Frightfest -- London's Premier Horror Film Festival
The UK's most important horror film festival, held annually in August in London during the August Bank Holiday weekend, celebrating horror, thriller, and genre cinema with competitive and curated programming.
Overview
FrightFest is the UK's most important horror film festival. Founded in 2000 and held annually in London over the August Bank Holiday weekend, FrightFest has grown from a small cult gathering into one of the most respected horror events in the world, attracting filmmakers, distributors, and horror enthusiasts from across Europe and internationally.
The festival's August timing, during the UK's summer bank holiday, creates a natural long-weekend event that horror fans plan around specifically. The combination of new horror premieres, cult screenings, and filmmaker Q&As over five days creates an intense community experience that fans and filmmakers describe as one of the most welcoming in genre film culture.
FrightFest has been the UK premiere venue for numerous horror films that went on to significant theatrical releases and cult status. The festival's programmers have a strong track record of identifying quality within the horror genre.
Key Sections
- Main Screen Competition -- major horror features competing for audience prizes
- Discovery Screen -- emerging horror filmmakers and lower-budget independent horror
- Short Films -- competitive horror short program
- Grimmfest at FrightFest -- a special collaboration with Manchester's genre festival
- Q&As -- filmmaker conversations following screenings
What Filmmakers Should Know
FrightFest accepts open submissions. The Discovery Screen is specifically designed for micro-budget and emerging horror filmmakers, providing access to FrightFest's passionate audience without competing directly against major productions. A Discovery Screen selection provides genuine exposure to the UK and European horror community.
The festival's London location and its established relationships with UK genre distributors create commercial opportunities alongside the cultural recognition.
Major Awards
- Best Film -- audience-voted grand prize
- Best Short Film -- audience vote
- Discovery Award -- emerging horror filmmaker recognition
Festival History
FrightFest was founded in 2000 by Alan Jones, Ian Rattray, Paul McEvoy, and Greg Day and has operated continuously since then, growing from a cult gathering into the UK's definitive horror film event.
See Also
For horror filmmaking, see Independent Filmmaking Strategies. For UK genre festival strategy, see Film Festival Strategy.
