DEAD NORTHERN FILM FESTIVAL 2026 TICKETS & PASSES
Join us in York for three days of spine-chilling independent horror films, exclusive premieres, and special guest Q&As. Browse individual screening tickets and full weekend passes below.
Dates: 25-27 September 2026
Venue: City Screen Picturehouse, York
Headline Sponsor: Dead by Daylight
FESTIVAL SCHEDULE & FULL LINEUP
| FRIDAY 25 Sept | |
|---|---|
| 10:30 | SHORT FILM BLOCK · Student Shorts Gloryhole · Where's Ollie? · Hunger · Foreign Bodies · Loop · Nightfeeds |
| 12:15 | CLASSIC FEATURE FILM · Aswang (1994) |
| 13:45 | DEAD TALK · PANEL EVENT |
| 15:15 | SHORT FILM BLOCK · Twisted tales & Comic Carnage |
| 16:45 | FEATURE FILM · Friday The 69th with Q&A (Regional Premiere) |
| 18:45 | SHORT FILM BLOCK · Music Videos |
| 19:30 | FEATURE FILM · Loner with Q&A |
| 21:15 | Welcome social & Quiz with the Independent Horror Society · Alien: Deep Space Trivia |
| 22:15 | CLASSIC FEATURE FILM · Secret Late night screening Presented by Dead by daylight |
| SATURDAY 26 Sept | |
|---|---|
| 10:30 | SHORT FILM BLOCK · Monsters & Mindgames |
| 12:15 | FEATURE FILM · Free Buffet (UK Premiere) |
| 14:45 | SHORT FILM BLOCK · Fatal Futures |
| 16:30 | FEATURE FILM · The First Day with Q&A (UK Premiere) |
| 19:30 | SIGNATURE EVENT · Spirits With Spirits |
| 21:00 | FEATURE FILM · Dead reset with Q&A (Regional Premiere) |
| 23:00 | AWARDS CEREMONY & AFTER PARTY |
| SUNDAY 27 Sept | |
|---|---|
| 10:30 | SHORT FILM BLOCK · Home Grown Horror GILDA · Five Hours Until the Blood Moon · The Man That I Wave At · Crak Hack · Sapling · A Hand to Hold · Jammy · ITCH · GOODS · The Bait |
| 12:30 | FEATURE FILM · Evil Thread with Q&A (World Premiere) |
| 14:15 | SHORT FILM BLOCK · Personal Demons Deck of many Horrors · 27B · The Tenant · God Forbid · Thresholds · The Cure · The Binding |
| 16:15 | DEAD TALK · Presented by Dead Ink · Terrors from an Ancient Land: how monster stories connect us to our roots (with special guests) |
| 17:30 | FEATURE FILM & SHORT · Wrath of the Gods with Q&A (Regional Premiere) & Short film Krampus |
| 19:45 | SHORT FILM BLOCK · Good for Her Chimera · Dogs Reign · Cegsex · Borglesque · Manic · Darling |
| 21:15 | FEATURE FILM · Game Over (UK Premiere) |
FEATURE FILM · FRI · 12:15
ASWANG
HORROR/FOLK HORROR · 94 MIN
A young, unwed, and pregnant woman moves into an isolated mansion to marry into a wealthy family, only to realize she is being terrorized by a clan of shape-shifting creature-vampires that feed on the unborn.
Directed by Wrye Martin and Barry Poltermann
FEATURE FILM · FRI · 16:45
Friday The 69th with Q&A (Regional Premiere)
HORROR COMEDY/MOCKUMENTARY · 92 MIN
A group of adult filmmakers in 1981 who aim to capitalize on the slasher trend by making their own independent ripoff about a group of spring breaking college coeds as they are terrorized by a mysterious killer beekeeper with a vendetta, leading to a series of gruesome and absurdly comedic events.
Directed by Alex Montilla
FEATURE FILM · FRI · 19:30
Loner with Q&A
HORROR/FOUND FOOTAGE · 99 MIN
Aspiring vlogger, Angus Mattock, ventures to a remote wilderness retreat to create nature and survival videos. His idyllic getaway descends into a nightmarish fight for his life as he is held captive by a mysterious, natural force.
Directed by Charlie Robb & Douglas Tawn
CLASSIC FEATURE FILM · FRI · 22:15
Classic Feature
Presented by Dead by daylight
GENRE/SUB GENRE · 100 MIN
FEATURE FILM · SAT · 12:15
Free Buffet (UK Premiere)
HORROR · 110 MIN
Xian and Ikki are an Asian couple with an all-you-can-eat buffet threatened by bankruptcy. Their problems seem to be solved by an improvised plan: killing all their enemies. But... what if they themselves are their own enemies?
Directed by Zoe Berriatúa
Spanish with English subtitles
FEATURE FILM · SAT · 16:30
The First Day (UK Premiere)
HORROR/APOCALYPTIC HORROR · 91 MIN
A normal Saturday becomes a nightmare when an unknown outbreak reaches a family in a quiet suburban neighbourhood.
Directed by Manu Pons
FEATURE FILM · SAT · 21:00
Dead Reset - with Q&A (Regional Premiere)
SCI-FI/HORROR · 94 MIN
Trapped in an underwater research facility, surgeon Cole Mason is forced to operate on a mutating, parasitic creature. The catch? He's trapped in a brutal, blood-soaked time loop and must relive his own violent demise over and over again. To survive, Cole must embrace death and find a way to kill the creature and stop the loop before he becomes trapped in a never ending spiral of horror.
Directed by Stewart Sparke
FEATURE FILM · SUN · 12:30
Evil Thread - with Q&A (World Premiere)
HORROR · 88 MIN
An eager fashion student is plagued by a malignant sweater who is hell bent on unravelling humanity.
Directed by Benny J Smith
FEATURE FILM · SUN · 17:30
Wrath of the Gods + Short Film Krampus (Regional Premiere)
HORROR/FOLK HORROR · 124 MIN
Young, grieving widow Anna returns to Hel Island to bury her late husband after his suicide. She is cast out by the eccentric locals for being a symbol of bad luck and evil. When children start going missing the island is forced to reckon with its dark history of familial abuse and the terrifying beast-like forces of the sea.
Directed by Justin Hardy
FEATURE FILM · SUN · 21:15
Game Over (UK Premiere)
HORROR · 83 MIN
Whilst investigating the mysterious death of her sister, a young woman uncovers an urban myth about an unlicensed video game that kills the people who play it. To find the truth, she must play the game and confront the demon inside.
Directed by Carlos Marin
FRI 25 Sept - 10:30
Student shorts
Glory Hole
Horror
A man discovers a glory hole in a nightclub bathroom, only to find himself trapped in the most unusual predicament.
Directed by Antonio Rosa
Where's Ollie?
Horror, Thriller, Psychological Thriller
Four friends recall Ollie differently, but a mysterious extra glass suggests he may have been there all along.
Directed by Ortino Yang
Hunger
Horror
A young woman hired to care for a sick old man overnight soon discovers the job is far more sinister than it seems.
Directed by Melker Laurell
Foreign Bodies
Animation, Horror
A simple itch descends into an outbreak with many legs. Certain things will always find their way to the surface.
Directed by Lysander Wong
Loop
Horror
A rookie food delivery rider accepts a legendary ghost order for a small bonus - only to be trapped in a terrifying loop deep in the haunted mountains.
Directed by Chuan Lin
Night Feeds
Psychological Horror, Drama
An Arab-American mother drowns in postpartum as a night nurse unnerves her and war floods her screens. Her private paranoia bleeds into the violence beyond her walls.
Directed by Rana Roy
FRI 25 Sept - 15:15
Shorts Block · Twisted tales & Comic Carnage
The Tall Dark Man
Thriller, Supernatural, Suspense, horror, comedy
At her wits' end, Natalie turns to local legend and summons a mythical hit man known only as The Tall Dark Man to dispatch with her blackmailing ex.
Directed by Taylor Phillips
Pleased to Kill You
Thriller
A charming serial killer meets his match when he knocks on the door of someone with something far more dangerous to offer.
Directed by Adolfo Vico
What's In your Bag?
Reality show, thriller, horror
A celebrity interview descends into brutal chaos when the star reveals a far more dangerous side.
Directed by Béla Baptiste
Rock Paper Scissors Death
Horror, Comedy, Gore
A man trapped in a deadly Rock Paper Scissors game just wants to lose, but an unseen psychopath has other plans.
Directed by Dayle Saunders
The Humbug
Horror, Comedy, Drama
Two elderly women in a care home grapple with magical mint humbugs, setting off an absurd journey through pleasure and peril.
Directed by Cole Paviour
Bloodsuckers
Animation/Horror
26-year-old Bliss believes she's a vampire slayer, but when her housemate pushes her too far, she suspects a demon lives under her roof.
Directed by Rosie Brear
Muff
Comedy, Horror
A commitment-phobic man is forced into a bloody duel for the hand of a spectral lady with a bewitching secret.
Directed by Elliot Ancona
Lucky Bastard
Horror, Comedy
A friendly game night spirals out of control when a cruel prank triggers an epic meltdown between two longtime friends.
Directed by Iris Elaine Almaraz
The Belly
Horror, Comedy
A troubled marriage takes a gruesome turn when Frank discovers something inside him desperately wants to get out.
Directed by Jamie Hooper
FRI 25 Sept - 18:15
Music Videos
Making Music From Monsters
Music, Documentary
The story behind a fictional 1970s exploitation film brought to life entirely through its artwork and music.
Directed by Mark Andrew Hamer
Bokassa"Doesn't Matter If You Love It Here"
Music Video
Bokassa's search for a new bassist spirals into madness as auditions become a hilarious and deadly nightmare.
Directed by Henrik Eriksen
Brothers' Song
Music Video
A wounded father leads his sons through loss and ruin, embarking on a mythic journey towards resistance and rebirth.
Directed by Māris Āboliņš
Many Ways to Kill
Music Video
A deadly dinner party where the guests arrive hungry, but survival—not dessert—is on the menu.
Directed by Valentyn Korolkov
SAT 26 Sept - 10:30
Shorts Block · Monsters & Mindgames
305 Fishkill Avenue
Drama, Thriller, Mystery, Psychological
A kind-hearted janitor witnesses a crime at 305 Fishkill Avenue, but no one believes the mysterious building even exists.
Directed by Ramel Westry
Gumboro
thriller, horror, psychological thriller, home invasion
A young man's new apartment turns sinister when a locked storage room awakens his deepest fears.
Directed by Dimitris Vavatsis
The Hold
Horror
A commitment-phobe battles terrifying night terrors after a stranger sleeps over, unleashing a sinister entity he can no longer escape.
Directed by Ashley James Panton
Lady Puritan
Psychological Horror, Folk Horror, Arthouse Horror
As dream life bleeds into waking reality, a woman haunted by her Puritan ancestor must confront the terror buried deep within her bloodline.
Directed by Gustine Füdickar, Justin Streichman
Vowels
Horror
Ava struggles to record a self-tape when her speech impediment threatens to derail her big audition.
Directed by Rafael De Leon
Cyclops
Fantasy
A children's author returns to her old school, only to discover the monster from her book may be more than fiction.
Directed by Tariq Sayed
3:03AM
Horror
At 3:03 AM, Michelle hears terrifying sounds coming from inside her bedroom.
Directed by Kolya Denton
SAT 26 Sept - 14:45
Shorts Block · Fatal Futures
Dance the Light Away
Sci-Fi, Comedy, Horror
Three friends break a strict lights-out rule to restock their party, only to face a swarm of deadly mutated crane flies in the dark.
Directed by Annabelle Snelling
Sleep Call
Romance, Horror, Anime, Screenlife
A lonely young man finds intimacy through late-night online sleep calls, but his digital romance takes a terrifying turn.
Directed by Richer Huynh
After Glow
Sci-fi, horror
In a world where grief-tech is banned, Millie reunites with her dead fiancé—only to find something else waiting in the void.
Directed by Aaran McKenzie
Downsized
Sci-fi, Dark comedy
On his last day, a software engineer secretly tries to recover the digital remains of his dead wife before he's discovered.
Directed by Ed Willey
Hunter
Thriller, Drama, Post-apocalyptic, Horror;
In a world starved of food, a father and daughter hunt for prey, only to become the hunted in a savage fight for survival.
Directed by Pavlos Sifakis
The Pigs Underneath
Horror, Sci-fi
In a working-class town, residents must meet a brutal quota to survive - or face a fate worse than death.
Directed by Charlie Dennis
Sun 27 Sept - 10:30
Shorts Block · Home Grown Horror
GILDA
Horror, Thriller
A struggling actor runs an afterschool club while being tormented by a sinister occult presence.
Directed by Matty Ride-Smith
Five Hours Until the Blood Moon
Horror
Three young wannabe witches desperately need to lose their virginity until the midnight to complete the ritual.
Directed by Dan Silov
The Man That I Wave At
Sci-fi/Horror
A man has an existential crisis trying to work out who the mysterious man is that he waves at.
Directed by Ben S Hyland
Crak Hack
Horror, sci-fi, comedy
In a near-future of VR intimacy, a lonely man's attempt to save his relationship unleashes terrifying chaos when hackers seize control.
Directed by Brendan Cleaves
Sapling
Horror
A grieving mother returns to the cursed woods where her son vanished, forcing her abusive husband to face a monstrous reckoning.
Directed by Ben Franklin, Anthony Melton
A Hand to Hold
Horror, Drama, Comedy, Dark Comedy
After her husband dies, an elderly Irish woman finds herself literally attached to him, with grotesque consequences.
Directed by Philip Clyde-Smith
Jammy
Horror, Comedy, Thriller
A struggling baker's life takes a turn after a violent confrontation awakens a hunger for justice.
Directed by Lainya Craig
ITCH
Horror, Thriller, Comedy
Itch is a short folk horror story for the dating app generation. It follows Jules and her second date Thomas, an awkward man with an infectious charm...
Directed by Joe Savage
GOODS
Horror, Thriller, Post-Apocalyptic, Folk Horror
During a UK famine, three women shelter on an isolated farm until a mysterious radio message lures one into the wild.
Directed by Jack Berry
The Bait
Horror
A couple's unshakable love is tested when their cat disappears and a divine presence demands the ultimate sacrifice.
Directed by Sabrina Rivetti
Sun 27 Sept - 14:15
Shorts Block · Personal Demons
Deck of many Horrors
Horror, comedy
A female game master's online D&D session goes horribly wrong when the fantasy adventure turns unexpectedly fatal.
Directed by Sam Renew
27B
Horror, Sci fi
A man strikes up a conversation with a mysterious woman on a flight, only to discover her intentions are far more sinister than expected.
Directed by David Talon
The Tenant
Horror
A woman seeks solace in a secluded Airbnb, only to find herself hunted by a creature that moves whenever she looks away.
Directed by Ollie Hilton
God Forbid
Horror
What begins as a quiet reunion between mother and daughter slowly unravels into a reckoning no prayer could soften.
Directed by Aaran McKenzie
Thresholds
Horror
Shirking the risks, Laura captures a spirit in her home to connect with her deceased mother.
Directed by Sam C Dixon, Sixto Perea Rubio
The Cure
Horror
A woman seeking an Irish cure for smoking is haunted by a demonic manifestation of her very own addiction.
Directed by Seán Connolly
The Binding
Horror
After a failed exorcism, a grieving father will do whatever it takes to destroy the entity that took his daughter.
Directed by Ryan Kennedy
Sun 27 Sept - 19:45
Shorts Block · Good for Her
Chimera
Horror
A bookish lab technician uses her access to a DNA database to find a date, but the 'chance' meet cute turns into something much more sinister.
Directed by Eamonn Hearns
Dogs Reign
Drama, Fantastic, horror, suspense, psychological
A young deaf woman accepts an invitation from two men, but as the night unfolds, their friendly intentions become increasingly sinister.
Directed by Axel Zeltser
Cegsex
Horror, comedy
When a mouth erupts on Tomos's arm after trying to bypass online porn restrictions, he must muffle his sins before mum finds out.
Directed by Alun Rhys Morgan
Borglesque
Sci-Fi, Horror, Comedy, Dark Comedy, B-Movie, Grindhouse
A greedy burlesque club owner hires a mad scientist to resurrect his most profitable girl, but this she-borg refuses to be an object of men's desires.
Directed by G. Wilson
Manic
Horror, Drama
After years of creative repression, an artist descends into madness and transforms her oppressive partner into grotesque art.
Directed by Mariel Sharp
Darling
Horror
A woman who finds peace through religion is forced to confront a sinister evil that turns her deepest fears against her.
Directed by Alan Chung-An Ou
VIP FESTIVAL PASS
Enjoy all the benefits of the Screen Pass, plus a Dead Northern 2026 Festival T-shirt and exclusive access to our VIP festival awards party.
SCREEN PASS
Gain access to all film showings, receive a personalised lanyard, and five entries into our annual raffle featuring signed horror merchandise and films.
Day Passes
Available after the schedule release August 25th 2026.
Individual tickets
Available after the schedule release August 25th 2026.
AGE RESTRICTIONS
This event is strictly for attendees aged 18 and over
ID VERIFICATION
Please bring valid photographic ID for entry.
TICKET POLICY
All tickets are non-refundable. Each e-ticket is unique and will be verified upon entry
SEATING
Seating is unallocated and first come first served. Seats will always be available - early arrival is recommended if you've got a favourite spot!
Celebrated by Horror's Finest
Dread Central
"Definitely deserving of its place in the Best Genre Festivals in the world"
Fangoria
"One of the UK's biggest horror festivals... packed with everything horror fans could dream of."
Starburst
"A marvellous look at the genre... moments of genuine horror that have a real impact."
BBC
"An immersive experience... where filmmakers and fans come together to celebrate the strange."
The York Press
"York's ultimate destination for horror storytellers, turning the city into a hub for the macabre."
Nerdly
"A brilliantly curated celebration of horror. Dead Northern has carved out a distinct identity on the festival circuit, and it shows in every event they run"
The Independent Horror Society
"Dead Northern has become a standout event for UK horror fans a festival built on passion, community, and a genuine love for the genre."
Horror Cult Film
"Dead Northern continues to champion independent horror with passion and authenticity — a festival that truly supports the genre."
HORROR DNA
"A bold and original celebration of genre cinema — Dead Northern continues to push UK horror forward with every event."
BLOODY FLICKS
"A festival with real identity. Dead Northern champions indie horror with passion, energy, and a genuine love for the macabre."
LOVE HORROR
"A brilliantly run festival that showcases the very best in independent horror. A must‑attend for genre fans."
TOP GENRE FILM FESTIVALS 2026
"Recognised as one of the Top 65 Genre Film Festivals of 2026 based on international festival rankings compiled by filmmaker and festival analyst Adrian Tofei."
