With longtime favorites along with candidates for future cult classics, Dead Northern Film Festival boasts feature-length and short-film cinematic shockers for fright-fare fanatics of virtually every stripe. The fest runs from September 26-28 in York, U.K. and also serves up intriguing live events. Following is the official press announcement.
Dead Northern Horror Film Festival rises once again, taking over York’s City Screen Picturehouse from Friday 26 – Sunday 28 September 2025 for a fright-filled three-day celebration of all things horror.
This year’s line-up is bigger, bolder, and bloodier than ever – boasting an impressive slate of World and UK Feature Premieres alongside a record-breaking 10 short film premieres (7 UK and 3 World), plus a terrifying mix of cult classics, live events, and genre legends in conversation.
Festival highlights include:
World Premiere of A Mother’s Recall – an unsettling exploration of grief and memory.
Northern-made features He Kills at Night and The Beast of Riverside Hollow, showcasing the power of regional horror talent.
UK Premieres of Hell House LLC: Lineage, Home Education, Sun, Nightfall: A Paranormal Investigation [our featured image, above], and Tabula Rasa.
Classic Horror Screenings – Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge (celebrating its 40th Anniversary) and Sam Raimi’s cult masterworks Evil Dead and Evil Dead II.
Five specially curated short film blocks, ranging from surreal horror-comedy (Twisted Tales) to grotesque transformations (Flesh and Bone) and eerie supernatural visions (Spectres & Shadows).
Dead Talks returns with unmissable live events, including Don’t Call Me a Count! – a deep dive into Dracula’s mysterious York connection, plus a discussion on underrated horror sequels with Evolution of Horror’s Mike Muncer and critic Becky Darke.
Special live events like Spirits with Spirits – an immersive night of cocktails and ghost stories, hosted in partnership with Villains Rum.
Festival Director Joshua Lawson says:
“We’re proud to bring Dead Northern back to York with our biggest and boldest line-up yet. From world premieres and local talent to cult classics and cutting-edge shorts, we’re packing three days with everything horror fans could dream of – and probably some things they couldn’t!”
But Dead Northern is more than just films – it’s a full festival experience. The Dead Northern Marketplace will once again transform into a den of dark delights, with vendors and partners including Fangoria, Villains Rum, Independent Horror Society, Deathly
Tours, Picturehouse Cinemas, Planchett Place, Little Lions Lair, Captain Mustache, Phase4 Computers, author Alistair Lathers, Cornelius Darkly, and many more.
Expect scares, surprises, and plenty of blood-soaked fun as horror fans descend on York – the UK’s most haunted city – for a weekend like no other.
Tickets, passes and full programme details are available now at https://www.deadnorthern.co.uk/dead-northern-2025-horror-film-festival.
