Grimm Up North UK horror film festival back for a third terrifying year

Here's one for ScreenAnarchy readers in the UK - any of you based in or near the East Midlands? Tired of having to travel up and down the country to get to film festivals at the very least? No money to make it abroad? Here's some good news: Manchester's very own Grimm Up North is returning for its third year of celebrating the best in new and classic horror, fantasy, SF and anything else that'll lay the fear on you good and proper.

This year's lineup from October 6th to 9th 2011 at the AMC cinema in Manchester opens with a gala screening of UK director Carl Tibbet's debut Retreat - a psychological horror with a lifeboat setup that sees Thandie Newton and Cillian Murphy stranded in an isolated forest cabin where a lone soldier (Jamie Bell) tries to convince them the world's ending outside.

Further highlights are

• Miguel Ancel Vivas' home invasion shocker Kidnapped;
• cult black comedy in the making Some Guy Who Kills People;
• twisted character drama/exploitation weirdness The Woman from Lucky McKee (May, The Woods);
• Wong Ching Po's gory effort at keeping the Cat III freak flag flying Revenge: A Love Story;
  
• undead laugh riot Deadheads;
• the Ford Brothers' epic African-set 70s zombie tribute The Dead;
• post-apocalyptic nightmare The Divide from Xavier Gens (Frontieres),

and more besides.

There's guests scheduled from several of the films featured, with various cast and crew from Retreat and Stalker (the directorial debut from UK film and TV star Martin Kemp, famous for The Krays and a lengthy stint on soap opera Eastenders) plus an appearance from legendary director of The Wicker Man - and showing at the festival, his new The Wicker Tree - Robin Hardy. On top of that there's panels, stalls from comic store chain Travelling Man, and videogame publishers Namco Bandai are bringing demo pods for the eagerly awaited brutally tough, chillingly atmospheric third-person fantasy RPG Dark Souls, so if you feel like a break from the big screen you can try that game the weekend it's released.

I covered last year's Grimm Up North and had a blast; I saw some excellent films and had a great time chatting to the people behind the festival, so I'm very much looking forward to writing up the next instalment for ScreenAnarchy as well. Sometimes you want to cheer on the little guy, you know? Everyone has to start somewhere, and it'd be fantastic if Grimm Up North could keep coming back for several more years at the very least. If you want to spend some quality time savouring the best the dark side of cinema has to offer, consider dropping by Manchester this October.

For tickets plus further details on Grimm Up North's entire programme from the 6th-9th October 2011, their special guests, extra attractions and the discounts on accomodation and eating out offered to festival-goers, check out their website. We'll have a couple more items on the festival over the next two weeks but for the latest updates in the runup to opening night you can follow Grimm Up North on Twitter at @grimmfest - plus ScreenAnarchy's account at @ScreenAnarhcy (if you don't follow us already) or mine at @eightrooks.