Just when January seemed to be never-endingly bleak, the team at Arrow Video FrightFest have provided a beacon of hope, as they today announce their line-up for their Glasgow event. The three day event takes place every year within the Glasgow Film Festival, offering plenty of alternate genre cinema. Running from Thursday 5th March to Saturday 7th March, FrightFest goers can expect the usual blend of the best and bloodiest dark-hearted cinema.
This years event will kick-off with Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson’s Synchronic. The pair have steadily been making waves on the genre circuit. Previous works Resolution, Spring, The Endless have developed their own unique ways of storytelling and Synchronic definitely continues this trend. The closing film will new anthology A Night of Horror: Nightmare Radio. The film has been constructed from the creme de la creme of horror shorts that have been on the festival circuit, and is sure to end the festival on a high.
Other highlights include Joe Begos’ follow-up to Bliss, VFW, Sea Fever and a repeat viewing of Death of a Vlogger which screened at last years August event. FrightFest Weekend Passes are £75 and available from noon on Mon 20 January, 2020.
See the full official announcement, and list of films below:
Welcome to the transgressive, the traumatic and the terrifying as Arrow Video FrightFest, the UK’s favourite horror fantasy event, returns to Glasgow Film Festival for a 15th fantastic year, from Thursday 5 March to Saturday 7 March, 2020.
Thirteen is lucky for some as that’s the number of new films being presented at the iconic Glasgow Film Theatre, embracing the latest genre discoveries from around the globe, spanning four continents, including one world, two European and seven UK premieres.
Alan Jones, FrightFest co-director, commented: “Welcome to another banner FrightFest and another invitation to explore the horror fantasy genre’s fertile harvest bursting with creativity, imagination and difference in a world that often seems hostile to all three. So enjoy FrightFest Glasgow 2020: 13 new films from around the world guaranteed to offer a much-needed cinematic sanctuary”.
Hold on to your seats for the altered state sci-fi fantasy journey of your life! In a special Thursday night presentation, FrightFest reveals an exclusive brand new cut of co-directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead’s latest ethereal, existential mindbender SYNCHRONIC, starring Jamie Dornan and Anthony Mackie. Justin and Aaron plan to attend.
This is followed by the riveting horror mockumentary DEATH OF A VLOGGER, which comes home to Scotland following its hugely successful FrightFest August 2019 ‘First Blood’ debut. The director, Graham Hughes, and the cast will be attending – no doubt filming their every move…
Streaming a live exorcism? What could possibly go wrong? Friday kicks off with the UK Premiere of THE CLEANSING HOUR, a gory, scary and hugely entertaining horror comedy, directed by Damien LeVeck, where tech entrepreneurs meet evil head on. Then we have the European premiere of IN THE QUARRY, Uruguayan filmmakers Bernardo and Rafael Antonaccio’s penetrating look at gender roles and expectations is a tense and dynamic riff on the naturalistic heart-of-darkness genre.
Next up is the UK premiere of tense sci-horror thriller SEA FEVER, by award-winning Irish television director Neasa Hardiman. Connie Nielsen and Dougray Scott star as part of a marooned trawler crew struggling with a mysterious water-borne parasite.
The 8.45pm presentation is the World premiere of first-time director Adam Stovall’s remarkable comedy romance A GHOST WAITS. With hints of BEETLEJUICE and GHOST, it features a brilliant performance from MacLeod Andrews, star of THEY LOOK LIKE PEOPLE and THE SIREN. Adam and some of the crew will be there to introduce his film.
Rounding off the evening with an irresistible riff of humour, terror and squirm-inducing violence is the UK premiere of Ryan Spindell’s THE MORTUARY COLLECTION. With fabulous production design and a vibrant variety of tones, this wild ride completely pulls the rug out from under the audience.
Saturday’s programme is a killer and the first film, ANDERSON FALLS, features director Julien Seri‘s high-tone brand of seat-edged thrills, starring Gary Cole and Scream Queen supreme Lin Shaye. Next, get ready for a dead funny zombie apocalypse as Living Dead lore explodes in a fun riff on the genre. The often hilarious ZOMBIE FOR SALE borrows from the best but South Korean director, Lee Min-Jae, making his film feature debut, adds his own startling twists to the beloved formula.
This is followed by the Scottish premiere of SAINT MAUD, a blistering debut from writer/director Rose Glass and a divine dive into obsession, isolation and urban deprivation, featuring a star-making performance from Morfydd Clark as the heartbreakingly conflicted Maud. Rose will be in attendance, alongside several of the producers.
The evening programme bursts into action with the European premiere of BUTT BOY, a surreal, bizarre and utterly unique viewing experience, in which a detective has to get to the bottom (literally) of a series of suspected murders. Directed by Tyler Cornack, imagine the indie lovechild of Quentin Dupieux and John Waters.
Next up is the UK premiere of VFW, directed by FrightFest Glasgow favourite Joe Begos. This break-neck action blood-blaster, pitching Vietnam vets against an army of punk mutants, is every bit as gobsmacking as his recent BLISS. Joe will be joining us.
This year’s feast of ferocious frights ends with the UK premiere of A NIGHT OF HORROR: NIGHTMARE RADIO, an anthology constructed by noted Argentinian duo Nicolas and Luciano Onetti (Francesca and Abrakadabra), who’ve assembled an impressive line–up of recent festival-touring horror shorts to deliver a refreshingly unique new kind of shock omnibus.
In addition, there are two fabulous shorts; Gustav Egerstedt’s LIVE FOREVER, a brilliant musical tribute to all the poor victims in horror films that didn’t make it to the sequel, and BLEED, the latest from the talented Femme Collective – an anthology of six micro-shorts from emerging female directors which explore the horror of being a modern woman.
Plus, let’s not forget the great giveaways, surprise clips and Q & As!
FrightFest Weekend Passes are £75 and available from noon on Mon 20 January, 2020. Passes will be exchanged for admission wristbands, which must be worn at all times to access all FrightFest films on Fri 6 March and Sat 7 March ONLY.
Tickets for SYNCHRONIC and DEATH OF A VLOGGER, plus individual tickets for the Fri/Sat films are on sale Mon 3 February, from noon. Price: £11.50. £9.30 concessions
How to Buy Tickets
Online: www.glasgowfilm.org/festival
Telephone: 0141 332 6535 (£1.50 fee per transaction, voice-mail available during peak business periods.
In person: Glasgow Film Theatre, 12 Rose Street, Glasgow G3 6RB during normal box office hours – Friday & Sunday to Thursday from 12:00 to 15 Minutes after the last performance starts. Saturday from 11am to 15 minutes after the last performance starts.
Booking opens Monday 3 February at 12:00
Online booking closes 15 minutes before the advertised start time.
All performances will start at the advertised start time. Late ticket-holders will not be admitted.
