Dubbed “the Woodstock of Gore” by director Guillermo Del Toro, FrightFest was created in 2000 by film producer Paul McEvoy, journalist and broadcaster Alan Jones and film distributor/booker Ian Rattray. Greg Day, the festival’s long standing PR, became a joint director in 2007.
From its cult roots at the Prince Charles Cinema it has grown to become one of the genre’s most vibrant, credible and recognisable brands, helping to launch the careers of directors such as Simon Rumley, Christopher Smith, Eli Roth, Neil Marshall and Simon Hunter.
Apart from the annual 5-day event in London, FrightFest has an ever-growing strand at the Glasgow Film Festival, hosts a nationwide Halloween horrorthon and showcases special screenings throughout the year.
It has teamed up with Signature Entertainment to release FrightFest curated films under the banner “FrightFest Presents”.
Also, in association with Fab Press, FrightFest has published three books, THE FRIGHTFEST GUIDE TO EXPLOITATION MOVIES, THE FRIGHTFEST GUIDE TO MONSTER MOVIES and THE FRIGHTFEST GUIDE TO GHOST MOVIES.