THE FESTIVAL RETURNS 24-26 OCTOBER 2025 WITH ITS UNIQUE MIX OF FASCINATING GUESTS, FANTASTIC FILMS & FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE
24-26 October 2025, Pendulum Hotel & Conference Centre, Manchester UK
Join us!
This year's guests
NORMAN ESHLEY
Norman Eshley is a distinguished English actor known for his extensive work in television and film. Norman trained to be an actor at the Bristol Old Vic with many Shakespearean roles on stage and transitioned to screen acting with his cinematic debut in the 1968 film The Immortal Story, directed by Orson Welles. Eshley gained recognition for his roles in British television, particularly in sitcoms. He is best remembered for portraying Jeffrey Fourmile, the snobbish estate agent in George and Mildred and for his appearances in Man About the House. His versatility as an actor is evident in his performances in various genres, including Blind Terror, House of Mortal Sin and Hammer’s The Lost Continent. Throughout his career, Eshley has continued to appear in numerous popular TV series, such as Department S, I, Claudius, The Sweeney, Secret Army, Return of the Saint, The Professionals, and Minder. Norman Eshley is appearing courtesy of All Star Autographs www.allstarautographs.co.uk
VIRGINIA WETHERELL
Virginia Wetherell is an English actress and vintage fashion expert. She is best known for her roles in Hammer’s Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde and Demons of the Mind, she also appeared in the iconic A Clockwork Orange. On television, she played many memorable roles, including Dyoni in the Doctor Who serial The Daleks. Beyond acting, Virginia made a significant mark in the world of fashion. In 1971, she opened a vintage clothing store named "Virginia" in Holland Park, London, which she ran successfully for over four decades. Her shop became a hub for fashion enthusiasts, attracting celebrities like Madonna, Nicole Kidman, and Kate Moss, as well as renowned designers who drew inspiration from her curated collection. Virginia was married to actor Ralph Bates from 1973 until his passing in 1991. Together, they had two children, Daisy and Will. Virginia is also a trustee of the Ralph Bates Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund, honouring her late husband's memory. Virginia Wetherell is appearing courtesy of All Star Autographs www.allstarautographs.co.uk.
JAMES SWANTON
James Swanton is best known for his otherworldly characters. On film, he has fathered the Antichrist as both Satan in Apartment 7A and the Jackal in The First Omen, as well as appearing as the Magician in Tarot, the Ash Man in Stopmotion, the Parasite in DASHCAM, SAL-E Sparx in Broadcast Signal Intrusion and the Zoom-crashing Spirit in the lockdown smash Host. He has also been Ransley in To Fire You Come at Last – the inaugural entry in The Haunted Season on Shudder – and the Creature in Frankenstein’s Creature, a self-written one-man film to mark the bicentenary of Mary Shelley’s novel. James has played the title roles in two BBC chillers: Lot No. 249, Mark Gatiss’s Ghost Story for Christmas, and ‘The Curse of the Ninth’ in the final series of Inside No. 9. On stage, he has been closely associated with Dickens, performing the Gothic melodrama Sikes & Nancy at the West End’s Trafalgar Studios and many different ghost stories at London’s Charles Dickens Museum, including sell-out runs of A Christmas Carol, The Signal-Man and The Trial for Murder. He also starred as Victor Carroon in The Quatermass Experiment at Alexandra Palace, for which he received the Dracula Society’s Hamilton Deane Award.
GRAHAM HUMPHREYS
Graham Humphreys is a freelance designer and illustrator. He studied Graphic design at Salisbury College of Art, before moving to London in 1980. His posters for ‘The Evil Dead’ and ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ are the significant images that sealed his reputation in horror film promotion and Home Entertainment. With over forty years experience, his current work includes posters, book covers, record covers and private commissions. His posters announce London’s annual FrightFest, the Sheffield HorrorCon and Manchester’s Weekend of The Dead. He still works in the traditional medium of paint on paper. A third book of Graham’s work is called ‘A Nightmare on One Sheet’ and is published by www.Koreropress.com.
Attention
Film Makers!
Submissions for 2025 are now open
We rebooted our international Delta film competition in 2022. We have a fantastic response each year, with a great range of finalists from around the world.
Winners in each category — Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy – receive the Delta Award, with the best-in-festival getting the coveted Norman J. Warren Trophy, named in honour of the cult filmmaker. Click here to learn more about Norman
THE FESTIVAL TAKES PLACE IN THE HEART OF MANCHESTER
The festival’s home is the Pendulum Hotel – also known as the Manchester Conference Centre – on Sackville Street in central Manchester.
Accommodation is usually available at special rates. Look out for festival updates and news on Facebook. Buy festival tickets here
NOW IN OUR 34th YEAR!
We have a unique atmosphere and impeccable pedigree, bringing an eye-popping array of horror, SF and fantasy films to Manchester – in 2023 that included short films from Brazil, Australia, Mexico, Iran, Spain, UK, Ukraine, Taiwan, Turkey and Germany.
A hidden gem on the festival circuit, discover us in 2025. Buy festival tickets here
Register here for festival news and guest updates
Keep up to speed with the latest developments!