Pigeon Shrine FrightFest announces line-up for Halloween 2023

Cinematic chills this October 31st

James Whittington
September 28, 2023

Hot on the horror heels of its spectacular August five-day event, the UK’s biggest genre film festival is back at the Cineworld, Leicester Square with a terrifying two-day Halloween event on Friday 27th October and Saturday 28th October, featuring nine premiere titles not yet seen in the UK.

Opening the event is the World premiere of Sam Clemens’ urban psychological chiller THE WATERHOUSE. Making his directorial debut, Sam, the son of famed genre writer/director Brian Clemens, will be attending, alongside the cast. The second film on the Friday is the International premiere of taut Halloween slasher HE NEVER LEFT, the directorial feature debut of US-based director James Morris. Also attending on the Friday night is Argentinian director Gabriel Grieco, with the UK premiere of his shocking feminist revenge horror MARIA, which completes the first day’s line-up on an outrageously fun note.

Saturday kicks off with the International premiere of the wonderfully weird and gleeful flesh-eating horror musical ELDRITCH U.S.A., with director Ryan Smith in attendance. This is followed by the UK premiere of LOVELY, DARK AND DEEP, where Teresa Sutherland, the writer of The Wind and Midnight Mass, marks her feature debut with an uncanny shocker containing strains of folk horror, psychodrama and cosmic fever dream.

Also making her feature film debut is director Karoline Lyngbye with her haunting, twist-heavy Danish thriller SUPERPOSITION. This spooky metaphysical meditation is receiving its UK premiere. Next up is the UK premiere of HOOD WITCH, the debut film of rising French director Saïd Belktibia. This upcoming horror-thriller about a mobile app gone wrong has a dark, social and feminist edge.  This is followed by the UK premiere of THE LAST VIDEO STORE, where The Monster Squad meets Clerks, as lifelong genre movie geeks must band together to survive the supernatural apocalypse happening outside their door.

Stay out of the blue light! Completing the line-up is the World premiere of terrifying ghostly thriller BLUE LIGHT, from director Andy Fickman (Race from Witch Mountain, Heathers: The Musical). A prequel and sequel are already in the works and Andy will be hosting the screening.

Alan Jones, FrightFest co-director, said today: “We’re thrilled to announce our Halloween 2-day extravaganza. We’ve assembled nine new genre titles to make this year’s Halloween event a happy haunting ground with all treats – no tricks – to satisfy your jaundiced appetites”,

Passes and tickets go on sale at noon on Saturday 30th September.