brazil 2024 1h31m N/C 18+ Thanks to Blue Finch Films
In 1996, young firefighter Ana and her team are called to an old people’s home at risk of flooding during the worst storms to ever hit Rio de Janeiro. As they try to evacuate the elderly, Ana soon finds that something sinister is lurking beneath the surface, and the residents are not as innocent as they first seemed. For the home has been built on the grounds of an ancient temple, site of a timeless rite to an infernal god, and entangled in their insidious web, she must face her own traumatic childhood complete with a maternal monster.
Contains: Supernatural images and threat, psychological trauma and monster surrealism.
13:00 SHORT FILM SHOWCASE
CANARY BONES (Scottish Premiere)
Director: Kyran Davies. Cast: Sion Eifion, John Jenner, Michael Lincoln, Leo Harris. UK 2024. 12 min.
Years after a coal mining disaster, an executive from an energy conglomerate in London is sent to the South Wales valleys to examine the possibility of reopening the Heulog-Arch Colliery. Miles below ground and far from the city, something awaits him down in the mine.
MULCH (World Premiere)
Directors: Henry Leroy Salta, Alexander Tol. Cast: Mark Keegan. UK 2024. 10 min.
An older man travels through an ancient, fairy tale forest on a pilgrimage in honour of his father. In a state of nostalgia, he is met with a shared memory and discovers the true nature of himself.
THE PEARL COMB (World Premiere)
Director: Ali Cook. Cast: Beatie Edney, Ali Cook, Simon Armstrong, Clara Paget, Roxana Cook, Thomas Stocker. UK 2024. 21 min.
A doctor - hell bent on proving a woman’s place is in the home and not practising medicine – discovers the source of a woman’s unearthly power when investigating her miraculous claim to be the first person to cure tuberculosis.
BY THE LIGHT OF THE FIRE (World Premiere) *Scottish director
Director: Luke Cossimo Keogh. Cast: Joshua Haynes. UK 2024. 5 min.
A Campfire Horror Story from Ancient Rome.
CONVEYANCE (International Premiere)
Director: Gemma Creagh. Cast: Patrick Martins, Chrissie Chronin, Travis Nelson, Maeve McGrath, Aisling O'Neill, Paul Murphy. Ireland 2024. 15 min.
After years of searching, Brian and Suzanne finally find their dream home. As they realise they share the space with a malevolent force, how much are they willing to put up with to stay there?
THE BIRDWATCHER (World Premiere)
Director: Ryan Mackfall. Cast: Craig Russell, Mary Woodvine, Rimca Karmakar, Kevin Horsham. UK 2024. 13 min.
Investigators visit the site of a strange disappearance – a solitary birdwatching hut, deep in the forest.
PUMPKIN GUTS (Scottish Premiere) *Scottish director
Director: Bryan M. Ferguson. Cast: Rebecca Murphy, Vari Ferguson, Scott
Abel. UK 2024. 13 min.
It happens to someone every Halloween. Just follow the rules. Don't get pinched.
15:20 HEARTS OF DARKNESS: THE MAKING OF THE FINAL FRIDAY (World Premiere)
Director Michael Flesher. Cast Kane Hodder, Adam Marcus, Howard Berger, Deborah Voorhees. USA 2025 1h47m N/C 18+ Thanks to Skeleton Crew
In 1993, Jason Voorhees went to hell in what is one of the most polarising instalments in the entire Friday the 13th franchise. In this Insightful documentary, interviews with the cast and crew explore the unique landscape of pressures and studio scrutiny surrounding the franchise at the time and the hopping from Paramount Pictures over to New Line Cinema that paved the way for the eventual Freddy Vs. Jason crossover.
Contains: Extreme gore, violence, supernatural threat, nudity.
18:00 THE AMERICAN BACKYARD (L'orto Americano) (UK Premiere)
Director Pupi Avati. Cast Filippo Scotti, Rita Tushingham, Roberto de Francesco, Chiara Caselli. Italy 2024. 1h47m N/C 18+ Thanks to Minerva Pictures International
Based on Avati’s 2023 novel and informed by the infamous true crimes of The Monster of Florence, a troubled young man falls in love with an American army nurse during the Italian 1945 Liberation. Moving to America, he finds himself living next door to the object of his unrequited affections. Only she has completely vanished and so begins an incredibly tense investigation into the most terrifying situations surrounding her disappearance.
Contains: Violence, blasphemous images, strong sexual imagery and intense threat.
20:30 SCARED TO DEATH (International Premiere)
Director Paul Boyd. Cast Lin Shaye, Bill Moseley, Rae Dawn Chong, Olivier Paris. USA 2024. 1h38m N/C 18+ Thanks to Brick Lane Entertainment
Jasper is a young opportunistic filmmaker yearning to climb the Hollywood ladder. Working as a lowly production assistant, he seizes his chance to be a ‘real’ director when he suggests to his cantankerous boss that the crew and actors from their upcoming horror film attend an actual séance in an old, haunted house for research. They choose an abandoned children's shelter closed for 70 years since the mysterious murders of five children in 1942, apparently discovered scared to death. Once the séance begins, the motley crew find themselves trapped and haunted by the children ... and something possibly worse.
Contains: Supernatural threat, gore, mature language.
22:45 RUMPLESTILTSKIN (World Premiere)
Director Andy Edwards. Cast Hannah Baxter-Eve, Adrian Bouchet, Jennifer Lim, Joss Carter. UK 2025 1h27m N/C 18+ Thanks to 101 Films
A haunting tale of the scariest villain from our collective childhoods returns - only this time darker, bloodier and nastier. Once upon a time, a Miller attempts to marry his daughter off to the King by promising she can spin straw into gold. With the help of a demonic imp, she completes the task, but the King becomes greedy and wants more. So, she promises the imp her first born child in return for yet more favours. But when it comes time to honour her bargain dark forces merge when the Imp makes a deal with the devil.
Contains: Profanity, nudity, gore, cannibalism.
For full programme details: http://www.frightfest.co.uk/
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