Frightfest have announced their 2016 line-up and there are 12 British features on offer (not including a documentary about exorcisms and an Anglo-French film that looks mostly French). The short films have not been announced yet.
Discovery Screen 2 on Saturday is a British all-dayer, showing
Cruel Summer, House of Salem, The Creature Below, The Unkindness of Ravens and
Hallows Eve,
Full schedule, tickets etc at
www.frightfest.co.uk
FRIDAY 26TH - WORLD PREMIERE – THE CHAMBER
Director: Ben Parker. Cast: Charlotte Salt, Johannes Kuhnke, Christian Hillborg, Elliot Levey, James McArdle. UK 2016. 88 mins.
The impressive feature debut from rising British star Ben Parker, director of the acclaimed short SHIFTER. A special ops unit commandeer a commercial research vessel and it’s submersible, The Aurora, under the command of Captain Mats (FORCE MAJEURE star Johannes Kuhnke) to locate a mysterious item at the bottom of the Yellow Sea off the dangerous shores of the Korean Peninusla. When an explosion causes the sub to overturn and take on water, the four-man crew enter a pressure cooker situation. And when the stark horror dawns that not all of them will escape, a desperate fight for survival ensues.
FRIDAY 26TH - WORLD PREMIERE – IBIZA UNDEAD
Director: Andy Edwards. Cast: Emily Atack, Cara Theobold, Matt King, Jordan Coulson, Ed Kear. UK 2016. 95 mins
Three best friends - Alex, Az and Jim - head to Ibiza for their first lad's holiday. Unfortunately, tagging along is Alex's unimpressed ex-girlfriend Ellie. Arriving on the island, the lads dump Ellie with Alex's sister Liz, and her friend Zara, and head to San Antonio to start their week of sun, sea and debauchery. Soon they end up in a club, run by local gangster Karl, where the attractions aren't all alive - they're zombies! Due to Jim's drunken antics the zombies escape, and soon all hell breaks loose and no one on the party island is safe.
SATURDAY 27TH - ENGLISH PREMIERE – THE REZORT
Director: Steve Barker. Cast: Dougray Scott, Jessica De Gouw, Martin McCann, Bentley Kalu, Jass Ahluwalia. Spain/UK 2016. 93 mins.
‘The Walking Dead’ meets JURASSIC WORLD in a fast-paced, gory horror from OUTPOST franchise director Steve Barker. In the aftermath of an apocalyptic zombie outbreak, rich holidaymakers can visit a luxury theme park where every paying guest has a license to kill the captive undead in organised Zombie Safaris. Such Zafaris are the ultimate blood sport experience and for many much-needed therapeutic revenge for suffering horrendous family losses. When the security system crashes at The ReZort, unleashing hordes of bloodthirsty Zee’s on the unprepared holiday makers, it’s up to enigmatic, former zombie hunter Archer (square-jawed Dougray Scott) to save the day.
SATURDAY 27TH - WORLD PREMIERE – OFFENSIVE
Director: Jon Ford. Cast: Russell Floyd, Lisa Eichhorn, Fred Adenis, Angela Dixon, Timothy Morand. UK 2016. 105 mins.
Retired Bernard and Helen Martin inherit a house in rural France where Bernard’s father liberated locals from Nazis during World War II in a raging killing spree. But this peaceful couple quickly become the target of a cruel gang of street kids. Plugged into their devices, devoid of empathy they are a new breed of technological psychopath. Soon Bernard and Helen's lives become a living hell as they are harassed, tormented and pushed beyond breaking point. Right or wrong no longer matters, survival is everything! Can Bernard live up to his father’s legend? It’s the old generation vs. the new!
SATURDAY 27TH - WORLD PREMIERE - CRUEL SUMMER
Directors: Phillip Escott, Craig Newman. Cast: Danny Miller, Reece Douglas, Richard Pawulski, Natalie Martins, Grace Dixon. UK 2016. 80 mins.
Danny, a teenager with autism, escapes the inner city for the beautiful countryside as part of his Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme. Little does he know, that bitter Nicholas is hunting him, stemming from a lie created by the enamoured and envious Julia and Calvin. As the three close in on Danny, Nicholas' behaviour becomes increasingly erratic and violent, and Julia and Calvin must decide whether to go through with Nicholas' deadly plan to see him suffer. An exploration into the harrowing consequences and impact one tragic act of seemingly random violence can have on society at large.
SATURDAY 27TH - WORLD PREMIERE – HOUSE OF SALEM
Director: James Crow. Cast: Jessica Arterton, Jack Brett Anderson, Liam Kelly, Robert Lowe, Les Mills. UK 2016. 105 mins.
A group of kidnappers become a child's unlikely protectors, after finding out that they have been unwittingly set up to take part in a deadly game of human sacrifice. Piece by piece they begin to uncover the truth about their supposedly safe house. Finding themselves trapped, they must square up to the demonic forces within the walls and uncover the terrifying truth of over 100 years of murder in the name of the Devil.
SATURDAY 27TH - WORLD PREMIERE – THE CREATURE BELOW
Director: Stewart Sparke. Cast: Anna Dawson, Michaela Longden, Daniel S. Thrace, Johnny Vivash, Zach Lee, David Shackleton, Libby Wattis. UK 2016. 83 mins.
During a traumatic accident on a deep-sea dive, Olive, a gifted, young marine biologist discovers an unearthly creature. Losing her dream job, Olive smuggles the creature home, intent on studying it in secret, unbeknownst to her devoted boyfriend Matt and estranged sister Ellie. Plagued by gruesome nightmares, her fractured memories of what happened during the accident in the depths of the ocean begin to unravel, revealing her symbiotic bond with an eldritch horror far older and malevolent than she could imagine, one which drives her to carry out its sinister will, with deadly results for those around her.
SATURDAY 27TH - WORLD PREMIERE – THE UNKINDNESS OF RAVENS
Director: Lawrie Brewster. Cast: Jamie Scott-Gordon, Amanda Gilliland, Dougie Clark, Daniel Casey. UK 2016. 86 mins.
Andrew Alburn, a homeless veteran suffering from PTSD, is plagued by flashbacks of a traumatic event he witnessed while serving in the armed forces. He retreats to the remote Scottish Highlands hoping to overcome his fear of Ravens, the dark creatures that populate his visions, but, in this bleak wilderness, his nightmares manifest into an enemy more powerful than he could ever have imagined. He must battle these monstrous entities as well as his inner demons to keep his life, and reclaim his sanity.
SATURDAY 27TH - WORLD PREMIERE – HALLOWS EVE
Director: Brad Watson. Cast: Sarah Akokhia, Ethan Taylor, Lenox Kanbaba. UK 2016. 88 mins.
The Hallows Estate is on alert as strange graffiti tags with messages declaring the streets will be taken over on Halloween begin to appear on walls around the place, along with sightings of strange figures lurking in the shadows. One of the gangs responsible for the serious anti-social behaviour that gives the estate a bad name decides to take these threats head on and ignore the curfew on Halloween night. But whoever this new threat is, they seem to have the very night on their side as they make good on their promise of claiming the streets by frightening and violent means.
SUNDAY 28TH - WORLD PREMIERE – BROKEN (aka The Myth of Hopelessness)
Director: Shaun Robert Smith. Cast: Morjana Alaoui, Mel Raido, Craig Conway, Patrick Toomey, Stephanie Thomas. UK 2016. 98 mins.
A stunning tour-de-force by director Shaun Robert Smith featuring brilliantly fearless performances, especially from MARTYRS star Morjana Alaoui this unique thriller is a 2016 highlight. In England to make a fresh start after a harrowing childhood, Evie takes a job as an agency carer and is quickly placed with tetraplegic patient John. But looking after the bitter former rock star and his excessive demands is emotionally and physically draining. Forced to go beyond the call of duty and tormented by her past shame, an explosive clash of personalities ensues and it’s only a matter of time before someone terrifyingly snaps.
SUNDAY 28TH - WORLD PREMIERE – EGOMANIAC
Director: Kate Shenton. Cast: Nic Lamont, Adam Rhys-Davies, Laurence R. Harvey, Dan Palmer, Mark Logan. UK 2016. 75 mins.
Rising UK filmmaker Kate Shenton, whose eye-watering documentary ON TENDER HOOKS looked at extreme body modification, now turns her sharply observant eye on the horror film world. Director Claire Sweeney is determined to make her zom-rom-com. But everyone keeps telling her to put a talking dog in the script if she wants success. Desperate for funding, Catherine does whatever it takes to get her passion project made in a wry and sly satire dancing between fact and fiction, focusing on the treatment of women in the film industry and how far an artist will go to get their work made.
SUNDAY 28TH - WORLD PREMIERE – CROW
Director: Wyndham Price. Cast: Tom Rhys Harries, Nick Moran, Andrew Howard, Elen Rhys, Terence Stamp. UK 2016. 107 mins.
Crow is protector of the sacred wood. He's lived there since ruthless developer Tucker brutally scattered his tribe from the nearby farmstead. Now Tucker wants the wood too, intent on building a mansion – an ego extension of his dynastic power raging for him and his trophy wife. But Crow will defend his ancient home with his life. The battle begins, only Tucker doesn’t realise he’s contending with a boy who has the power of nature behind him. And before the day is done, Tucker will learn the real meaning of terror and see the true cost of his ambitions.
