FrightFest reveal Glasgow Film Festival line-up
This year the horror festival features new films from Brian O’Malley and Xavier Gens, as well as haunting anthology tale Ghost Stories from The League of Gentlemen's Jeremy Dyson
The schedule for FrightFest, the most terrifying weekend on the Scottish calendar outside of Old Firm games, has been announced this morning. The horror event returns to Glasgow from 1 to 3 March to help bring the city’s annual film festival to a chilling close with a lively-looking programme spanning ten countries and four continents. Among this globe-trotting lineup, however, it's the homegrown Ghost Stories that looks to be the biggest draw.
Based on the scary stage show of the same name from the twisted minds of Jeremy Dyson (co-creator of The League Of Gentlemen) and Andy Nyman, Ghost Stories is an anthology of haunting shorts in the classic tradition of films like Asylum and Dead of Night. The collection of tales feature the likes of Martin Freeman and Paul Whitehouse as well as Nyman himself, who’ll be in attendance with Dyson for the FrightFest screening.
Another ghost story comes to FrightFest in the form of The Lodgers. This Ireland-set Gothic horror from Brian O’Malley is described as a “supernatural romance”, and the trailer suggests we’re in for something lush and baroque from the Let Us Prey director. Charlotte Vega and Bill Milner play disturbed siblings living in a crumbling mansion, with Game of Thrones’ Eugene Simon as the handsome stranger who comes between them.
Another highlight should be Cold Skin, the new film from Frenchman Xavier Gens. It sees the Frontiere(s) director tackle Albert Sánchez Piñol’s novel of the same name, which described as "part H.P. Lovecraft, part Joseph Conrad". Gens will be in town to introduce the film.
In the eclectic lineup you’ll also find vampiric action (The Wanderers: Quest of the Demon Hunter), a schlock filmmaking pastiche (Attack of the Bat Monsters), zombie chills (The Ravenous), a Basque fairytale (The Blacksmith and the Devil), and a creature feature that promises to “blow the lid off traditional Bigfoot mythology” (Primal Rage). There’s even a late Christmas present squeezed into the programme in the form of festive schocker Secret Santa.
FrightFest co-director Alan Jones commented that “it’s no surprise to us that [the horror genre] has just had its biggest and most successful year. If you’ve ever attended one of our events, you’ll know exactly why. For FrightFest will always create a communal space where the pure enjoyment of the occasion is paramount and a vital shared experience. Welcome to our Pleasure Dome, FrightFest- Glasgow-style”.
FrightFest Passes are £75 and available from noon on Mon Jan 15. Passes cover all films on Fri 2 Mar and Sat 3 Mar ONLY.
Tickets for Ghost Stories and The Lodgers, plus individual tickets for the Fri/Sat films are on sale Mon 29 Jan from 10am. Price: £10.50 (£8.50 concessions)