Arrow Video FrightFest 2019 announces more guests, special events & shortlist for Screen Genre Rising Star Award

Ahead of single tickets going on sale from Sat 21^st July, Arrow Video FrightFest announces their current slate of guests, more details on some special events and the shortlist for the Screen Genre Rising Star Award.

As previously revealed, genre icon Dario Argento and The Soska Sisters will be attending and other returning alumni include Abner Pastoll, here with the closing night film A GOOD WOMAN IS HARD TO FIND, alongside many of the cast, producer/director Ant Timpson for opener COME TO DADDY, BLISS director Joe Begos, joined by stars Dora Madison and Graham Skipper, DANIEL ISN’T REAL helmer Adam Egypt Mortimer and Paidraig Reynolds, director of DARK LIGHT, accompanied by his cast including Jessica Madsen (Leatherface). Plus, Jordan Barker returns with WITCHES IN THE WOODS, with lead actress Hannah Kasulka, Dan Bush with THE DARK RED, accompanied by lead actress April Billingsley and the Pierce Brothers are back with THE WRETCHED.

This year’s International talent making their FrightFest debut include KNIVES AND SKIN director Jennifer Reeder, DRIVEN writer/lead actress Casey Dillard, alongside co-star Glenn Payne, EAT BRAINS LOVE director Rodman Flelder, ROCK PAPER AND SCISSORS co-director Martin Bousson, accompanied by Argentinian leading ladies Valeria Giorcelli and Agustina Cervino, Henry Jacobsen, marking his directorial debut with Blumhouse production BLOODLINE and  Ireland is represented by Paddy Murphy, who is also making his directorial debut with THE PERISHED. Plus we have Eric Pennycroft, director of SADISTIC INTENTIONS, with actress Taylor Zaudtke (who also features in FrightFest entry FINGERS), I TRAPPED THE DEVIL lead actor & producer Scott Poythress, Brandon Croft for TRUE FICTION. THE DEEPER YOU DIG co-directors John Adams and Toby Poser (who also stars in the movie), VOILITION director Tony Dean Smith, alongside star John Cassini, (who also stars in TRUE FICTION), FINGERS director Juan Ortiz, THE FURIES director Tony D’Aquino and Jason Axinn, here with TO YOUR LAST DEATH.

Homegrown talent will be present in abundance this year. CRAWL star Kaya Scodelario is in the house, alongside cast and crew from MADNESS IN THE METHOD, including Busted singer/songwriter and actor Matt Willis. TALES FROM THE LODGE director Abigail Blackmore is joining us with her all-star cast, including Mackenzie Crook and Laura Fraser. Plus, Lawrie Brewster returns with anthology FOR WE ARE MANY, accompanied by crew and cast including Nicholas Vince. Tom Paton is also back with STAIRS, along with HERE COMES HELL director Jack McHenry and Andrew Desmond, director of THE SONATA.

Staying with UK talent, the FIRST BLOOD strand goes from strength to strength and all the helmers will be around, supported by their cast and crews: So let’s welcome DEATH OF A VLOGGER director Graham Hughes, A SERIAL KILLER’S GUIDE TO LIFE director Staten Cousns-Roe, CRIMINAL AUDITION  director Samuel Gridley, DARK SENSE director Magnus Wake and Fredi Nwaka, director of ARE WE DEAD YET?

Established in 2016 to celebrate the work of emerging UK genre talent, FrightFest is proud to team up for the fourth year running with Screen International to present the ‘Screen Genre Rising Star Award’. This year’s short list salutes the work of Abigail Blackmore, director of twisty, terrifying black comedy horror TALES FROM THE LODGE, Staten Cousins-Roe for his highly original and compelling debut feature A SERIAL KILLER’S GUIDE TO LIFE, actress Rebecca Rogers for her stunning lead performance in STALKED, Jack McHenry for his exuberant genre cocktail of caviar and carnage HERE COMES HELL and director/actor Fredi Nwaka for his devilishly clever feature ARE WE DEAD YET?. The winner will be revealed on Monday 26 Aug, 6,30pm at the Cineworld Leicester Sq.

Other events this year include the UK launch of Dario Argento’s autobiography ‘Fear’. The genre icon and giallo legend will take to the stage to talk about the book and life at the top during Rome’s Golden Horror Era. Argento’s life-long friend and FrightFest co-director Alan Jones, who adapted, edited, annotated and illustrated the FAB Press publication, will be the master of ceremonies at this must-attend event followed by a signing session.

The discovery of new voices in the world of genre filmmaking is close to FrightFest’s darkly beating heart and the festival has teamed up with UK distribution outfit Blue Finch Films and short film funding company Genera, to launch a new initiative to help finance genre short films that are in the latter stages of development.  With a £1000 fund on offer, the finalists will pitch their films to an industry panel and the winning film will be announced at the end of the festival. Hosted by FrightFest’s Short Film programmer Shelagh Rowan-Legg, the panel will  include filmmaker actress Joanne Mitchell and Blue Finch Films’ Mike Chapman.

Rosie Fletcher, editor of Den Of Geek, will host FROM PAGE TO SCREAM, featuring top horror authors whose work has been adapted or optioned for the screen. They’ll talk about the processes and pitfalls of getting a novel turned into a show or film, what it’s like seeing their creations come to life and about how the landscape of horror is changing in books, film and TV.

FrightFest, in association with Supermassive Games, presents a special preview of MAN OF MEDAN, the first game in The Dark Pictures anthology. Hosted by Barry Keating, they’ll be a live Q & A with the key development talent behind the game. The much anticipated interactive narrative horror adventure, developed by Supermassive Games and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe, brings supernatural horror on board a ghost-ship adrift in the South Pacific. It is set to be released on Aug 30, 2019.

There’s no party like a film party and to celebrate FrightFest’s 20^th year the Duke Mitchell team have once again scoured the Earth to find the weirdest pieces of film & cinema ever to have flashed into our eyeballs. Add to the mix some very SPECIAL guests, endless giveaways and brilliant trailers and it means the ‘DUKE MITCHELL FILM PARTY’ is the only place to be on a late night Saturday at FrightFest!

Keep watching our official twitter @frightfest for even more guest announcements in the coming weeks…

Arrow Video FrightFest runs from 22nd-26th August 2019 at Cineworld Leicester Square and The Prince Charles Cinema.

Single tickets go on sale Sat 20th July at noon and, alongside the few remaining Festival and day pass sales, are available to buy online: http://www.frightfest.co.uk/tickets.html