Arrow Video FrightFest 2023 announces bumper Glasgow Film Festival line-up

 

Be prepared to devour a devilish feast of dread-filled delights as the UK’s favourite horror fantasy event returns to the renowned Glasgow Film Festival for an 18th year, from Thurs 9 March to Sat 11 March 2023.

This year’s line-up, once again housed at the iconic Glasgow Film Theatre, embraces the latest genre discoveries from around the world, spanning nine countries with an eclectic mix of World, International and UK premieres. 

Festival co-director Alan Jones says, “FrightFest is one of the most potent forces on the horror, science fiction and extreme thriller landscape, a reputation that has firmly placed it in the Top 10 Essential Fantasy Festivals List. And we aim to stay ahead of the chiller curve, returning to the incomparable Glasgow Film Festival with a shiver and shudder showcase of epic proportions”.

FrightFest kicks off with two special screenings on Thursday March 9, opening in grand Gallic style with the UK premiere of SMOKING CAUSES COUGHING, a quirky, absurdist comedy sci-fi fantasy from visionary director Quentin Dupieux, whose film Rubber caused a 2010 GFF FrightFest sensation. This is followed by the UK premiere of SISU, a pulverizing, nerve-shredding and spectacularly gory WW2 action epic by Finnish director Jalmari Helander of Rare Exports fame. 

Enter the haunted ‘Devil’s Manor’ as FrightFest’s traditional two-day event kicks off on Friday March 10 with the International premiere of #chadgetstheaxe, Travis Bible’s Found Footage comedy horror. Then we travel into an ancient mythological world for the UK premiere of IRATI, a dark Spanish epic adventure from Errementari director Paul Urkijo Alijo, based on the graphic novel by J. L. Landa and J. Muñoz. 


Smoking Causes Coughing opens the Festival on the 9th March

Mother Superior receives its UK Premiere on the 10th March


Next up is the UK premiere of MOTHER SUPERIOR, directed by Marie Alice Wolfszahn, making her feature film debut. This stylishly brooding occult chiller with the evils of nationalism rippling beneath the surface, won Best Feature at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival 2022.

This is followed by another directorial debut - Rhys Frake-Waterfield’s slasher parody WINNIE-THE-POOH: BLOOD AND HONEY. Pooh and Piglet are not happy and in this UK premiere, prepare for a journey into Hundred Acre Wood as you’ve never seen it before. And get ready for the very first Lithuanian slasher as Friday evening climaxes with the UK Premiere of PENSIVE, director Jonas Trukanas’ inventively gripping horror ride into the prom night from hell.

Saturday's malevolent menu starts with the International premiere of Hunt Her, Kill Her and  violent thriller from directors Ryan Thiessen and Greg Swinson, which uses time and space to maximize suspense, Served up next is the International premiere of ONYX THE FORTUITOUS AND THE TALISMAN OF SOULS Based on his viral internet character of the same name, writer director and star Andrew Bowser's wild comic ride is a creative celebration of weirdos of all kinds.

The next demonic dish is the European premiere of Christopher Smith’s CONSECRATION, which finds the Severance / Black Death director in a mysterious Scottish convent exploring the dark recesses of the mind. Smith’s graphic and psychologically disturbing supernatural thriller stars Jena Malone, Danny Huston and Janet Suzman. 

The evening programme on Saturday 11th March opens with the World premiere of LITTLE BONE LODGE, an atmospheric twisty thriller from Matthias Hoene, director of Cockneys vs Zombies. This highly effective bone-chiller stars Joely Richardson.



Consecration receives its European premiere on the 11th March


Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey is showing on the 10th March


Programme details

THURS 9 MARCH – GFT Screen 1

18:30 SMOKING CAUSES COUGHING (UK Premiere) Director: Quentin Dupieux. Cast: Gilles Lellouche, Vincent Lacoste, Anaïs Demoustier. France 2022 1hr20m N/C 18.

20:45 SISU (UK Premiere) Director: Jalmari Helander. Cast: Jorma Tommila, Aksel Hennie, Jack Doolan. Finland 2022 1hr31m N/C 18.

FRI 10 MARCH – GFT Screen 1 

13:45 #chadgetstheaxe (International Premiere) Director: Travis Bible.  Cast: Michael Bonini, Spencer Harrison Levin, Taneisha Figueroa. USA 2022 1hr23m N/C 18.


15:50 IRATI (UK Premiere) Director: Paul Urkijo Alijo. Cast: Edurne Azkarate, Eneko Sagardoy, Itziar Ituño. Spain 2022 1hr54m N/C 18.


18:45 MOTHER SUPERIOR (UK Premiere) Director: Marie Alice Wolfszahn Cast: Isabella Händler, Inga Maux, Jochen Nickel. Austria 2022 1hr11m N/C 18.


20:45 WINNIE THE POOH: BLOOD AND HONEY (UK Premiere) Director: Rhys Frake-Waterfield. Cast: Craig David Dowsett, Chris Cordell, Natasha Tosini. The Netherlands 2023 1hr30m N/C 18.

23:00 PENSIVE (UK Premiere) Director: Jonas Trukanas. Cast: Šarūnas Rapolas Meiliešius, Gabija Bargailaitė, Marius Repšys. Lithuania 2022 1hr27m N/C 18. 

SAT 11 MARCH – GFT Screen 1


11:00 HUNT HER, KILL HER (International Premiere) Directors: Ryan Thiessen, Greg Swinson. Cast: Natalie Terrazzino, JC Oakley III, Larry Bunton. USA 2022 1hr29m N/C 18


13:00 ONYX THE FORTUITOUS AND THE TALISMAN OF SOULS (International Premiere) Director: Andrew Bowser Cast: Andrew Bowser, Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton USA 2023 1hr45m N/C 18.18.


15:45 CONSECRATION (European Premiere) Director: Christopher Smith. Cast: Jena Malone, Danny Huston, Janet Suzman. UK 2022 1hr31m N/C 18.


18:15 LITTLE BONE LODGE (World Premiere) Director: Matthias Hoene. Cast: Joely Richardson, Neil Linp Soverall.. United Kingdom 2023 1hr33m N/C 18.


20:40 HERE FOR BLOOD (International Premiere) Director: Daniel Turres Cast: Shawn Roberts, Joelle Farrow, Dee Snider. Canada 2022 1hr40m N/C 18. 


23:05 13 EXORCISMS (International Premiere) Director: Jacobo Martinez Cast: Maria Romanillos, Ruth Díaz, Silma López. Spain 2022 1hr38m8m N/C 18. 



Here For Blood (11th March)

Synopsis: When his girlfriend is swamped with college exams, Tom O'Bannon, a rowdy pro-wrestler struggling to make ends meet, agrees to fill in as a last-minute replacement for her well-paying babysitting job. Tom arrives at an isolated family home where he meets the precocious 10-year-old Grace. But what starts off as a quiet night of pizza and video games quickly spirals into bloody, violent, demonic chaos as Tom and Grace find themselves fighting for their lives when an otherworldly cult of masked intruders descend on the home.



The Guest list will be announced soon. 

Firghtfest passes are £75 and available from noon on Wednesday 18th January. Passes will be exchanged for admission wristbands, which must be worn at all times to access all FrightFest films on Fri 10 March and Sat 11 March ONLY.

Tickets for SMOKING CAUSES COUGHING and SISU, plus individual tickets for the Fri/Sat films are on sale Mon 30th January from noon. Price: £11.50 / £9.30 (concessions) 

How to Buy Tickets 

Online: https://glasgowfilm.org/glasgow-film-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 and Sunday to Thursday from 30 minutes before the first performance and closes 15 minutes after the last performance starts. Saturday from 11am to 15 minutes after the last performance starts. 

Pass Booking opens Wednesday 18 January at 12:00, individual films open Monday 30 January at 12:00

Online booking closes 15 minutes before the advertised start time.

All performances will start at the advertised start time with no adverts or trailers. Late ticket-holders will not be admitted. 

Glasgow Film Theatre Cinecard members get 4 days early-access to individual films from January 26 at noon, as well as discounted tickets for each performance. Memberships available from: https://glasgowfilm.org/what-we-do/plan-your-visit/memberships

For full programme details: http://www.frightfest.co.uk/