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Exclusive: Screen has obtained the first-look image of Jeremy Piven in the thriller Past Life, one of several new titles on the Cannes sales roster at Clay Epstein’s Film Mode Entertainment. The slate includes Cuba Gooding Jr. sci-fi Quantum Supremacy, thriller Speak Up, and horror 13 Souls.

Past Life follows an investigative reporter, played by Aneurin Barnard, who witnesses a murder through the eyes of a psychotic killer while under hypnosis at an event. He partners with the hypnotist (Piven) to use past life regression techniques to investigate a series of unsolved murders from the 1980s, unwittingly reawakening a psychotic killer’s tendencies.

Exclusive: Jeremy Piven (Entourage), William Moseley (The Chronicles of Narnia), Tim McInnerny (Gladiator 2) and singer and actress Pixie Lott (Christmas Karma) are due to star in psychological-thriller Past Life.

Film Mode Entertainment has boarded sales on the project, which is aiming to start filming in February 2025 in Manchester, UK.

Past Life follows Jason Frey (Moseley), an investigative reporter who reluctantly agrees to attend a hypnotism event with his pregnant wife Claira (Lott). Under hypnosis, Jason witnesses a murder through the eyes of a psychotic killer. Haunted by what he has seen, Jason partners with the hypnotist (Piven) to use ‘past life regression’ techniques to investigate a series of unsolved murders from the 1980s while unwittingly reawakening a psychotic killer’s tendencies.

Simeon Halligan (The Blood Lands), head of Manchester genre festival Grimmfest, will direct. Pic was written by Halligan, Dean Lines and Ray Bogdanovich (Hounded). UK BritPop band James are producing the score.

The 16th edition of Manchester’s Grimmfest may have come to a close weeks ago, but today the festival revealed the winners of its pretigious awards. Held from 3rd to 6th October at the Odeon Great Northern, this year’s festival showcased 21 feature films and two programmes of short films, many of them world or UK premieres. With an outstanding line-up of horror, sci-fi, and fantasy films, the festival culminated in the much-anticipated announcement of the Grimm Reaper Award winners, recognising the very best in various categories.

The grand winner of the Best Film award was Vardan Tozija’s M, a film that captivated the jury with its emotional intensity and deep thematic exploration. The jury noted that M was a standout in nearly every category it competed in, making it a clear choice for this year’s top honour. Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy’s Dead Mail received a special mention,...

Grimmfest, Manchester’s renowned International Festival of Fantastic Film, has officially announced the first wave of titles for its 2024 edition. Scheduled to return to The Odeon Great Northern from October 3rd to 6th, the festival promises four days of exhilarating, genre-defining cinema.

Although the full programme of features, shorts, special guests, and related events is yet to be disclosed, the initial selection teases an eclectic mix of horror and fantastical narratives that will surely whet the appetites of attendees.

Festival Director, Simeon Halligan, expressed his excitement, stating, “That’s just a taster of the incredible movie premieres we are lining up for Grimmfest 2024. We don’t want to give too much away at this stage and there is still a whole body of premieres to be announced in late Summer. We can’t wait to reveal more amazing movie exclusives for Grimmfest fans, over the coming months, keep your eyes peeled for further news!

British actor Julian Sands, known for starring in films such as A Room with a View and Leaving Las Vegas, was confirmed dead June 27th after he went missing while hiking in San Bernardino County in January. He was 65.

“The identification process for the body located on Mt. Baldy on June 24, 2023, has been completed and was positively identified as 65-year-old Julian Sands of North Hollywood,” the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department said in a statement. “The manner of death is still under investigation, pending further test results. We would like to extend our gratitude to all the volunteers that worked tirelessly to locate Mr. Sands.”

In January, police told ABC 7 that Sands’ family reported him missing when he did not return from the hike, while his car was still parked in the area. Rescue teams launched a search for him, but unusually severe weather in Southern California meant the...

Grimmfest, Manchester UK’s International Festival of Fantastic Film, joins Méliès International Festivals Federation.

Regular attendees that look forward to catching up with the annual selection of short film premieres at Grimmfest, will be pleased to hear that this year, Grimmfest will be hosting three short film programmes across the festival period (6th-8th October 2023), in celebration of their new membership of the Méliès International Festivals Federation.

The Federation, recently held their annual general assembly at Cannes film festival, and the 26 member festivals voted for Grimmfest to join, and thus become the only English festival of fantastic film in the Federation.

Each year member festivals vote for their best ‘Fantastic’ feature film and short film, with an award for each, presented at Sitges. Previous winners have included Alex Garland’s Men, Prano Baily-Bond’s Censor, Anders Thomas Jensen’s Riders Of Justice, Peter Strickland’s In Fabric, Lars Von Trier...

Exclusive: Suzy Eddie Izzard, Antonia Thomas and John Hannah have joined Emile Hirsch in the psychological thriller Past Life, from director and Grimmfest head Simeon Halligan.

Written by Dean Lines and Ray Bogdanovich, the pic follows Jason Frey (Hirsch), an investigative reporter who reluctantly agrees to attend a hypnotism event with his pregnant wife Claira (Thomas). Under hypnosis, Jason witnesses a murder through the eyes of a killer. Haunted by what he has seen, Jason uses past live regression techniques to investigate a series of unsolved murders from the 1980s while unwittingly reawakening a psychopath’s killer tendencies.

Related: Cannes Film Festival Full Coverage

As Deadline previously reported, the film is produced by Rachel Richardson-Jones of Grimmfest Films (Habit), Pierre Romain and Susan Michels of Swe (Son of the South), and Michael Laundon of M2 Productions (Endless). Executive producers are Michael Bassick (Hacksaw Ridge), Sarada McDermott (Bridgerton...

Emile Hirsch (Dig) has signed on to star in the psychological serial killer thriller Past Life, a new entry in the “seeing murders through the killer’s eyes” sub-genre that also includes the likes of Eyes of Laura Mars and Malignant. In this one, Hirsch will be taking on the role of

Jason Frey, an investigative reporter who reluctantly agrees to attend a hypnotism event with his pregnant wife Claira. Under hypnosis, Jason witnesses a murder through the eyes of a killer. Haunted by what he has seen, Jason uses past live regression techniques to investigate a series of unsolved murders from the eighties while unwittingly reawakening a psychopath’s killer tendencies.

Set to start filming in March of next year, Past Life will be directed by Simeon Halligan (White Settlers) – who also happens to be the head of Grimmfest, Manchester’s International Festival of Fantastic Film – from a screenplay...

Simeon Halligan, director of the Grimmfest Film Festival in Manchester, is a filmmaker in his own right and is preparing for his new film, Past Life. It will be a psychological thriller and Emile Hirsch will take the lead in the film. Hirsch stars as an investigative reporter, Jason Frey, who reluctantly agrees to attend a hypnotism event with his pregnant wife Claira. Under hypnosis, Jason witnesses a murder through the eyes of a killer. Haunted by what he has seen, Jason uses past live regression techniques to investigate a series of unsolved murders from the eighties, while unwittingly reawakening a psychopath’s killer tendencies. Production is set to begin in March. Worldwide sales will begin at AFM. Disrupting Influence prepares to launch...

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US outfit Disrupting Influence will launch world sales at AFM.

US actor Emile Hirsch – whose credits include Into The Wild – is to star in thriller Past Life from UK production outfit Grimmfest Films.

Simeon Halligan, director of Manchester genre festival Grimmfest and co-founder of its spin-off production outfit Grimmfest Films, is to direct.

US outfit Disrupting Influence is launching worldwide sales on the project at AFM.

It is produced by Rachel Richardson-Jones, co-founder Grimmfest Films, Pierre Romain and Susan Michels of US-based Swe and Michael Laundon of UK-us M2 Production.

Hirsch plays investigative reporter Jason Frey, who reluctantly agrees to...

Exclusive: Emile Hirsch is set to star in Past Life, a psychological thriller scheduled to start shooting in March 2023. LA-based company Disrupting Influence will launch worldwide sales next month at AFM.

Simeon Halligan, head of Grimmfest, Manchester’s International Festival of Fantastic Film, will direct the pic. Halligan’s previous feature directing credits includes White Settlers (2014).

Written by Dean Lines and Ray Bogdanovich, Past Life follows Jason Frey, an investigative reporter who reluctantly agrees to attend a hypnotism event with his pregnant wife Claira. Under hypnosis, Jason witnesses a murder through the eyes of a killer. Haunted by what he has seen, Jason uses past live regression techniques to investigate a series of unsolved murders from the eighties while unwittingly reawakening a psychopath’s killer tendencies.

The film is produced by Rachel Richardson-Jones of Grimmfest films (Habit), Pierre Romain and Susan Michels of Swe (Son Of The...

After over a year of “home invasions” in the form of virtual screenings and online events, the organisers of Manchester’s Grimmfest have announced the festival will be back this October… in the cinema! From 7th to 10th October, is back once again in their regular venue, the Odeon Great Northern for a live event.

They have also revealed that they will be joined by a true icon of genre cinema; our guest of honour, the incomparable Dee Wallace, recipient of this year’s Grimmfest Lifetime Achievement Award. We’ll be celebrating a remarkable five decade career that ranges from such classics as The Stepford Wives, The Hills Have Eyes, The Howling, E.T., Cujo and Critters, to equally boundary pushing recent films such as Rob Zombie’s The Lords Of Salem and James Suttles’ The Nest, which recently had its World Premiere at Grimmfest.

However, for those of you who have enjoyed Grimmfest online,...

Grimmfest TV is a new online TV channel dedicated to horror films of all types, through which viewers can access exciting award-winning features and shorts from the Grimmfest archives – offering movie entertainment for free while the world is in lockdown.

Grimmfest TV launched with a fine selection of over 25 short films and 7 features including Grimmfest 2018 best short award winner, We Summoned a Demon, Grimmfest 2014 hit, White Settlers (staring Pollyanna McIntosh from The Walking Dead), and the suitably virus themed La Contagion. The most popular title on the channel so far is the half hour retro creature feature, Loom. Best of all, All of these – and more – are still available to watch for free right now.

New titles are being added every week and this week is no exception – with two Grimmfest favourites from a few years back, The Call of Charlie and Born Again go live at Midday, Friday 19th...

Grimmfest TV is a new online TV channel dedicated to horror films of all types, through which viewers can access exciting award-winning features and shorts from the Grimmfest archives – offering movie entertainment for free while the world is in lockdown.

Grimmfest TV launched with a fine selection of over 25 short films and 7 features including Grimmfest 2018 best short award winner, We Summoned a Demon, Grimmfest 2014 hit, White Settlers (staring Pollyanna McIntosh from The Walking Dead), and the suitably virus themed La Contagion. The most popular title on the channel so far is the half hour retro creature feature, Loom. Best of all, All of these – and more – are still available to watch for free right now.

New titles are being added every week and this week is no exception with Grimmfest 2018 selected short film Instinct, a psychosexual thriller comes from upcoming Brazilian genre talent Maria Alice Arida; and The Haunted House on Kirby Road,...

Manchester-based genre festival to offer horror features and shorts for the duration of quarantine.

UK genre film festival Grimmfest is to launch a streaming platform today (April 20) that will offer horror films and shorts for free during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Grimmfest TV will launch with several features and around 25 short films, most of which have screened and won awards at the Manchester-based festival. The collection will be made available to watch on the festival’s website and at least two titles are set to be added weekly for the duration of the ongoing quarantine.

With the future of its next edition uncertain,...

UK horror fans should keep an eye out for Simeon Halligan's horror flick Habit this weekend. The Manchester-made horror flick debuted on home soil at Grimmfest in 2017 then went on a short festival run thereafter. Habit will be available on UK Horror Channel this Friday, February 14th. Click here to find Ukhc on your service provider. Check out the trailer below. Habit Hits UK Horror Channel On Valentines Day Manchester, 11 Feb 2020 Feature film Habit, directed by Grimmfest head honcho, Simeon Halligan has its UK terrestrial TV premiere this Friday (Valentine’s day) on the Horror Channel and will then be available on their catch-up service Horror Bites. Produced and set in Manchester UK, Habit had its...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Horror movie festival Grimmfest has joined forces with UK production company Greenacre Films to develop and produce a new UK-centric horror anthology TV series entitled Fear Machine, which will showcase contemporary British tales of horror which will appeal to a broad audience as well the modern horror fan.

Grimmfest director Simeon Halligan says:

Horror is more popular than ever, with plenty of Film and TV content coming from North America, but in the Sixties and Seventies, it was the UK who dominated the horror scene with companies like Hammer – we feel it’s time British horror was back in the limelight.

Greenacre Films is an independent production company founded by award-winning producers Nadine Marsh-Edwards and Amanda Jenks, who are currently working with some of the UK’s leading writing talent and they see this as an exciting partnership that will bring together the best Horror talent from the worlds of film and television.

Grimmfest have announced the festival will return on 3rd October 2019 for four days of horror, cult and fantastic films at the Odeon Great Northern, Manchester, UK. As full festival passes go on sale, Grimmfest have revealed their first movie premiere and special guest.

Darlin’, the much anticipated follow up to Lucky McKee’s modern horror classic, The Woman, will be having its Northern Premiere at Grimmfest. The festival will welcome the film’s writer, director and star, Pollyanna McIntosh (pictured above in Grimmfest director Simeon Halligan’s White Settlers) to present the screening, talk to festival attendees and complete a limited number of exclusive signings. Darlin’ sees Pollyanna returning to one of her most iconic onscreen roles and marks an auspicious debut for her as writer and director. Building on the themes of McKee’s earlier film and the novels of Jack Ketchum that inspired it, but with a slyly...

In his latest interview/podcast, host Stuart Wright talks with writer/director Justin McConnell about his 5 Great British Horror Films, which include:

Peeping Tom (1960) The Company Of Wolves (1984) Hellraiser (1987) Ghostwatch (1992) Triangle (2009)

Following the success of his film Lifechanger, Justin has recently teamed up with Serena Whitney to create the Christmas horror Do You See What I See?, one of eight titles announced by the newly formed Grimmfest Films. Simeon Halligan and Rachel Richardson-Jones, directors of Manchester-based UK genre film festival Grimmfest, launched their new production company called Grimmfest Films on 10 May 2019.

Lifechanger is out now via Frightfest Presents.

Grimmfest Films will develop, produce and part-finance features and streaming content.

Simeon Halligan and Rachel Richardson-Jones, directors of Manchester-based UK genre film festival Grimmfest, are launching a production company called Grimmfest Films.

The company will develop, produce and part-finance feature films and streaming content from filmmakers who have premiered work in the festival. This year’s event runs from October 3-6.

Grimmfest Films is financially supported by M2 Media Post Inc, providing an equity fund to invest in post-production. Further funding announcements are pending.

The management team includes executive producer Sarada McDermott McDermott’s credits include co-producer roles on Fighting With My Family and Tolkien.

Jessica Barden Stars In A Simeon Halligan Film Habit Based On The Cult Novel By Stephen McGeagh Released In UK Cinemas 1 July 2018 Directed by: Simeon Halligan Starring: Jessica Barden, Elliot James Langridge, William Ash and Sally Carman From director Simeon Halligan and based on the cult novel by Stephen McGeagh, …

The post Habit | Starring Jessica Barden and Elliot James Langridge | In UK cinemas 1 July 2018 appeared first on Hnn | Horrornews.net.

Grimmfest 2018, a celebration of the horror genre, sweeps over Manchester, England for the tenth time starting on October 4th and the lineup is pretty exciting. The recently revealed lineup features a fully remastered screening of Splintered (from Grimmfest festival directors Simeon Halligan and Rachel Richardson-Jones), the regional premiere of Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich, the horror anthology Nightmare Cinema, a Barbara Crampton Lifetime Achievement Award presentation, and more!

Press Release: This year, Grimmfest, Manchester's Festival of Horror, Cult and Fantastic Film, celebrates its 10th anniversary. Get ready for decimation, with the darkest, deadliest line-up yet of wild, weird, witty, thrilling, chilling, blood-spilling movies, every one of them a premiere or cult classic of one kind or another, many with cast and crew in attendance.

But Grimmfest will also be looking back, a little nervously over its shoulder, perhaps, at a decade spent delivering top-quality cinematic carnage to the movie-goers of Manchester,...

Genre film festivals take place all over the world and we believe it is important to highlight those that many horror fans might not have heard of in the hopes that they decide to make that a bucket list destination. Today, we want to tell you a bit about Hard:Line, an “extreme” (we’ll get to […]

The post Hard:Line 2018 Exclusive: German Festival to Honor Simeon Halligan With Director Spotlight Series appeared first on Dread Central.

To celebrate the release of Brit horror film Habit on digital download we have a poster signed by director Simeon Halligan and Elliot James Langridge and a copy of the original novel signed by author Stephen McGeagh to giveaway to a lucky winner.

Habit starring Jessica Barden (The End of the F***ing World), Elliot James Langridge (Northern Soul) and Roxanne Pallet (Wrong Turn 6) is directed by Simeon Halligan (White Settlers) and is based on the cult novel from Stephen McGeagh.

Based in Manchester, the film is a blood-drenched and intensely claustrophobic film that centres around Michael (Langridge) who as a young boy, along with his sister, witnesses the suicide of his mother. Now an adult and trying to find his place in the world, Michael divides his time between the job centre and the pub. A chance meeting with Lee (Barden), an introduction to her Uncle Ian (Ash) and...

Jessica Barden And Elliot James Langridge Star In A Simeon Halligan Film Habit Based On The Cult Novel By Stephen McGeagh Released In UK Cinemas 29 June 2018 Directed by: Simeon Halligan Starring: From director Simeon Halligan and based on the cult novel by Stephen McGeagh, Habit is a blood-drenched and intense claustrophobic film …

The post Habit | In cinemas this Friday, 29 June | Brit Horror starring Jessica Barden appeared first on Hnn | Horrornews.net. Copyrights 2008-2018 - Horrornews.net...

In his latest interview/podcast, host Stuart Wright talks to writer/director Simeon Halligan about his new film Habit, which is based on the cult novel by Stephen McGeagh and stars Jessica Barden, Elliot James Langridge, William Ash, Roxanne Pallett and Joanne Mitchell.

The film follows Michael and his chance meeting with Lee that leads to a job at a seedy massage parlour called Cloud 9. After witnessing the violent death of one of the customers Michael experiences blood-drenched flashbacks and feels himself being sucked into a twilight world that he doesn’t understand but is irresistibly drawn to.

Habit is released in UK Cinemas Friday 29th June 2018. Full details can be found at www.habitmovie.com...

From Re-Animator to Beyond the Gates and You're Next, Barbara Crampton's wonderful work spans decades and has inspired generations of performers, which is why the 10th annual Grimmfest at the Odeon Manchester Great Northern is honoring her with a lifetime achievement award this October. Continue reading for more information on the exciting special guest announcement and for information on how to get passes for the festival:

Press Release: UK genre film festival Grimmfest is delighted to announce that this year’s 10th Anniversary festival will take place at the Odeon Manchester Great Northern, 4th-7th October.

Their special guest will be actress and horror genre icon Barbara Crampton. Renowned for her roles in cult classics such as Re-animator and From Beyond, Barbara continues to be a major figure in contemporary genre cinema, appearing in such acclaimed recent releases as you're Next, Beyond The Gates, Sun Choke, We Are Still Here and Replace.

UK genre film festival Grimmfest have announced that this year’s 10th Anniversary festival will take place at the Odeon Manchester Great Northern, 4th-7th October – and that the special guest will be actress and horror genre icon Barbara Crampton.

Renowned for her roles in cult classics such as Re-Animator and From Beyond, Barbara continues to be a major figure in contemporary genre cinema, appearing in such acclaimed recent releases as You’re Next, Beyond the Gates, Sun Choke, We Are Still Here and Replace.

Barbara will be talking about her acting career and will introduce a special screening of 80′s horror classic Re-Animator as well as a premiere of one of her new movies. She will also receive a lifetime achievement award, sponsored by Horror Channel.

Festival director Simeon Halligan said:

This is our 10th anniversary year and to celebrate, we will be focusing on women in horror. We...

To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Grimmfest, the Manchester based genre festival is pleased to announce the first Grimmfest Awards, a new scheme to celebrate the very best genre titles selected for the annual festival and the creative teams behind them.

Said festival director and founder of Grimmfest, Simeon Halligan:

We are launching the awards, to promote and celebrate ground-breaking new talent in Genre filmmaking. For the past decade, we have showcased the work of filmmakers from all around the world, keen to discover the next generation of cinematic mavericks and genre masters.

Co-director Rachel Richardson-Jones added:

…as filmmakers ourselves, we have become increasingly aware that festival recognition is not merely an acknowledgement from peers of a job well done, but also a vital means of gaining increased profile and attention for your film. Therefore, as one of the Genre world’s key festivals, we have decided to reward excellence where we see it.

The 37th Cambridge Film Festival, taking place 19th – 26th October 2017, has announced its full programme of 92 feature-length films, 127 shorts, with 18 UK premieres and 4 World premieres representing titles from 33 countries. As ever the festival presents a typically diverse programme and for those, like us here at Nerdly, who wish to venture into the weird and wonderful world of cinema, the festival has programmed a selection of features and accompanying shorts at Arts Picturehouse cinema under the “Lates @Aph” strand.

For more info check out http://www.cambridgefilmfestival.org.uk

Icelandic horror Rift directed by Erlingur Ottar Thoroddsen and starring Björn Stefánsson, Sigurður Þór Óskarsson, Guðmundur Ólafsson is the first late-night treat on Friday 20/10 (and again on Monday 23/10). After receiving a strange, distressed phone call from his ex-boyfriend, Einar. Gunnar drives up to the isolated cabin where Einar is holed up and they begin to dissect the remains of their broken relationship.

"It's the most wonderful time of the year!" The spooky, Halloween goodness has only just begun! The clothing store Unique Vintage recently teamed up with Nerdist for a Ghoul Gang photo that's featured in today's Horror Highlights. Also: Razor Reel Flanders Film Festival 2017, Coma Ward board game details, Mortal Kombat hits New York Comic Con 2017, Final Girls Berlin Film Fest's call for submissions, and release details and a trailer for Bunnyman Vengeance.

Unique Vintage's Ghoul Gang Photo Shoot: "Bring on the gothic glamour! Leading up to Halloween, Unique Vintage is celebrating the spookiest season with Nerdist for a special photo shoot promoting their Ghoul Gang t-shirt and Creepy Collection of retro clothing. Whether you're the daughter of Dracula or a Mistress of the Dark, this collection has something for you!

Inspired by the best-selling t-shirt, the Ghoul Gang includes: Bizarre States podcast host Jessica Chobot as Morticia Addams; Nerdist Editor-in-Chief...

In a follow-up to last weeks podcast/interview, Britflicks podcast host and Nerdly team member Stuart Wright talks to writer/director Simeon Halligan about his new film Habit, an adaptation of Steven McGeagh’s cult novel, which is set in a neon-drenched dystopian Manchester.

Alongside Elliot James Langridge (Northern Soul), Habit features an incredible Northern cast of actors, including Roxanne Pallet (Emmerdale), Jessica Barden (Penny Dreadful, The Lobster) and Sally Carmen (Shameless). The film’s cast also includes William Ash (Waterloo Road), Andrew Ellis (This Is England), Robert Beck (Home Fires), Joanne Mitchell (White Settlers), and Louis Emerick (Layer Cake).

Habit follows the story of Michael, played by Elliot James Langridge (Northern Soul), jobless and down on his luck, he is irresistibly drawn into the city’s seedy underworld and is groomed by a subculture who have a dark secret, a bloody addiction that they intend Michael to share.

Confirmed...

Director Simeon Halligan’s latest horror opus, Habit, will receive its premiere at Grimmfest on Thursday 5th October, as the opening night gala for the festival. The film is an adaptation of Steven McGeagh’s cult novel, which is set in a neon-drenched dystopian Manchester. Alongside Elliot James Langridge (Northern Soul), the production features an incredible Northern cast of actors, including Roxanne Pallet (Emmerdale), Jessica Barden (Penny Dreadful, The Lobster) and Sally Carmen (Shameless). The film’s cast also includes William Ash (Waterloo Road), Andrew Ellis (This Is England), Robert Beck (Home Fires), Joanne Mitchell (White Settlers), and Louis Emerick (Layer Cake).

Habit follows the story of Michael, played by Elliot James Langridge (Northern Soul), jobless and down on his luck, he is irresistibly drawn into the city’s seedy underworld and is groomed by a subculture who have a dark secret, a bloody addiction that they intend Michael to share.

In his latest interview/podcast, host Stuart Wright talks with director, co-founder and programmer Simeon Halligan about 2017′s Grimmfest Film Festival and the world premiere of his latest movie Habit.

Grimmfest, Manchester’s Festival of Horror, Cult and Fantastic Film is back, bigger, bolder, and bloodier than ever before. The festival takes place 5th – 8th October at the, Vue Printworks, Manchester.

Full line up and tickets here: grimmfest.com/grimmupnorth/2017/…2017-full-line-up/...

The list of official selections for the annual New York City Horror Film Festival to be held in late October is out! It presents a long list of awesome features which will be spiced with a long list of great short films. Focusing on the features, the list looks like: "3", Dir. Lou Simon "Close Calls", Dir. Richard Stringham "The Night Watchmen", Dir. Mitchell Altieri "Habit", Dir. Simeon Halligan "Vampyrvidar", Dir. Thomas Aske Berg & Fredrik Waldeland "Mal Nosso", Dir. Samuel Galli "Diane", Dir. Michael Mongillo "Ruin Me", Dir. Preston DeFrancis "Hostile", Dir. Matthieu Turi "Replace", Dir. Norbert Keil "The Night Sitter", Dir. John Rocco "Art Of Obsession", Dir. Ryan Andrews "Dismissed", Dir. Ben Arfmann If you wish to know more, look up: http://nychorrorfest.com/...

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Here’s the first bloody trailer for Habit, the new Manchester UK set horror from White Settlers director Simeon Halligan. Habit follows Michael, jobless and down on his luck is irresistibly drawn into the city’s seedy underworld and is groomed by a secretive subculture who has a dark secret; a bloody addiction that they intend Michael […]...

We told you a few days ago that Habit, the new Manchester, UK-set horror from White Settlers director Simeon Halligan, is having its UK Premiere during the upcoming Grimmfest; and today we’re pleased to present the debut of the film’s… Continue Reading →

The post Exclusive First Look at the Habit Trailer; New Poster, Stills, and More! appeared first on Dread Central.

Grimmfest, Manchester’s Festival of Horror, Cult and Fantastic Film is back; bigger, bolder, and bloodier than ever before. As the Printworks once again find itself under siege by blood-soaked hordes of horror enthusiasts and film freaks, as Team Grimmfest unleashes…the Ninth Configuration! The festivals latest and greatest line-up yet of dark, dangerous, wild, weird, witty, thrilling, chilling, blood-spilling movies, every one of them a premiere or cult classic of one kind or another.

Highlights include: World Premieres!

Grimmfest is proud to be presenting the world premiere of the remarkable and utterly unique Borley Rectory. Using an elaborate mixture of live action, stills, paintings, and model work, it’s an immersive, eerily atmospheric, and elegantly retro-styled exploration of the Most Haunted House in Britain. Over six years in the making, it’s a real labor of love for its creator, Ashley Thorpe. Featuring a score by Ex-Banshee Steve Severin,...

Damn, now this latest addition to this year's Mayhem Film Festival in Nottingham, UK, sounds very cool. We at Screen Anarchy are always looking for events at film festivals that help round out our visits and still nothing compares to live events. Script readings, for example, when done well, are a lot of fun. A recently unearthed thought-lost script outline from the Hammer Scripts Archive, titled Zeppelin vs Pterodactyls, will be performed live during the festival this October. Other than this terrific announcement two more titles have been added to the lineup. Joe Lynch's Mayhem and Simeon Halligan’s Habit have been added to the film lineup. Stay tuned for more announcements as the festival nears. Mayhem Film Festival announces Zeppelin vs Pterodactyls,...

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Grimmfest, the North Of England’s premier horror, cult and fantastic film festival opens its pre-Halloween doors for the 7th time on Thursday 1st October with a gala screening of The Hallow, starring Oxford born Joseph Mawle (Game Of Thrones). It promises to be a packed four days with more than 20 feature length presentations to choose from. The annual Grimmfest event was born out of the Grimm Up North monthly film screenings and events that scare, astound and entertain Manchester audiences all year round. So, here’s what the Grimmfest team, told us you can specifically look forward to in 2015:

Simeon Halligan

“Landmine Goes Click is a real surprise to me. I thought I knew what I was getting from the title and the trailer but this turned out to be a complex and very dark study of the effects of retribution and revenge on the human psyche. The third act blew me away!

It’s that time of year again. The nights are drawing in, the skies are increasingly overcast, the weather is disturbingly unpredictable. There’s something dark coming. Grimmfest 2015 is almost upon us. And as ever, Grimmfest will be welcoming a handful of horror cohorts as guests to the event. This years line-up includes (from the press release):

Thur 1st Oct

For our opening night, we’ll be proving that it really is Grimm Up North, with our showcase of Northern shorts. This will feature the world premiere of The Box, which marks the directorial debut of SFX make-up guru, Shaune Harrison, who has worked on everything from Hellraiser 3, through to Harry Potter, The Avengers, World War Z and Star Wars, and now runs his own Make-Up Academy here in Manchester. Shaune will be joining us, alongside the film’s stars. Dominic Brunt, best known for his role in Emmerdale,...

A couple receives a violent housewarming gift in the form of a home invasion in The Blood Lands, now available on Blu-ray, DVD, and VOD from Magnolia Pictures. For our latest Q&A feature, we recently caught up with The Blood Lands director Simeon Halligan.

Thanks for taking the time to converse with us today, Simeon. What elements from The Blood Lands screenplay attracted you to telling this story onscreen?

Simeon Halligan: First and foremost, Ian Fenton's screenplay was just so tense. We always knew it wasn't a complicated plot, it didnt have major character complexities but it was a page-turner, a script you couldn't put down as soon as you started reading it. A simple intriguing premise. You wanted to know what the threat was, supernatural or physical? Once you knew, then you wanted to know why our couple were being terrorised, all the while rooting for...

People often engage in friendly competition with their neighbors, but the battle often isn’t threatening as they fight to claim who’s the better family. But one family’s sinister intentions and ill will towards the other is powerfully exposed after its members are pushed beyond their seemingly friendly limit. Pollyanna McIntosh and Lee Williams harrowingly learn that lesson when their characters in their new horror film, ‘The Blood Lands,’ embark on a shockingly lethal game of cat and mouse with their new local acquaintances. Viewers can witness their increasing terror in Shockya’s new exclusive Behind-the-Scenes clip for the thriller, which was directed by Simeon Halligan and and writer Ian Fenton. The [ Read More ]

The post Lee Williams and Pollyanna McIntosh Enter The Blood Lands in Exclusive Blu-ray and DVD Special Features Clip appeared first on Shockya.com.

With the Screamfest Us Premiere of director Simeon Halligan’s White Settlers having taken place last night in Hollywood, CA, here are video clips and photos of lead actress Pollyanna McIntosh (Lucky McKee’s The Woman), who chatted with us on the… Continue Reading →

The post Screamfest L.A. 2014 Exclusive: The Woman’s Pollyanna McIntosh Talks the Premiere of White Settlers appeared first on Dread Central.

With director Simeon Halligan’s UK horror feature White Settlers scheduled for its Us premiere this coming Tuesday, October 21, at 7:30 pm during the prestigious Screamfest Film Festival, read on for our exclusive interview with him, and have a look… Continue Reading →

The post Screamfest L.A. 2014: Director Simeon Halligan Talks Us Premiere of White Settlers appeared first on Dread Central.

Having returned from the Moorish and Amazonian horrors to enter the multiplex – the home of the celluloid dream that has dispatched many a willing viewer to their homes to be terrified by creaking floorboards, so this week we find ourselves returning home.

In part two of our FrightFest special feature ‘Unwanted Guests’, HeyUGuys rendezvoused with director Simeon Halligan on the English-Scottish border to discuss his ‘Scottish referendum home invasion horror’, after which we stopped off to view a house just over the border.

Oddly enough it was as though we’d been there before…

How did you come to contribute your version of the home invasion film to the repertoire?

Ian Fenton wrote the script quite a long time ago. This was a good couple of years ago now, when there were not as many home invasion films around. So when we first started looking at the piece it was...

With the Scottish independence referendum just days away it seems fitting that new British horror 'White Settlers' finally finds its general release. The movie comes courtesy of Grimmfest Directors Simeon Halligan and Rachel Richardson-Jones and lands on UK VOD platforms this very day! The home invasion thriller opens today over at the Sky Store, iTunes, Virgin Filmflex, GooglePlay, Amazon, Horrow Show TV, Blinkbox, Xbox and Wuaki. 'White Settlers' stars Pollyanna McIntosh ('The Woman'), Lee Williams and Joanne Mitchell. Head below to check out the official trailer....

Having returned from the Moorish and Amazonian horrors to enter the multiplex – the home of the celluloid dream that has dispatched many a willing viewer to their homes to be terrified by creaking floorboards, so this week we find ourselves returning home. What better way to launch the ‘Unwanted Guests’ feature and whet the appetite than with a review of British made home invasion horror White Settlers?

Whilst the title carries connotations of colonialism, the drama here penned by Scottish writer Ian Fenton and helmed by director Simeon Halligan looks to the border of England and Scotland, and exploits the timely events of the upcoming referendum. Removed from the focus of the referendum however, White Settlers is a film to be admired for its simplicity and ability to strike a tempered balance between suspense and violence – high on the former; sparing on the latter.

Production of White Settlers rolled whilst...

Dubbed 'The Scottish Referendum Horror' and made by Grimmfest Festival Directors Simeon Halligan and Rachel Richardson-Jones, White Settlers (review) is currently touring the UK, hitting VOD today, and heading to DVD in October.

White Settlers is now available to stream on Sky Store, iTunes, Virgin Filmflex, GooglePlay, Amazon, Horrow Show TV, Blinkbox, Xbox, and Wuaki as of 8th September with the DVD following on 20th October.

The film also recently embarked on a road trip, hitting the following select cinemas around the UK during September and October with many dates including cast and crew Q+A's:

6-9 Sept Derby Quad, Derby

15-18 Sept Dancehouse, Manchester - Q+A with cast and crew + short film showcase each night

20-23 Sept The Small Cinema, Moston, Greater Manchester - Q+A with the producer and director on the 20th

22-25 Sept Peckham Plex, London

25 Sept The Cameo, Edinburgh - Q+A with cast...

★★★☆☆The most terrifying horror can often be found right on your own doorstep. Director Simeon Halligan's Scottish chiller White Settlers (2014) proves that man's most basic fears are often those derived from reality rather than the imaginary. Sarah (Pollyanna McIntosh) and Ed (Lee Williams) have leave the rat-race of London for a new life in Scotland. However, what begins as an idyllic dream in a remote farmhouse soon turns into a frantic fight for survival, as the young couple discover that the locals are not as hospitable as the estate agent's brochures would have had them believe. The underlying premise of this film is nothing new: outsiders attempting to integrate themselves into a hostile environment.