03 Jan Gore, blimey – Horror-on-Sea is back on 11 January 2019 and it’s bigger, scarier & bloodier than ever!
The seventh edition of Southend’s very own Horror-on-Sea Film Festival returns in January 2019 and promises to be the biggest and, arguably, best yet.
Since its inception in 2012, Horror-On-Sea has grown to become the UK’s largest independent festival devoted to the genre and for the first time, will now be spread across two weekends – starting Friday 11 January and running through Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 and then again from Friday 18 to Sunday 20 January 2019.
“We’re all grown up now,” says Horror-on-Sea’s Director and creator, Paul Cotgrove. “We’ve had to spread the festival across two weekends, as we have had so many submissions from up-and-coming film makers and there are just so many good quality, independent films to show. In fact, across the six days of the festival, we’ll be screening from 10am to midnight.”
From vampires to hookers with hacksaws, murderous hillbillies selling strange ‘beef’ to hellacious cats named ‘Angel’, Horror-on-Sea promises full-length features and shorts from across the whole horror spectrum – including killer donuts.
The programme itself features a hand-picked mix of the very latest British and international horror films, with “lots of black humour and serious horror,” as Paul explains.
“If I see something and think ‘wow, the audience will love this’, then it is automatically put into the schedule. Some films are borderline thrillers but others, such as ‘Leaf Blower Massacre 2’ (USA) – which opens Horror-on-Sea on Friday 11th – is a clever movie, made on an absolute micro-budget, which horror fans will 100% appreciate as it references Eighties classics such as ‘Driller Killer’. Essentially, Horror-on-Sea reaches out to all film fans, but will always have a particular appeal to people who love their horror.”
Cotgrove is justifiably proud of his festival’s burgeoning reputation as the pre-eminent platform for independent film-makers: “Other horror movie festivals show big budget films but Horror-on-Sea screens wonderful, new work and is also a chance for fans and film-makers to meet each other, share their passion and exchange ideas.”
Horror-on-Sea has now become an internationally recognised showcase for young writers, directors and producers, which sees many travel to Southend to join the fans, discuss their own work and learn from other movie makers, such as local legend, Pat Higgins.
