Manchester’s Premium Independent Horror Festival ‘Grimm Up North’ is now holding monthly screenings. FRC will be attending.
As a certified Southerner, I haven’t venture very far out of my comfort zone of the South East. This is something that my wife delights in highlighting. Lyn is from Wales and studied at Leeds University, she also lived in Nottingham for quite a while. She finds it hilarious that I haven’t seen much of my own country but have travelled the world. Lyn loves to joke when telling people this, saying…
“Scott’s nose bleeds if he goes further north than Luton”
And to be honest I haven’t got much of an argument. But thankfully this year FRC is going to be attending a great four-day festival in October called ‘GRIMM UP NORTH’. Also the GRIMM guys, or Grimmlins as they like to call themselves have arranged a monthly slection of screenings featuring the creme-de-la-creme of independent horror and fantasy movies. I personally will not be able to attend every month, but Tom Bielby, our writer from Manchester is going to be reporting from the screenings and keeping us all up to date with the festivities.
But what is GRIMM UP NORTH and how did it start?
Here is festival programmer Steve Balshaw to explain..
The simple answer is it started because we had a few too many drinks and decided to do it! In more detail – Grimm’s Directors Simeon Halligan and Rachel Richardson-Jones had just finished their first feature film, SPLINTERED, which Simeon directed and Rachel produced. Frustrated by the lack of platforms for screening new films, they contacted me, Steve Balshaw, at the time I was Programme Manager of the Salford Film Festival, about the possibility of doing a one-off Halloween screening to promote the film’s imminent release. The initial thought was that between the three of us we could source two or three other independently produced UK horror feature films, maybe a few shorts, and make a day long event of it. The name of the festival was my suggestion, though the extra “m” in Grimm was added by Simeon, to indicate that the festival was also open to fantasy and other material apart from horror. And it just grew from there. Soon as the word got out that Grimm was happening, people started getting in touch and it snowballed into a four day, 20-odd film festival.
That was in 2009, and the festival has gone from strength to strength providing a great avenue for film makers to get their work seen. Also it has been a very popular with horror fans from all around the country.
The great news is that from this month GRIMM is going to be presenting a monthly mini event with a couple of screenings of independent horror and fantasy. Just so we don’t get bored waiting for the big festival in Autumn.
The season opens on the 20th JAN 2012 with a SEVENTIES SCI-FI SPECIAL, featuring the remastered HD version of Dan O’Bannon and John Carpenter’s anarchic, black-hearted cult classic DARK STAR, along with an in-depth documentary about the making of and the legacy of this influential movie, LET THERE BE LIGHT: THE ODYSSEY OF ‘DARK STAR’
Venue: International Anthony Burgess Foundation. Start Time: 7.30pm
Then, less than a week later, on the 26th January, we’ve a CULT CLASSIC ITALIAN HORROR NIGHT with Dario Argento’s 1971 masterpiece FOUR FLIES ON GREY VELVET and Michele Soavi’s overlooked lunatic gem DELLAMORTE DELLAMORE, THE CEMETERY MAN starring Rupert Everett.
Venue: The Dancehouse Theatre. Start Time: 7.30pm
A pretty strong start to the season I think you would agree. If you want to buy tickets, and I urge that you do as they are bound to sell out buy them HERE
So get set for the ride of your life with our monthly updates from the season, and let me tell you now there are some real crackers in the line up.
Are you a fan of classic and independent Horror? Are you attending these screenings? Comment below…
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23 comments
January 18, 2012 at 9:34 am (UTC 0)
Not only are you going to get a nose bleed you will have to take your pillow to hide behind XXXXX
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January 18, 2012 at 8:03 pm (UTC 0)
Haha poor Scott getting bullied! You can rest assured I won’t be taking any pillows to hide behind.
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January 18, 2012 at 9:36 am (UTC 0)
Sweet… looking forward to the posts about the events
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January 18, 2012 at 8:04 pm (UTC 0)
Thanks Raghav, there are some classics in the lineup and some I haven’t seen so it should be an interesting mix of films.
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January 18, 2012 at 10:12 am (UTC 0)
Sounds good, just a bit jealous!
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January 18, 2012 at 8:06 pm (UTC 0)
I know the feeling Pete, I’m glad there’s events such as this in Manchester, I always get so jealous of the festivals that London get. Hopefully you’ll enjoy the coverage anyway.
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January 18, 2012 at 10:59 am (UTC 0)
Nice post, Scott. Attended GRIMM UP NORTH 3 in October, it was quite good! Near to me as well, so would be tempted to revisit!
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January 18, 2012 at 8:07 pm (UTC 0)
Glad you enjoyed Grimm up North Mike, I can’t wait for these screenings to begin.
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January 18, 2012 at 12:39 pm (UTC 0)
You will be very well looked after up north Scott!
…this looks like an exciting event. I might have to pay it a visit with it being so close by me.
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January 18, 2012 at 10:14 pm (UTC 0)
It looks set to be a great weekend, can’t wait to see Scott’s reaction to some insane horror films, the screenings building up to the festival look set to be fantastic as well, you should get involved Dan.
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January 19, 2012 at 9:41 am (UTC 0)
Would be excellent if you could come down matey, you can hold my hand!!
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January 22, 2012 at 7:52 pm (UTC 0)
I’ll definitely let you know if I’m attending…strange as it may seem Dellamorte Dellamore is a film I’d love to see on the big screen.
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January 18, 2012 at 1:10 pm (UTC 0)
thanks for not inviting me to come to the horrorfest with you
I probably wouldn’t survive it!
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January 19, 2012 at 8:37 am (UTC 0)
We will do our best to survive it for you Dez, I will make sure I don’t post pictures that are too graphic in my write ups!
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January 18, 2012 at 3:27 pm (UTC 0)
Whoa… whoa… back up the train here. You’re going to a HORROR festival?!
This is excellent news!
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January 19, 2012 at 8:38 am (UTC 0)
I was as shocked as you John, looking forward to seeing Scott’s reaction to some gruesome films :p
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January 19, 2012 at 9:35 am (UTC 0)
HAHA I know i know!!
It is a while off yet, So I have time to de sensitise myself!!
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January 18, 2012 at 3:59 pm (UTC 0)
Sounds excellent, looking forward to your coverage. Dellamorte Dellamore is one of my all time favorite films.
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January 19, 2012 at 8:39 am (UTC 0)
I enjoyed Dellamorte Dellamorte as well so I’ll be looking forward to catching it on the big screen.
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January 18, 2012 at 6:12 pm (UTC 0)
How lucky you are Scott!!! I envy you. If only I could go to such festival,it would be heaven.
Let me know what you see there
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January 19, 2012 at 8:43 am (UTC 0)
My thoughts exactly, we are both looking forward to seeing some great up and coming horror films. We’ll be posting our reviews online so make sure you check back to find out what we get to see.
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January 18, 2012 at 10:26 pm (UTC 0)
Hmmm, matey and Tom I think you know this isn’t my cup of tea, I’d be too terrified, but you guys enjoy!
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January 19, 2012 at 8:44 am (UTC 0)
Thanks Ruth, I’m sure we will have a great time.
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