Abertoir Horror Festival Celebrates 20th Anniversary

Abertoir, Wales' biggest horror festival, is celebrating its 20th Anniversary as they announce full programme for this years event.

Abertoir Horror Festival Celebrates Twenty Terrifying Years

Abertoir Horror Festival, one of Wales’ longest-running film festivals, will celebrate its 20th anniversary this November, with a 5-day programme of premieres, gothic classics and very special guests.

Opening with The Bride of Frankenstein (James Whale), in its 90^th anniversary year, the festival’s gothic strand will also include screenings of The Old Dark House (James Whale, 1932), Eyes Without a Face (Georges Franju, 1960) and the UK premiere of Severin Films’ brand-new 4K restoration of Riccardo Freda’s The Ghost (1963).

Director Taratoa Stappard will join the festival for a Q&A following the UK premiere of his modern Māori gothic, Mārama (2025).

Major performances at the festival include BAFTA-nominated film composer Simon Boswell (with over 150 scores to his name including Shallow Grave, Santa Sangre and Phenomena). With a powerhouse roster of musicians who have worked with the likes of Mick Jagger, Liam Gallagher, Madonna and Paul Weller, his full band will be playing an immersive live show that’s been described as “Pink Floyd meets the Velvet Underground, conducted by Bernard Herrmann on acid.”

In addition, cult horror author Garth Marenghi (Channel 4’s Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace) will be stopping by on his UK tour to present his latest one-man book show, This Bursted Earth, following on from the runaway success of his critically acclaimed Terrortome and Incarcerat tours, which sold over 50,000 tickets across the UK and Europe.

Other premieres at the festival include out-of-this-world drama Touch Me (Addison Heimann, 2025), Indian folk horror film Bokshi (Bhargav Saikia, 2025), and documentary Theatre of Horrors (David Gregory, 2025), which outlines the history of Paris’ Grand Guignol theatre.

Also screening are the hugely popular debut of Japanese comedian Yuriyan Retriever, Mag Mag (2025), Eurospy homage Reflection in a Dead Diamond (Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani, 2025), and a hotly anticipated mystery film. Closing the festival is Tina Romero’s Queens of the Damned (2025).

Cult star Lynn Lowry returns to the festival for a screening of George A. Romero’s The Crazies (1973), and long-time friend of the festival, Victoria Price – daughter of Vincent Price – will present a very special live commentary screening of Theatre of Blood (1973), as well as a presentation on her father’s films highlighting the 20-year period he was at the height of his career.

Celebrating a cult classic with an incredible link to Wales, the Abertoir 2025 programme also features a screening of Michael Mann’s cult classic The Keep (1983), along with the UK premiere of the long-awaited A World War II Fairy Tale (Stewart Buck & Stéphane Piter, 2025), a brand new feature length documentary about the troubled making of the film, and will explore its unexpected Welsh connection in the featurette Into the Darkness: On-set in Wales (2025).

As ever the festival also includes a short film competition, showcasing 28 films from around the world, with the European entries competing for the prestigious Méliès d’argent award.

Abertoir Horror Festival takes place 12-16 November at Aberystwyth Arts Centre, mid-Wales. Full festival passes are £85, with limited day passes at £35 and individual tickets available too. All details can be found on www.abertoir.co.uk, and by following the festival across social media. You can check out the full programme below.

Wednesday 12th November, 2025

16:30 | The Bride of Frankenstein (James Whale, 1935)

Abertoir Horror Festival Celebrates 20th Anniversary

Fleeing from a group of enraged villagers seeking revenge for the death of a young girl, Frankenstein’s Monster (Boris Karloff) finds refuge in an old crypt. There he meets Dr. Pretorius (Ernest Thesiger), Frankenstein’s former mentor and a scientist with his own ambitions of creating life from cadavers.  With the help of a reluctant Victor Frankenstein (Colin Clive), they begin working on creating another new lifeform from limbs and body parts: a bride for the monster…

Still to this day, 90 years on, one of the most impressive and moving horror films ever made, The Bride of Frankenstein is a gothic masterpiece that showcases James Whale’s incredible talent as well as a cast of truly incredible performances.

18:15 | Touch Me (Addison Heimann, 2025) - UK Premiere

Two codependent best friends become addicted to the heroin-like touch of an alien narcissist who may or may not be trying to take over the world.

Addison Heimann’s follow-up to Hypochondriac (2022) once again casts a creepy magnifying glass on some dark corners of the human psyche, only this time the illumination is neon, and, well, there are tentacles. While we might all know where that’s going, this is a moving and amusing portrait of both the thrills and horrors of dependency in all its forms.

20:15 | Garth Marenghi’s This Bursted Earth

Horror author Nick Steen is having visions. Are they omens? Auguries? Portenderings of things to come? (Spoiler – yes, they are). For Nick Steen’s imagination is bursting out of his brain and threatening to burst in turn the entirety of Stalkford.

Can Nick stop the aforesaid bursting? Or have things already slightly burst regardless? And will there ultimately be a grand finale to this three-book series (aka a trilogy) or a more open-ended conclusion in order to leave potential room for further sequels? (That, btw, will ultimately be Garth’s decision.)

22:15 | Bokshi (Bhargav Saikia, 2025) - UK Premiere

Troubled teen, Anahita (Prasanna Bisht), finds comfort in Shalini (Mansi Multani), the mysterious History teacher leading a trek to a little-known prehistoric site. This unconventional school trip into an ancient forest turns eerie as cryptic connections emerge between the site and a cult that worships Bokshi, a much-feared folkloric demoness. Anahita finds herself tested as the long-forgotten myth of Bokshi unfurls, forcing her to confront the horrors of her past.

This epic folk horror film takes in personal melodrama, through high school angst, to terrifying ancient power. Lush north Indian locations and seductive cinematography make for an impressive directorial feature debut.

Thursday 13th November, 2025

10:00 | Short Film Competition | Part 1

Each year Abertoir invites filmmakers from across the globe to submit short films for the Abertoir Short Film Competition. As always, the response has been phenomenal and it’s not possible to show all of the amazing entries.

Films being screened during Part 1 include Amira, Bug, Canto, Carmageddon, Cosmic Crash, Dolores, Don’t be Afraid, Elevation and Glory Hole.

12:15 | The Degenerate: The Life & Films of Andy Milligan (Josh Johnson & Grayson Tyler Johnson, 2025)

He was a pioneer of avant-garde theatre, trailblazer of early Queer cinema, and remains one of the most divisive talents in exploitation/horror history. But what is the truth behind Andy Milligan and his legacy?

Milligan’s low-budget productions – such as The Ghastly Ones, Bloodthirsty Butchers, and Torture Dungeon – were predominately period melodramas fuelled by themes of sadism, incest and misogyny bathed in bottom-of-the-barrel gore effects. Yet via revealing interviews with Milligan’s performers, enablers, co-conspirators and his biographer, a portrait emerges of a gutter auteur who battled and antagonized his own demons to become one of the most transgressive outsider artists of the 20th century.

14:30 | Bats in the Belfry: Going Gothic For Fun & Profit! | A Talk by Gavin Baddeley

Join Abertoir veteran Gavin Baddeley as he takes us on a dark deep dive into the arcane roots of all things Gothic. From cobwebbed crumbling crypts and camply creepy novels, to the backcombed, black fishnet-clad denizens of the Bat Cave, Gavin takes us on a candlelit exploration of the elegantly eerie aesthetic which gave birth to horror. 

16:00 | The Ghost (Riccardo Freda, 1963) - UK Premiere

In turn-of-the-century Scotland, a young wife (Barbara Steele) conspires with her lover (Peter Baldwin) to murder her wealthy, paralyzed surgeon husband. But when the dead spouse’s spirit returns to haunt the couple, it will unleash a nightmare of spectral terror, sudden violence and depraved vengeance.  

For over five decades, this film has only been available as tattered 35mm prints and murky transfers, but now thanks to Severin’s months of meticulous research and technical collaboration, the film can finally be seen in pristine quality.

18:15 | Phenomena (Dario Argento, 1985) - Q&A to follow

Jennifer Corvino (Jennifer Connelly) joins an exclusive girls’ school. However, a vicious killer is targeting the pupils, and sleepwalker Jennifer finds herself in the assassin’s headlights when her nocturnal wanderings cause her to witness the death of a fellow pupil. Aided by entomologist John McGregor (the wonderful Donald Pleasence) and her own uncanny ability to communicate telepathically with insects, Jennifer sets out to track down the killer before she herself becomes the latest victim…

Argento’s mid-era classic features some delightfully gothic trappings while up-ending its fairy-tale atmosphere with shocking violence (of course), heavy metal and some extremely iconic moments. Truly a wild ride of Italian horror.

Now in its 40th anniversary year, this was the first film to feature music from acclaimed composer Simon Boswell.

After the screening, we’ll be joined by Simon for a chat about his career and some of his most famous horror scores, ahead of his performance on Friday 14th November.

21:00 | Abertoir Pub Quiz

In days gone by, Abertoir’s notorious pub quizzes were generously scheduled at three hours and invariably went on longer than planned. Having somehow managed to get things down to just over an hour in more recent years, quizmaster Gaz is back again with this year’s horror trivia bonanza.

23:00 | Mag Mag (Yuriyan Retriever, 2025)

After her beloved is killed by the Mag Mag ghost, Sanae (Sara Minami) vows revenge, but soon discovers the true identity of the person she truly owes her revenge to. This crazy love story, based on the director’s own painful romantic experiences, is all at once a J-horror parody and a social satire.

Mag Mag is not only the debut feature film from one of Japan’s most popular comedians, Yurian Retriever, it’s the first film from K2 Pictures, an exciting new production company which can boast partners such as Takashi Miike, Hirokazu Koreeda and MAPPA.

Friday 14th November, 2025

10:00 | Short Film Competition | Part 2

Each year Abertoir invites filmmakers from across the globe to submit short films for the Abertoir Short Film Competition. As always, the response has been phenomenal and it’s not possible to show all of the amazing entries.

Films being screened during Part 2 include Imposter Syndrome, In, Inebriated, Into the Stand, The Newcomer, Not Too Bad, Obey!, OK/NOTOK and Planetagatik.

12:15 | The Old Dark House (James Whale, 1932)

Caught in a violent storm, a group of travellers stranded in Wales stumble upon a strange old house and seek refuge there, finding themselves at the mercy of the highly eccentric, and potentially dangerous, occupants.

Made just one year after James Whale’s iconic Frankenstein, this is a fun, comedic twist on the gothic, and a film that helped to further cement the ‘old dark house’ tropes we’re familiar with today.  It was considered lost for many years, only to be eventually rediscovered and beautifully restored. 

Dripping with gothic atmosphere and a delightfully dark sense of humour, it’s notable for sharing many cast members with its more famous studio-mate The Bride of Frankenstein, and of course its director. The Old Dark House shines as an important – and fun! – early Universal classic horror film that truly deserves to be rediscovered again.

13:45 | The Gothic In Film | A Talk by Stacey Abbott

From George Melies’ The Haunted Castle (1896), ThomasEdison’s Frankenstein (1910), F.W. Murnau’s Nosferatu (1922), and Rouben Mamoulien’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1931), horror cinema found its roots, its visual style, and its voice in the Gothic. Since then, horror and the gothic have remained closely intertwined, creating a major strand of horror that continues to haunt our screens.

In this illustrated talk, Prof. Stacey Abbott will locate the origins of gothic cinema in the spectral qualities of film itself. She will examine how the genre’s style has evolved and expanded over time to include strange off-shoots, diverging monsters, stories, and themes, and glorious forays into the dark and disturbing.

15:15 | Theatre of Blood (Douglas Hickox, 1973) - with Live Commentary

1973’s Theatre of Blood is the deliciously twisted tale of deluded Shakespearean actor, Edward Kendall Sheridan Lionheart, played by veteran horror icon Vincent Price, seeking gory revenge on the critics who refused to recognise his theatrical accomplishments. Featuring a Who’s Who of British thespians, it provided Price with a chance to showcase his many talents.

Join Victoria Price, Peter Fuller (curator of the Vincent Price Legacy UK), and author and critic (!) John Llewellyn Probert for this unique live commentary as they delve into the British black comedy horror’s production, cultural legacy and behind-the-scenes stories.

17:45 | The Crazies (George A. Romero, 1973) - followed by Q&A

When a plane carrying a secret biological weapon crash-lands near a small, rural town, the area descends into chaos. Infected with a virus that sends them into a homicidal frenzy, the locals turn on each other in an orgy of bloody violence. As the army cordons off the town and government agents clash with scientists over the appropriate course of action, a small band of survivors attempt to make their way to safety.

A film that remains as timely as it ever was, and which with the passing of time appears all the more influential, The Crazies is an unsettling portrait of fear and incompetence.  With a truly iconic turn from our guest Lynn Lowry, The Crazies marks the first time – somehow! – we’ve ever screened a George A. Romero film at Abertoir. Crazy, right?

20:30 | Simon Boswell: Live in Concert

Simon Boswell is a British composer, producer, and musician whose career spans more than 150 film scores. 2025 marks the 40th anniversary of his first soundtrack, Dario Argento’s Phenomena (1985). To celebrate, Boswell brings his music to the stage in an immersive live show with a powerhouse lineup of musicians.

Together, they reimagine his cult soundtracks — Santa Sangre, Hardware, Dust Devil, Shallow Grave, Demons 2, Stage Fright, Lord of Illusions and more — as explosive performances fusing rock, electronica, and cinematic score. The concerts combine his music with psychedelic visuals, re-edited film sequences, and on-screen appearances from the likes of Dario Argento, Richard Stanley, Alejandro Jodorowsky and Iggy Pop. The result has been described as “Pink Floyd meets the Velvet Underground, conducted by Bernard Herrmann on acid.”

Songs performed include Simon’s music from:

Phenomena (Dario Argento)

Hardware and Dust Devil (Richard Stanley)

Santa Sangre (Alejandro Jodorowsky)

Shallow Grave (Danny Boyle)

Perdita Durango (Alex de la Iglesia)

Lord of Illusions (Clive Barker)

Demons 2 (Lamberto Bava)

Stage Fright (Michele Soavi)

Photographing Fairies (Nick Willing)

and many more!

23:00 | Noise (Kim Soo-jin, 2025)

Ju-young (Lee Sun-bin), a deaf woman, learns that her younger sister Ju-hee (Han Su-a) has disappeared without a trace from her apartment. When she starts asking questions, the neighbours beg to be left alone. Moving in and getting used to strict apartment rules, Ju-young feels a bizarre presence and finds herself haunted by inexplicable sounds.

Noise, with its eerie atmosphere, tense character dynamics and deep sense of mystery, feels like a throwback to classic 90s East Asian horror films in the best possible way. With jump scares as abundant as a thick sense of dread, Noise is a satisfying – and terrifying – viewing experience.

Saturday 15th Nov, 2025

10:00 | Short Film Competition | Part 2

Each year Abertoir invites filmmakers from across the globe to submit short films for the Abertoir Short Film Competition. As always, the response has been phenomenal and it’s not possible to show all of the amazing entries.

Films being screened during Part 2 include Beyond the Sea, Grandma is Thirsty, Precious, Speak with the Dead, Terminus, The Birdwatcher, The Face, The Fairy Moon, Unravelling and Voyeur.

12:15 | The Keep (Michael Mann, 1983)

During World War II, a German army garrison is sent to guard a mountain pass in Romania’s Carpathian mountains, and sets up barracks in an ancient stone fortress. Two of the soldiers unwittingly release a mysterious entity that kills or corrupts those within its influence, drawing the attention of a Gestapo commander, a Jewish scholar, and a mysterious traveller.

The Keep is a film that has long divided cult films fans – is it a magnificent failure or an atmospheric triumph? Or is it both? With many prominent cast and crew practically disowning the film, it nevertheless remains an eerie depiction of the dread and corruptive force of fascism, and features incredible performances, make-up effects and a magnificent Tangerine Dream soundtrack.  Screening in a restored 4K version.

14:10 | A WWII Fairytale: The Making of Michael Mann’s The Keep (Stewart Buck & Stéphane Piter, 2025) - UK Premiere, Q&A to follow

In the works for over a decade, this unique, in-depth documentary about the making of Michael Mann’s classic The Keep casts light on an unfairly maligned cult film. It digs deep to uncover the extraordinary challenges the filmmakers were up against, the myths surrounding the final released version, and most importantly celebrates the key work of so many crew members who contributed to this so-called auteur’s vision.

The Keep screened from battered 35mm film back in the earliest days of Abertoir, so it feels appropriate to celebrate the new 4K restoration at our 20th anniversary with this illuminating and detailed documentary too.

Screens with Into the Darkness: Filming The Keep in Wales, a 30-minute featurette about making the film on location in Glyn Rhonwy quarry, Llanberis, and Llechwedd Slate Caverns, Blaenau Ffestiniog.

17:00 | Mārama (Taratoa Stappard, 2025) - UK Premiere, Q&A to follow

1859. When a young Māori woman is summoned from New Zealand to a north Yorkshire estate, she finds herself haunted by confusing visions. Far from home, she uncovers gruesome secrets and is compelled to confront the titled Englishman who harbours deep secrets.

With a searing central performance by Ariāna Osborne, Mārama is an inventive and effective twist on the gothic, bringing Aotearoa to the traditional English gothic milieu and holding up a furious lens to its colonial history.

19:30 | Vincent Price: 20 Golden Years of Classic Horror, 1953-1973

Vincent Price:  20 Golden Years of Classic Horror, 1953 – 1973, will be presented by Victoria Price and Peter Fuller, covering the years when Vincent Price was at the height of his career as the undisputed King of Horror. His gothic films with Roger Corman were unparalleled, and his mark on cinema had never been so important.

This multimedia presentation will span the 20 years from House of Wax to Madhouse, with behind-the-scenes photos, fun facts about each film, and cool clips, as only known by Vincent’s daughter and biographer, Victoria, and author and keeper of the Vincent Price Legacy UK, Peter Fuller.

21:00 | Mystery Screening!

Every festival needs its big-budget entertaining crowd-pleaser, and this might just be the one – though we’re sworn to secrecy! We can say it’s got teenagers making questionable decisions, a very famous summer song on the soundtrack, and a central performance straight out of a previous festival theme. Teen protagonists there might be, but this film’s not on any PG-tip, with wild scenes of gore a-plenty – enough to have even hardened horror fans wincing in their seats.

We’ve been sworn to secrecy by this major Hollywood studio, who are releasing this hotly anticipated film next year – and they’ve asked for audience reactions too, so make sure you swing by and share your thoughts!

23:00 | Nicko & Joe's Bad Film Club

Comedians Nicko and Joe know terrible cinema better than anyone, and every year we like to drag them to Aberystwyth in order to demonstrate some true cinematic shit for you, complete with their own, very special, very silly live commentary.

Abertoir regulars know what to expect by now – verbal abuse and a truly terrible film – and those of you who’ve never had the pleasure…well, brace yourselves!

Sunday 16th Nov, 2025

10:00 | The Invisible Half (Masaki Nishiyama, 2025)

Having just moved to a rural, Japanese town, Elena (Lisa Siera), a ‘half’ Japanese high schooler, feels out of place because of her foreign appearance and name. Troubled by a sense she doesn’t belong, Elena struggles under the constant attention of those around her. She soon discovers that she is also being watched by something else—a monster that can only be seen through her smartphone and heard through her earphones. Elena’s life will change forever when the invisible monster begins its hunt.

Sitting outside of the usual J-Horror norm, this engrossing chiller delivers an unfamiliar and refreshing look at cultural identity, lending the main character a rare emotional depth as it follows her through this supernatural horror story.  With a hint of It Follows, there are some great set pieces and features VFX work from the talent behind Godzilla Minus One.

12:30 | Gothic in Games; Chapter Two | A Talk by Kristen McGorry

Following our first exploration into gothic gaming in 2022, games story designer and writer Kristen McGorry is back with the second chapter. What is it that keeps players walking willingly into the dark – knowing it might never let them leave?

14:00 | Theatre of Horrors: The Sordid History of Paris' Grand Guignol (David Gregory, 2025) - UK Premiere, Q&A to follow

In 1897, in a back alley in the seedy Pigalle district of Paris, a former chapel turned small performance space became a theatrical institution forged in naturalism, controversy and grisly spectacle. Over the next 65 years, it would actively provoke revulsion, celebration and begrudging global esteem and more than a half century after its final performance, the Grand Guignol remains one of the most wildly misunderstood and profoundly influential traditions in entertainment history.

In this new documentary by award-winning producer/director/editor David Gregory and narrated by international genre icon Barbara Steele, discover the history, mystery, and ongoing socio-cultural impact of what may be France’s most infamous export.

16:15 | Eyes Without a Face (Georges Franju, 1960)

After his daughter Christiane (Edith Scob) is horribly disfigured in a car accident he caused, the brilliant and obsessive plastic surgeon Dr. Genessier (Pierre Brasseur) is driven mad with guilt. As atonement, the doctor, aided by his loyal assistant Louise (Alida Valli), lures young women to his secluded chateau and takes them to his secret laboratory to surgically remove their faces with the hope of grafting them on to his daughter’s ruined features and restoring her former beauty. But will Christiane allow him to succeed in his dangerous experiments?

Eyes Without a Face is film of legacies, both the gothic shadow of Frankenstein over its ‘mad doctor’ premise, and it’s own massive influence on so many that followed in its footsteps, from Franco to Almodovar. From its grand guignol gore to its hauntingly beautiful protagonist, its carnivalesque score to its stark cinematography, this really is a masterpiece of the genre.

18:10 | Reflection in a Dead Diamond (Hélène Cattet & Bruno Forzani, 2025)

John D (Fabio Testi), a septuagenarian living in a luxury hotel on Côte d’Azur, is intrigued by his next-door neighbour who reminds him of the wildest hours on the Riviera during the 1960s. At that time, he was a spy in a rapidly developing world full of promise. One day, this neighbour mysteriously disappears…bringing John face to face with his demons: are his former adversaries back to wreak havoc in his idyllic world?

Sounds straight-forward? Just you wait.

We’ve shown almost all of Cattet & Forzani’s films at Abertoir, and so we couldn’t resist a big screen outing for their latest. This is a fever-dream homage to the Eurospy genre with an aesthetic that could have been right out of the 60s. It’s stylish, artful and in-your-face filmmaking that deserves to be seen big and loud.

20:00 | Queens of the Dead (Tina Romero, 2025)

When a zombie apocalypse breaks out in Brooklyn on the night of a giant warehouse party, an eclectic group of drag queens, club kids, & frenemies must put aside their drama and use their unique skills to fight against the brain-thirsty, scrolling undead.

Don’t you just hate it when your big night out is interrupted by zombies?  Between rising genre stars (Katy O’Brian and Jack Haven), horror royalty (Tom Savini and Greg Nicotero), and yes, that iconic lineage and name, Queens of the Dead is a rowdy, silly and crowd-pleasing horror comedy, full of heart and humour.