GRIMMFEST 2025 UNVEILS BLOCKBUSTER PREMIERES AND STAR-STUDDED LINE-UP

Jeremy Piven stars in Past Life, the World Premiere opening film of Grimmfest 2025, running October 9–12 at Odeon Great Northern in Manchester.

This October, the North of England’s biggest genre film festival returns — and GRIMMFEST 2025 is set to be its boldest edition yet. Running 9–12 October at Odeon Great Northern, Manchester, the four-day horror and genre celebration promises twenty-two brand new feature films, record numbers of World and International Premieres, and a glittering guest list of global stars.

Now firmly established as one of the UK’s most important genre showcases, GRIMMFEST offers audiences something no multiplex can: the thrill of discovery, first-look exclusives, and face-to-face access with the creators and performers themselves. This isn’t a convention. There are no photo-op fees or velvet ropes. At GRIMMFEST, filmmakers and fans meet on equal ground — chatting in the bar, signing posters, sharing stories. It’s an atmosphere money can’t buy.

GALA OPENING NIGHT – THURSDAY 9 OCTOBER

The festival launches with the World Premiere of PAST LIFE — a psychological thriller filmed in Manchester by Grimmfest co-founders Simeon Halligan and Rachel Richardson-Jones. Starring Jeremy Piven (Entourage, Mr. Selfridge), Aneurin Barnard (Dunkirk), Tim McInnerny (Blackadder, Gladiator II), and Pixie Lott, the film promises a twisted descent into regression therapy, repressed memory, and unsolved crimes of the 1980s.

Also on opening night, the International Premiere of Weekend at the End of the World will welcome director Gille Klabin (The Wave) and stars Cameron Fife and Clay Elliot for a riotous absurdist horror comedy about two drunken idiots holding the fate of the universe in their hands.

FRIDAY 10 OCTOBER

Highlights include:

• Landlord – A gritty, politically charged vampire reimagining presented by director Remington Smith.

• I See the Demon – A psychedelic psychological thriller, introduced by director Jacob Lees Johnson and actress Alexis Zollicoffer.

• Tribe – Found footage, folklore and conspiracy collide, with director Dan Asma and star Justina Biosah in attendance.

• Frankie Maniac Woman – Grimmfest favourite Pierre Tsigaridis (Two Witches) returns alongside lead actress Dina Silva for a fearless story of female rage and empowerment.

SATURDAY 11 OCTOBER

• Incomplete Chairs – Prolific Japanese auteur Kenichi Ugana (Love Will Tear Us Apart) brings his anarchic satire of creative obsession to the UK for the first time.

• The Driftless – Writer-director Tim Connery unveils the World Premiere of his lyrical Midwestern anthology of dark folklore.

SUNDAY 12 OCTOBER

• Lily’s Ritual – World Premiere. Director Manu Herrera leads a delegation of cast and crew for this lavish homage to 80s and 90s occult horror.

• Kombucha – A North West Premiere billed as “Cronenberg’s Office Space,” introduced by director Jake Myers.

• Wormtown – International Premiere with director Sergio Pinheiro, cinematographer Roy Rossovich, and producers Andy Myers and Aaron Mack.

ADDITIONAL PREMIERES

• World Premieres: Syphon, The Driftless, Lily’s Ritual, Frankie Maniac Woman.

• International Premieres: Landlord, I See the Demon (starring Napoleon Dynamite’s Jon Heder), Tribe, Wormtown, Weekend at the End of the World, Itch, Incomplete Chairs.

• European Premiere: Forgive Us All, starring *Lily Sullivan, Callan Mulvey and Richard Roxburgh.

• UK Premieres: Squealers, The Other, Beast of War, Don’t Leave the Kids Alone.

• Northern Premieres: Rabbit Trap (starring Dev Patel and Rosy McEwen), Deviant, Dead by Dawn, Kombucha.

• Pre-Release Screening: Good Boy — a supernatural thriller told from a dog’s point of view.

STAR POWER ON THE BIG SCREEN

This year’s line-up features an eclectic mix of international names and cult icons, including:Dev Patel, Jeremy Piven, Pixie Lott, Aneurin Barnard, Tim McInnerny, Jon Heder, Rosy McEwen, Richard Roxburgh, Shawnee Smith, Torry Hanson, Thomas Lennon, Dina Silva and many more.

BEYOND THE SCREEN

Alongside film premieres and Q&As, visitors can explore a bustling marketplace organised by Stockport Alternative Market, selling horror and genre-inspired collectibles, art and memorabilia.

TICKETS & INFO

Festival passes, day passes, and individual screening tickets are on sale now. Full programme and schedule available at: www.grimmfest.com

PRESS NOTES

• Festival dates: 9–12 October 2025

• Venue: Odeon Great Northern, Manchester

• Contact for press passes, interviews and media assets: [info@grimmfest.com]

ABOUT GRIMMFEST

Founded in 2009, Grimmfest is now ranked among the world’s leading genre film festivals, celebrated for its commitment to championing new voices, groundbreaking international premieres, and creating an inclusive, fan-friendly environment that brings audiences and artists together.