News

The punk-edged festival fave gets a UK streaming release.

A/K's Body Horror Now Available On VOD In UK & Ireland

Kill Your Lover, a razor-sharp and visceral exploration of toxic love with a punk edge, is releasing July 7th, 2025 on digital platforms across the UK and Ireland.

Directed by writer-director team A/K (Alix Austin & Keir Siewert), Kill Your Lover was originally shot in the UK and had a successful international festival run, shocking audiences across Brooklyn Horror Film Festival, Overlook Film Festival, Hard:Line and FrightFest Glasgow. The film took home Best Effects at Brooklyn Horror, Best Feature at Dead Northern Film Festival, and Best British Feature Film at Romford Film Festival, earning acclaim for its genre-defying aesthetic and raw emotional core.

Described by Brooklyn Horror Film Festival’s Matt Barone as “both an uncompromising breakup film and a wild new entry into the body horror canon, co-directors Alix Austin...

The British Independent Film Awards (Bifa) has selected 14 writers and producers for Springboard: Genre, the 2025 iteration of its Springboard training programme.

Supported by production, finance and sales outfit Anton, the third edition of the Springboard programme will run until December 2025.

Scroll down for the full list of writers and producers

It offers a mixture of technical and professional training, mentoring, networking and access to resources to better equip participants for industry challenges faced whilst developing their action, thriller, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, dystopia, comedy or genre hybrid project.

Selected creatives include Jeremy Warmsley, who produced Elizabeth Sankey’s documentary features Romantic Comedy and Witches,...

Horror fans, we're eatin' good (with our eyes). It's been a splendid 2024 already, and we're not even at the Halloween rush yet. Indie darlings like Shudder's "Exhuma" or "Infested" have stunned the platform's subscribers, Neon mesmerized theatergoers with "Immaculate" and "Longlegs," and studio releases like "The First Omen" or "Alien: Romulus" brought the thunder. Can we not bother with the obligatory "Horror's back, baby!" articles this October? Horror never left, horror's always en vogue, and horror's been having one heck of a year.

Like I said, Halloween still two months away. We're still staring at a whole dang slate of spooky season releases on the horizon. With titles like "Speak No Evil" or "Terrifier 3" patiently waiting, the best horror watches this year might still be on the way. Even better, we've seen some of those releases yet to come and can confirm that 2024 still has some tricks up its sleeve.

Kill Your Lover tells the chilling story of a relationship turned toxic. Dakota wants out of living with boyfriend Axel, but breaking things off proves harder than expected. When Dakota informs Axel of her plans to leave, strange marks begin spreading across his body. His touch now blisters the skin. As Axel’s condition worsens, memories shed light on how their passionate romance soured into something poisonous.

The film astutely uses body horror as a metaphor for the insidious ways relationships can warp beyond repair. Directors Alix Austin and Keir Siewert crafted an unflinching look at what happens when unresolved issues fester to a breaking point. Through a blend of tense confrontations and affecting flashbacks, we’re drawn inside Dakota and Axel’s world to witness both the allure that drew them together and the rot that’s driving them apart. It’s a raw depiction of love turning to...

Stars: Paige Gilmour, Shane Quigley Murphy, May Kelly, Chloe Wigmore, Joshua Whincup | Written and Directed by Alix Austin, Keir Siewert

[Note: With the film now available in cinemas and on digital in the US, here’s a reposting of my review from this year’s Glasgow Frightfest]

Dakota and Axel’s relationship is a toxic mess. She knows it, everybody does… except Axel. The only thing is, until Dakota tries to break up with Axel, she doesn’t know how truly toxic it will become. The mere idea of splitting up causes Axel to become intensely ill, sprouting grotesque black veins and excreting a strange sticky liquid. His touch burns flesh and his need to hang onto Dakota becomes irrationally powerful. Nobody is going to take her away from him, not even the paramedics that Dakota calls to deal with Axel’s rapidly worsening condition. The two grapple with what remains of their once passionate relationship – and how what was built on sexual passion and punk rock could end with blood spilt, lives lost and at least one heart broken,...

A film like Kill Your Lover highlights what's so special about the horror genre. Youve seen movies about toxic relationships before, probably with Hollywoodized happy endings or experiences grounded by the confines of societal perception. Alix Austin and Keir Siewerts body horror breakup flick is free from these restrictive boundaries, pushing past soapy operatics into the frightening side of failing relationships. Kill Your Lovers embraces the illustrative ick of toxic relationships as an acidic infection, cleverly exposing physical repulsiveness via a genre that doesnt shy away from how painful and terrifying everyday shared experiences can become.

Prepare to Be Spoiled: Megan Tremethick Teases Debut Feature Asmr Horror 'Spoiling You': "Taking inspiration from the cultural phenomenon of anime cosplay and Asmr YouTube performers, Megan Tremethick (The Slave and the Sorcerer) is producing a startling psychological horror that follows the clandestine activities of a lonely girl who discovers a liberating second life through her invention of 'Miss Mutter', an alluring anime cosplay character she uses to perform Asmr on YouTube. She soon acquires a legion of devoted fans, but as her popularity grows so too do the lines between fantasy and reality begin to blur. As the world begins to learn more and more about Miss Mutter, we soon realise that the woman underneath all the makeup and costume remains a mysterious figure... one with a spine-tingling secret.

A secret that is revealed when Miss Mutter invites her number one fan to spend the night with her for an intimate in-person session.

Darklit Press Sets Sail On Kickstarter With Darklit Sails: A Groundbreaking Pirate Horror Adventure Series By Marginalized Authors: "DarkLit Press proudly announces the launch of their Kickstarter campaign for DarkLit Sails, an exhilarating series of pirate horror adventures written by underrepresented and marginalized authors. This daring voyage into the world of dark literature promises to captivate readers with spine-tingling tales of high-seas terror, all while championing diverse voices in the literary landscape.

Underrepresented and marginalized authors have long struggled to find their place in mainstream publishing, but DarkLit Sails aims to change that narrative. By providing a platform for these talented storytellers, DarkLit Press is committed to amplifying voices that have been historically overlooked in the industry.

"We believe that everyone deserves to see themselves reflected in the stories they read," says Andrew Robert, Founder and CEO of DarkLit Press. "With DarkLit Sails, we're not only offering thrilling adventures but...

Stars: Paige Gilmour, Shane Quigley Murphy, May Kelly | Written and Directed by Alix Austin, Keir Siewert

Dakota has had enough of her toxic relationship with Axel, but the feeling isn’t mutual. As she tries to end things, Axel becomes something different, something monstrous. He gradually succumbs to the poison of the decaying relationship, becoming a creature with increased aggression, a touch that melts skin and, worst of all, he’s contagious.

Brit horror Kill Your Lover is, at its core, a heavy-handed allegory/visual metaphor for a toxic relationship and a hard break up; all wrapped up in what is a grisly body horror which helps cover what is essentially a short story, spun out to feature length by drawn out fights between the warring couple.

Kill Your Lover is held together by its two central characters, Dakota and Axel, played by Paige Gilmour and Shane Quigley Murphy respectively,...

The UK’s No.1 horror fantasy event FrightFest, which returns to Glasgow for its 19th year from Thursday 7 March to Saturday 9 March 2024, have announced the incredible line-up of talent that will grace the eagerly-anticipated event:

Schitt’s Creek and The Rig star Emily Hampshire will be hosting the World Premiere of Mom, alongside the film’s director Adam O’Brien. Emily not only stars in the film but is also Executive Producer. We will also have mega-genre talent Lauren Lavera, in the house. The star of Terrifier 2 and the forthcoming Terrifier 3, will present her latest terrifying movie, The Well, alongside Italian director Federico Zampaglione.

Abigail Hardingham will also be joining us. The star of The Missing and Nina Forever, is here for the World premiere of Custom, a passion project, which she stars in and co-produces. The film’s director, Tiago Teixeirin, making his impactful feature film debut, will also be attending,...

FrightFest, the UK’s No.1 horror fantasy event, returns to the renowned Glasgow Film Festival for its 19th year, from Thursday 7th March to Saturday 9th March 2024. This year’s diverse and creative line-up, once again housed at the iconic Glasgow Film Theatre, showcases the latest new releases from the horror, chiller and fantastic realms by auteurs from all over the globe who are not only transforming the genre in exciting ways but also celebrating its consistent appeal at the box office. This year we will be presenting twelve films from eight countries, spanning three continents, including two world and eight UK premieres.

FrightFest kicks off in thrilling style on Thurs 7 March with a special UK premiere screening of twisted terror tale You’LL Never Find Me, a bold directorial debut from Australian filmmaking duo Josiah Allen & Indianna Bell and featuring outstanding central performances from Jordan Cowan & Brendan Rock.

FrightFest’s...

The Brooklyn Horror Film Festival announced an impressive full slate of programming for its 2023 edition, running October 12-19 with all screenings held at Nitehawk Cinema’s Williamsburg and Prospect Park locations.

From the press release:

Audiences are in for an unearthly lineup of films and events, including the inaugural Leviathan Award, which will be presented to NYC horror legend William Lustig at a special 35th anniversary screening of Maniac Cop, followed by a post-screening conversation with Lustig.

The Opening Night film is the World Premiere of Kill Your Lover from directors Alix Austin and Kier Siewert, who previously announced themselves to the Bhff audience last year with their short film Sucker. The 2023 festival boasts the World Premieres of three more exciting new films: Gaia director Jaco Bouwer’s unsettling Breathing In, Aimee Kuge’s audacious debut Cannibal Mukbang, and Tyler Chipman’s powerfully creepy debut The Shade. The festival’s...

The Brooklyn Horror Film Festival (Bhff) announces today the full program for its 2023 incarnation, running October 12-19th with all screenings held at Nitehawk Cinema’s Williamsburg and Prospect Park locations. Audiences are in for an unearthly lineup of films and events, including the inaugural Leviathan Award, which will be presented to NYC horror legend William Lustig at a special 35th-anniversary screening of Maniac Cop, followed by a post-screening conversation with Lustig.

The Opening Night film is the World Premiere of Kill Your Lover from directors Alix Austin and Keir Siewert, who previously announced themselves to the Bhff audience last year with their short film Sucker. The 2023 festival boasts the World Premieres of three more exciting new films: Gaia director Jaco Bouwer’s unsettling Breathing In, Aimee Kuge’s audacious debut Cannibal Mukbang, and Tyler Chipman’s powerfully creepy debut The Shade. The festival’s other spotlight titles include director...

The Brooklyn Horror Film Festival (Bhff) announces today the full program for its 2023 incarnation, running October 12-19.

“The Opening Night film is the World Premiere of Kill Your Lover from directors Alix Austin and Keir Siewert, who previously announced themselves to the Bhff audience last year with their short film Sucker. The 2023 festival boasts the World Premieres of three more exciting new films: Gaia director Jaco Bouwer’s unsettling Breathing In, Aimee Kuge’s audacious debut Cannibal Mukbang, and Tyler Chipman’s powerfully creepy debut The Shade. The festival’s other spotlight titles include director Pascal Plante’s recently announced Utopia Distribution title Red Rooms as the festival’s Centerpiece Film, and Jenn Wexler’s ’70s supernatural Christmas horror The Sacrifice Game as the Closing Night Film.”

Find out more here!

In exciting Lego Star Wars news, the group unveiled one of the largest sets ever made, an Ultimate Collectors...

Summer festival season may be over but spooky festival season was always there, hiding behind the proverbial hedge, waiting to take it's place. Our friends at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival have announced their lineup for this year's edition, happening from October 12th through 19th. Alix Austin and Keir Siewert's Kill Your Lover will have its world premiere at Bhff when it opens the festival. Jenn Wexler's The Sacrifice Game is all set to close this year's event. There are three more world premieres this year. Jaco Bouwer’s Breathing In is their followup to the terrific Gaia. It will be joined by two debut feature films, Aimee Kuge’s Cannibal Mukbang and Tyler Chipman’s The Shade. There is going to be a cool sidebar program this year...

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

Just because everything is now warm and sunny outside doesn’t mean that horror movies can’t find their place. Just look at Midsommar or Jaws. Both films are set in an idyllic location for summer travel, they boast bright and colorful summertime fun… with something sinister lurking just below the happy façade. This July, (between July 2 and the end of the month), Shudder will be the exclusive host for streaming the 2023 Etheria Film Festival on their platform. The festival highlights all the latest horror film creations from an entirely female director pool, including Zoey Martinson (Cupids), Jennifer Zhang (Charon), Meg Swertlow (Give Me an A), Alix Austin (Do Not Resuscitate), and many more.

The Etheria Film Festival, a showcase of new horror, science fiction, and fantasy films directed by women, turns 10 this year, and they’re celebrating accordingly. And Bloody Disgusting can exclusively unveil what’s in store for this year’s fest, along with a sneak peek trailer.

The annual festivities will kick off with a live event in Kansas City, Missouri, on Saturday, July 1, 2023, at the Screenland Armour Theater with filmmakers and special guests in person for an onstage Q and A followed by an official afterparty. If you’re not able to attend in person, don’t worry; Etheria reteams with Shudder this year, and the official festival lineup will stream exclusively on the streaming service from July 2 through July 31, 2023.

Horror actress and director Brinke Stevens will receive the 2023 Etheria Inspiration Award from special guest presenters in person at the event.

“These films are so good your eyes will melt out of your brain,...

Here’s the latest episode of the The Filmmakers Podcast, part of the ever-growing podcast roster here on Nerdly. If you haven’t heard the show yet, you can check out previous episodes on the official podcast site, whilst we’ll be featuring each and every new episode as it premieres.

For those unfamiliar with the series, The Filmmakers Podcast is a podcast about how to make films from micro budget indie films to bigger budget studio films and everything in-between. Our hosts Giles Alderson, Dan Richardson, Andrew Rodger and Cristian James talk how to get films made, how to actually make them and how to try not to f… it up in their very humble opinion. Guests will come on and chat about their film making experiences from directors, writers, producers, screenwriters, actors, cinematographers and distributors.

The Filmmaker’s Podcast #298: Scary Success Live Panel – with Jake West, Frighfest’s Paul McEvoy,...

"You're carrying the most dangerous virus - the truth." An official trailer has debuted for another set of horror films made during the pandemic - this one is called Isolation. "Nine tales of terror weave together the story of isolated citizens around the world as they confront their darkest fears in an attempt to survive an increasingly deadly outbreak." We've already seen plenty of horror directors making films at home with whatever they had during lockdown, and this has a similar premise. Producer / filmmaker Nathan Crooker gathered a big batch of filmmakers for this: Larry Fessenden, Andrew Kasch, Dennie Gordon, Bobby Roe, Alix Austin & Keir Siewert, Christian Pasquariello, Alexandra Neary, Zach Passero, Adam Brown & Kyle I. Kelley. "They were not allowed to use Zoom or any other video conferencing services and were only allowed to use the equipment and resources they had with them when they entered into lockdown, including cast and crew,...

Gravitas Ventures and Kamikaze Dogfight have acquired the U.S. and Canadian rights for Nathan Crooker’s film “Isolation.”

The feature-length anthology connects nine stories of people from all over the world confronting their darkest fears during the pandemic. Crooker, who produces the film, tasked 11 filmmakers with creating their stories using only the production equipment and resources they had with them when they entered quarantine. They were also barred from using Zoom or other video conferencing services. “Isolation” premiered at FrightFest UK 2021 and will have its North American premiere on Oct. 15th at Screamfest LA, followed by a release on VOD platforms on Nov. 2.

Directors on the project include acclaimed horror directors such as Dennie Gordon, Larry Fessenden, Bobby Roe, Andrew Kasch, Zach Passero and Christian Pasquariello, as well as newer voices like Alexandra Near; Alix Austin and Keir Siewert; and Kyle I. Kelley and Adam Brown.

Crooker produces on...

Stars: Larry Fessenden, Marieh Delfino, Dennie Gordon, Damien Gerard, Sunny Roe | Directed by Alix Austin, Adam R. Brown, Larry Fessenden, Dennie Gordon, Andrew Kasch, Kyle I. Kelley, Alexandra Neary, Christian Pasquariello, Zach Passero, Bobby Roe, ​​Keir Siewert

It will come as no surprise to anyone that there is, and will be more coming, a host of movies, especially horror movies, that have been made centered around the pandemic. The bigger budgeted titles wont be out until next year I’m sure but there’s a whole lot of lower budgeted titles that are releasing as soon as they can. Isolation is one of those films that has been made during the pandemic and during the time of self-isolation and social distancing. Unfortunately any movie like this is going to be compared to the excellent Host and almost definitely come up short.

Isolation does have nine attempts at making things good...

“Isolation,” a horror anthology film, has finished its principal photography shooting entirely in quarantine.

The film weaves together nine standalone, yet interconnected, horror stories from all corners of the world. It follows people as they confront their biggest fears in attempts to survive an increasingly deadly pandemic, a premise that hits close to home for many people during the coronavirus crisis.

The teams of filmmakers on the project include Dennie Gordon; Larry Fessenden; Bobby Roe (“The Houses October Built”); Andrew Kasch (“Tales Of Halloween”); Zach Passero (“Wicked Lake”) and Christian Pasquariello (“Alien Invasion: S.U.M. 1”). The anthology will also showcase new voices in horror with films by Alexandra Neary (“The Innocent”), Alix Austin and Keir Siewert (“Retch”), and Kyle I. Kelley and Adam Brown (“The Music Lesson”).

For “Isolation,” producer Nathan Crooker created a fictional world set many months in the future that is based around the coronavirus pandemic.