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Early Bird passes for Mayhem Film Festival 2025 are now on sale, priced at £85 (+ booking fee).

Mayhem Film Festival returns to Broadway on Thu 16 - Sun 19 October 2025 to showcase the best in international horror, sci-fi and cult cinema - book an Early Bird pass now to save your seat for the full four days of this year's festival.

The first three films for Mayhem's 2025 edition have also just been announced - the latest action thriller from Nightshooters director Marc Price, The Arbiter; Dawid Torrone's Giallo-infused slasher Dead by Dawn; and Mohammad Reza Aslani's lost 1976 Iranian gothic masterpiece Chess of the Wind.

Book now: www.broadway.org.uk/whats-on/mayhem-film-festival-2025-early-bird-pass Read More »

Mayhem Film Festival is proud to announce the first three films of its 21st edition which will take place at Broadway, Nottingham on 16-19 October 2025.

First up is the latest film from director Marc Price (Nightshooters, Mayhem 2018), The Arbiter. The leaders of several established rival gangs - and a lone police representative - get together to try and come up with a solution to the arrival of a new group who will only play by their own rules. But trust is hard to come by when you've all been fighting for years, and it doesn't take long before things get increasingly violent and bloody. Marc Price returns with a fast-paced action thriller featuring his signature quirky sense of humour.

Next up is Dawid Torrone's Dead by Dawn. A group of actors gather in a mysterious theatre to rehearse a new play about witchcraft. Things get eerie quickly and soon enough, the bodies begin to pile up. Is this a simple game of cat and mouse, or are the actors pawns in a greater scheme? Giallo-infused, Dead by Dawn is a beautifully shot slasher with hints of Stage Fright, and Phantom of the Opera.

To round-up this first wave of announcements, Mayhem will be presenting a screening of Mohammad Reza Aslani's 1976 Chess of the Wind. After the death of the first lady of a noble house, conflicts erupt as her widower plots to take hold of her estate. Greed, deception and violence are at the heart of this gorgeous Gothic Iranian masterpiece once banned in Iran and presumed lost for many years.

"Mayhem is back with an international range of cutting-edge genre cinema, gory horror, edge-of-the-seat thrills and essential science-fiction, as well as a lost classic - and at the centre of things the short film showcase brings together the best global - and nearer to home - scary, shocking and surprising shorts... Mayhem marks its 21st birthday in style…", said Mayhem Co-Director, Chris Cooke.

Stewart Terry, Broadway's Director of Marketing and Communications, is looking forward to welcoming back the festival: "We can't wait to host Mayhem Film Festival again this October. The line-up of titles is always bold, interesting, and thought-provoking – as well as blood-curdling and edge-of-your-seat scary. This year looks like it will be no exception, with new titles from celebrated horror directors to curios that very rarely get seen on the big screen. Mayhem Film Festival is what Broadway is all about so make sure you book your ticket!"

Early Bird Passes for the festival will go on sale on Monday 28 July at 5PM. For £85, Early Bird Passes give you access to all films and events for the four days of the festival. They will be available to purchase from Broadway's website and box office.

More information and announcements about Mayhem's 21st edition will follow later in the summer.

Mayhem Film Festival will take place at Broadway, Nottingham on 16 – 19 October 2025. For more information, please visit https://www.mayhemfilmfestival.com/ Read More »

Mayhem Film Festival will return to Broadway, Nottingham on 16-19 October 2025 to showcase the best in international horror, sci-fi and cult cinema. Following on from last year's 20th edition that saw the UK Premieres of Michael Duignan's The Paragon, and Luis Prieto's Last Stop Rocafort St, the team is excited to be back to present the best in genre cinema.

Mayhem Co-Director Steven Sheil says, "2025 sees Mayhem moving into its third decade of bringing the best of international genre cinema to audiences in Nottingham and from beyond, and we're really looking forward to partnering with Broadway once again to put on another selection of the scary, the weird and the what-the-hell-did-I-just-watch this year."

Stewart Terry, Broadway's Director of Marketing and Communications, is also looking forward to Mayhem's 21st edition. "It's the most wonderful time of the year! The Mayhem weekend is one of our annual highlights, and we can't wait to welcome the UK's finest horror fans back to Broadway Cinema. We're confident the Mayhem team has an incredible line-up of new films from around the world, and we're proud to be hosting them once again."

Plans are already underway, and the team is on the lookout for titles from around the world to join this year's line-up. Additionally, Mayhem will be welcoming short film submissions for its ever-popular Short Film Showcase from Friday 2nd May via FilmFreeway. For more information on how to submit, please visit https://filmfreeway.com/MayhemFilmFestival

In previous years, Mayhem has welcomed many filmmakers from around the world such as Gareth Edwards (Godzilla, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) for Monsters, Mark Gatiss (The League of Gentlemen, Sherlock) for a special masterclass, Ben Wheatley for a preview screening of Sightseers, Nicolas Roeg for a special screening of Don't Look Now at St Mary's Church in Nottingham, and cult Canadian collective Astron-6 for The Editor and The Void. Mayhem Film Festival has also hosted special events such as screenings with specially commissioned live scores from 8MM Orchestra, two exclusive live stage readings of unmade Hammer Films screenplays, The Unquenchable Thirst of Dracula in 2015 and Zeppelin V. Pterodactyls in 2017, and a live performance of Tales of HP Lovecraft by The Duke St Workshop featuring British actor Laurence R. Harvey.

Planning is currently underway, with more information and announcements coming soon. Read More »

The most wonderful time of the year is almost upon us and we have a couple of important announcements to share with you all.

We have had to make a change to our line-up and we will no longer be screening RKSS's Wake Up as our closing film. If you purchased an individual ticket for that film, we will be in touch shortly to inform you about the refund procedure. If you selected the film as part of a Frankenstein package, then you will be able to swap that ticket for a different film depending on availability. Again, our team will be in touch to guide you through the process.

We will be replacing the film with a different title and we will share that announcement with you very soon. We are very excited to announce that Daddy's Head director, Benjamin Barfoot, will join us on Friday 18 October for an introduction and post-screening Q&A. Benjamin was previously at Mayhem in 2017 with his film Double Date, and we can't wait to welcome him back to the festival to discuss the nightmarish Daddy's Head.

If you are yet to book your tickets or passes for the festival, there is still time to do so.

We can't wait to welcome you all to our 20th edition. Read More »

Individual tickets and Frankenstein ticket packages now also available

With just a month to go before Mayhem's 20th edition takes place at Broadway, Nottingham (17-20 October 2024), the team is excited to reveal this year's full festival line-up. With a mix of premieres, previews, classics, and not one but two shorts programmes, there is something for every fan of genre cinema in this year's programme.

Mayhem Film Festival will open on Thursday 17 October with Ariane Louis-Seize's Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Personthe tale of a young vampire unable to kill who sees an opportunity when meeting a young suicidal man. Rounding off the first night will be David Moreau's fast-paced single shot horror, MADS in which a young man's life of partying takes a sinister turn when he encounters a tormented and injured woman.

Friday 18 October sees day 2 of the festival, which will open with Jong-seok Yoon's Confession - a mystery thriller following a man accused of a locked-room murder and his lawyer who is trying to uncover the truth. Next up, and previously announced, will be Christina Hornisher's astounding, once-forgotten first feature, Hollywood 90028 (1973)in which an aspiring filmmaker's disillusionment turns murderous. We'll then head to the highly original world of Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy's Dead Mailwhere a kidnapped synthesiser technician manages to get a note to a post office investigatorsetting off a deadly chain of events.

We'll move into the evening with Michiel Blanchart's relentless, action thriller Night Call, in which a young locksmith finds himself at the heart of a dangerous drug deal gone wrong, before closing the day with Daddy's Head. The new film from Benjamin Barfoot (Double Date, Mayhem 2017)tells the story of a young boy and his stepmother who, following the untimely death of the boy's father, are visited by a disturbing creature.

We'll open Saturday 14 October with Cody Kennedy and Tim Rutherford's The Last Video Store - a VHS era homage in which a young woman's attempt to return some tapes to a video store takes a turn for the worse.

We'll then head into Adilkhan Yerzhanov's Mad Max-like, Steppenwolf, where a mother's search for her missing child sees her reluctantly partner up with a cruel former detective, before delving into the first Short Film Showcase of this year's festival.

The evening will start with Jean-Luc Herbulot's supernatural thriller Interstate. The director of Saloum takes us on a deadly road trip where a hit-man's attempt to get out of town with the woman he loves takes a sinister turn.

We will close the day with a screening of Wes Craven's The People Under the Stairs(1991)- a sharp commentary on landlords, gentrification and class wars.

Our last day will open with the UK Premiere of Michael Duignan's The Paragon - a uniquely Kiwi deadpan comedy following a failed tennis coach on a quest to become psychic to take revenge on the driver who ran him over.

We'll then head to the action-packed Dark Match from director Lowell Dean (Wolfcop) - the story of a small-time wrestling company hired for a gig in a small town only to find themselves at the mercy of a mysterious cult leader, before delving into our second Short Film Showcase of this 20th edition.

As we move into our final evening, we'll present the UK Premiere of Luis Prieto's Last Stop Rocafort St in which a young woman's new job in a Barcelona subway station opens up the door to a terrifying legend.

We'll close the festival with the new film from Canadian collective RKSS, Wake Up. The makers of Turbo Kid are back with a violent slasher film set in a homeware superstore where a group of teenagers who have set up camp for the night must face a deranged security guard.

Full Festival Passes are still available for £95, giving you access to all films and events at this year's festival. Individual tickets and Frankenstein ticket packages (where you can select any four films for the price of three), are now available. For more information, and to book tickets and passes, please visit www.mayhemfilmfestival.com. For Frankenstein ticket packages, please visit Broadway's box office or contact them on 0115 952 6611.

Mayhem Film Festival takes place at Broadway, Nottingham on 17-20 October 2024.

For press enquiries, please contact the team at mayhemfilmfest@gmail.com

MAYHEM FILM FESTIVAL 2024 - FULL FESTIVAL LINE-UP

Thursday 17 October

7.00PM - HUMANIST VAMPIRE SEEKING CONSENTING SUICIDAL PERSON // Dir. Ariane Louis-Seize, Canada, 90m, 2023, with English subtitles

9.00PM - MADS // Dir. David Moreau, France, 86m, 2024, with English subtitles

Friday 18 October

12.00PM - CONFESSION // Dir. Jong-seok Yoon, South Korea, 105m, 2022, with English subtitles

2.00PM - HOLLYWOOD 90028 // Dir. Christina Hornisher, US, 76m, 1973

4.00PM - DEAD MAIL // Dirs. Joe DeBoer & Kyle McConaghy, US, 106m, 2024

6.45PM - NIGHT CALL // Dir. Michiel Blanchart, Belgium/France, 97m, 2024, with English subtitles

9.00PM - DADDY'S HEAD // Dir. Benjamin Barfoot, UK, 92m, 2024

Saturday 19 October

12.00PM - THE LAST VIDEO STORE // Dirs. Cody Kennedy & Tim Rutherford, Canada, 90m, 2023

2.00PM - STEPPENWOLF // Dir. Adilkhan Yerzhanov, Kazakhstan, 102m, 2024, with English subtitles

4.15PM - Short Film Showcase #1 // Dirs. Various, International, 100m, 2024, partly subtitled

7.15PM - INTERSTATE // Dir. Jean-Luc Herbulot, Italy/France/Belgium, 90m, 2024, with English subtitles

9.15PM - THE PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS // Dir. Wes Craven, US, 102m, 1991

Sunday 20 October

12.00PM - THE PARAGON [UK PREMIERE] // Dir. Michael Duignan, New Zealand, 85m, 2024

2.00PM - DARK MATCH // Dir. Lowell Dean, Canada, 95m, 2024

4.00PM - Short Film Showcase #2 // Dirs. Various, International, 95m, 2024, partly subtitled

6.30PM - LAST STOP ROCAFORT ST [UK PREMIERE] // Dir. Luis Prieto, Spain, 90m, 2024, with English subtitles

8.30PM - WAKE UP // Dirs. RKSS: Anouk Whissell, François Simard & Yoann-Karl Whissell, Canada/France, 83m, 2024 Read More »

Festival also sets date for full line-up announcement

Mayhem Film Festival is delighted to announce the 18 films that will make up this year's Short Film Programme. The festival will take place at Broadway, Nottingham on 17-20 October 2024.

Mayhem initially started as a single selection of shorts almost 20 years ago, and to mark the occasion, the festival will this year feature not one, but two Short Film Showcases. The 20th edition's shorts line-up includes three UK Premieres, with work from filmmakers making their first appearance at the festival, as well as long-time friends of Mayhem. For the second year running, the team worked with The Nottingham Horror Collective's Emily Malone to curate the programme.

"There were so many excellent shorts we have expanded your opportunity to discover new talent and of course, established proponents of short, sharp shockers and surreal storytelling", said Chris Cooke, Mayhem Co-Director.

The 18 films from this year's line-up are:

SHORT FILM SHOWCASE #1

We Joined A Cult

Dir. Chris McInroy, US, 4m10

The story of two friends who just wanted to play kickball.

She Talks in Her Sleep

Dir. Paul Taylor, UK, 8m44

Dan and Faye appear to be like any other couple, but when Faye starts sleep-talking, her eerie, unconscious messages lead Dan to believe that something sinister is coming for them…

Matta and Matto

Dirs. Bianca Caderas & Kerstin Zemp, Switzerland, 10m16

In a dystopian world where touch is forbidden, Matta and Matto offer refuge to the lonely at Hotel Vaip. In the deceptive labyrinth of mind-bending rooms at their transient hotel, deepest desires are fulfilled and surpassed, but this comes at a price.

The Thaw [UK Premiere]

Dirs. Sean Temple & Sarah Wisner, US, 16m31

In 19th-century Vermont, a young woman's parents drink sleeping tea to survive the harsh winter, but an early thaw leads to horrifying results.

Transylvanie

Dir. Rodrigue Huart, France, 15m, with English subtitles

Ewa is a 10-year-old girl living in a high building in a quiet town. She's an odd, lonely child and for good reason: she's convinced of being a vampire.

Make Me a Pizza

Dir. Talia Shea Levin, US, 12m25

BORED HOUSEWIFE seduces HOT PIZZA GUY for free pizza, but is desire worth $29.99?

Off Cuts

Dir. Ben Steiner, UK, 3m55

Returning home to his pregnant partner, a man brings an unwelcome presence with him.

Shé (Snake)

Dir. Renee Zhan, US, 15m30, partly subtitled

When pressures mount on a tightly wound violinist in a London youth orchestra, her internal monsters take external form.

The Visitor [UK Premiere]

Dir. Tony Morales, Spain, 10m, with English subtitles

Alone in her home overnight, a young influencer's solitude is interrupted by an unexpected visitor.

SHORT FILM SHOWCASE #2

Dream Creep

Dir. Carlos A.F. Lopez, US, 12m34

A couple awakens in the night to sounds emanating from an unlikely orifice.

The Sin-Eater

Dir. Kelly Holmes, UK, 17m

1852, Wales: a desperate young mother carries out a forbidden ritual to save the soul of her unbaptised dead baby, but is tricked into taking on a terrifying supernatural burden.

Perfect City: the Bravest Kid

Dir. Shengwei Zhou, US, 6m19

A paper boy who is dreaming of a big iron knife hand chasing him realises that his parents, whom he depends on most, are actually that knife hand.

The Rainbow Bridge

Dir. Dimitri Simakis, US, 12m40

Tina and her elderly dog visit a mysterious clinic offering human-to-pet communication. However, they soon get more than they bargained for when two sinister doctors uncover a bond between them that transcends time and space. They might just be the key to something greater… but at what cost?

Lullaby

Dir. Chi Thai, UK, 14m43

A refugee is haunted by a devastating incident from her past.

Pocketman

Dir. Ericka Clevenger, US, 2m

A wedding is terrorised by a supernatural being who can steal things from pockets. Things escalate when the wedding party tries to get their stolen ring back.

Storm

Dir. Lena Tsodykovskaya, US, 8m

A couple wakes on a stormy night to find themselves trapped in the mechanisms of a horror movie.

Triptych

Dir. Sophia Ray, UK, 14m29

Provocative artist Margaux Kasser plans to destroy a Bosch masterpiece, claiming it's performance art. But the artwork conceals a dark secret from her past. A horrific reckoning is coming. Margaux must fight to escape her fate.

Reel [UK Premiere]

Dir. Rodrigue Huart, France, 4m12, with English subtitles

1857. Coutances. Two farmer girls find a smartphone in their field.

With just over a month to go before this year's edition takes place on 17-20 October 2024, Mayhem have also announced they will reveal their full line-up on Thursday 18 September, with individual tickets set to go on sale at the same time.

Full Festival Passes remain available for £95, giving access to all films and events from this year's festival. Read More »

Mayhem Film Festival announce THE PARAGON, HUMANIST VAMPIRE SEEKING CONSENTING SUICIDAL PERSON and HOLLYWOOD 90028 as Early Bird Passes go on sale

Mayhem Film Festival is proud to announce the first three films of its 20th edition which will take place at Broadway, Nottingham on 17-20 October 2024.

First up is the UK Premiere of Michael Duignan's feature debut, The Paragon. Victim of a hit-and-run which he blames for the loss of his job and his girlfriend, an egocentric man decides to acquire psychic powers to take revenge on the driver who ran him over. Starring Benedict Wall and Florence Noble, as well as What We Do in the Shadows' Jonny Brugh, The Paragon is a cosmic adventure with a big heart told with distinct Kiwi humour.

Next up is Ariane Louis-Seize's Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person. Teenage vampire Sasha refuses to kill to survive. Exasperated, her parents decide to cut off her blood supply until she learns to hunt for herself. When she meets Paul, a young man with suicidal tendencies, an opportunity presents itself, but perhaps those two lost souls have more in common than they know. Ariane Louis-Seize has crafted a delightful deadpan coming-of-age comedy horror.

To round-up this first wave of announcements, Mayhem will be presenting a rare screening of Christina Hornisher's exceptional first feature Hollywood 90028. Shot against the backdrop of 1970s Los Angeles, the film follows an ambitious cameraman who, unable to get work outside of the sleazy world of adult films, begins to release his frustrations by strangling young women. Once forgotten, Hollywood 90028 is returning to the big screen in a stunning 4K restoration. A love letter to pre-gentrification LA and a stern commentary on class, gender and the film industry, Christina Hornisher's debut is a truly haunting thriller that will stay with you long past the end credits

"Mayhem is back to explore the strange borders of genre cinema" said festival Co-Director Chris Cooke. "From the uncanny to messed up road movies, from all action thrillers to introspective horror comedies, we'll have something for everyone."

Broadway's Director of Marketing and Communications commented: "The Mayhem weekend is always an incredible experience, with audiences coming from all over the UK to revel in the films the Mayhem team has worked tirelessly to acquire and curate, The standard is always high, and we can't wait to host the Mayhem Film Festival in its 20th year at Broadway."

Early Bird Passes for the festival are now on sale. For £85, Early Bird Passes give you access to all films and events for the four days of the festival. They are available to purchase from Broadway's website and box office.

More information and announcements about Mayhem's 20th edition will follow later in the summer.

Mayhem Film Festival will take place at Broadway, Nottingham on 17 – 20 October 2024. For more information, please visit https://www.mayhemfilmfestival.com/ Read More »

Festival also opens submissions for short film entries

Mayhem Film Festival will return to Broadway, Nottingham on 17-20 October 2024 to showcase the best in international horror, sci-fi and cult cinema, and celebrate its 20th edition. Plans are currently underway and the Mayhem team are on the lookout for the titles that will make up the 2024 line-up.

Following on from last year's edition that saw the UK Premieres of Bertrand Mandico's She Is Conann, Franck Khalfoun's Night of the Hunted and Thomas Sainsbury's Loop Track, the team is excited to be back to present the best in genre cinema and a milestone in the festival's history.

Mayhem Film Festival Co-Director Chris Cooke says: "It's our 20^th anniversary and Mayhem continues to be a forward-looking festival, bringing audiences the best in brand new previews and premieres of original genre cinema from around the world."

Broadway's Marketing Director Stewart Terry says of this year's anniversary edition: "We can't wait to welcome Mayhem back to Broadway for their 20th year. It's always the most exciting time in the building, with horror fans from across the country visiting Nottingham to get their bloody fix!"

In addition to announcing this year's dates, Mayhem Film Festival is also pleased to announce their call for short films will open on Friday 3 May. The short film programme is where Mayhem started back in 2005. Over the years, the festival has grown to a four-day event, but its yearly selection of shorts remains at the heart of every edition. Mayhem Film Festival is looking for horror, sci-fi and cult short films, produced after 1 January 2023 and that are under 22 minutes long. More information on how to submit films is available at https://filmfreeway.com/MayhemFilmFestival

In previous years, Mayhem has welcomed many filmmakers from around the world such as Gareth Edwards (Godzilla, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) for Monsters, Mark Gatiss (The League of Gentlemen, Sherlock) for a special masterclass, Ben Wheatley for a preview screening of Sightseers, Nicolas Roeg for a special screening of Don't Look Now at St Mary's Church in Nottingham, and cult Canadian collective Astron-6 for The Editor and The Void. Mayhem Film Festival has also hosted special events such as screenings with specially commissioned live scores from 8MM Orchestra, two exclusive live stage readings of unmade Hammer Films screenplays, The Unquenchable Thirst of Dracula in 2015 and Zeppelin V. Pterodactyls in 2017, and a live performance of Tales of HP Lovecraft by The Duke St Workshop featuring British actor Laurence R. Harvey.

Planning is currently underway for Mayhem Film Festival's 20th edition, with more information and announcements coming soon.

For press enquiries, please contact the team at mayhemfilmfest@gmail.com Read More »