THE FESTIVAL RETURNS 23-25 OCTOBER 2026 WITH ITS UNIQUE MIX OF FASCINATING GUESTS, FANTASTIC FILMS & FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE
23-25 October 2026, Pendulum Hotel & Conference Centre, Manchester UK
Join us!
This year's guests
SUSAN PENHALIGON
Born in Manila, Phillipines, in 1949 and brought up in St Ives Cornwall, Susan Penhaligon is a proud Cornish woman. She is perhaps best known for her role in the drama series Bouquet of Barbed Wire (1976), and for playing Helen Barker in the sitcom A Fine Romance (1981–1984). Her screen career is comprehensive and impressive. Her film appearances include Under Milk Wood (1972), No Sex, Please, We’re British (1973), The Land That Time Forgot (1974), House of Mortal Sin (1976), The Uncanny (1977), Count Dracula (1977), The Masks of Death (1984), and Patrick: Evil Awakens (2013). Her many TV appearances include two episodes of Play for Today (1971 and 1975), Upstairs, Downstairs (1971), Doctor Who (1972), Public Eye (1973), Return of the Saint (1978), two episodes of Tales of the Unexpected (1982 and 1983), Bergerac (1989), The Ruth Rendell Mysteries (1997), the TV movie Junk (1999), Mark Gatiss’s A Ghost Story for Christmas: The Dead Room (2018) and Beyond Paradise (2026). Susan has also had a substantial stage career. Tagged the ‘British Bardot’ in the 1970s, she was described by Clive Aslet in The Daily Telegraph as ‘the face of the decade’.
SPENCER BANKS
Born in Chesterfield in 1954, Spencer Banks began his screen career with a role in the BBC adaptation of Émile Zola’s Germinal (1970). His big break came later that year when he starred as Simon Randall in the cult classic children’s SF series Timeslip (1970-71), which ran for 26 episodes. He gained further acclaim for his lead performance in the brilliant Penda’s Fenn (1974), a BBC Play for Today that was written by David Rudkin and directed by Alan Clarke. Further roles include the drama series The Witch’s Daughter (1971), comedy series Alexander the Greatest (1971), espionage thriller Tightrope (1972), spooky children’s series The Georgian House (1976), Dennis Potter’s classic Pennies from Heaven (1978), 11 episodes of the long-running ITV soap Crossroads, and guest spots in shows such as Minder (1979), Shine on Harvey Moon (1985), and the horror movie The Amityville Playhouse (2015).
LOUISE JAMESON
In Louise Jameson’s 55-year career (and counting!), she has performed in over 250 plays, been a regular in ten different TV series, including Doctor Who, where she played the role of the 4th Doctor’s companion Leela (1977-78), The Omega Factor (1979), Tenko (1981-82), Bergerac (1985-90) and EastEnders (1998-2000), and she has also dipped her toe into the film world. She is currently playing Mary Goskirk in Emmerdale, a feisty lesbian with no censorship between her brain and her mouth! She also pursues a writing career and is currently developing a TV series, a comedy centred around mental health.
SEAN HOGAN
Sean Hogan is a UK filmmaker and author. His feature credits include TO FIRE YOU COME AT LAST, THE DEVIL'S BUSINESS, FUTURE SHOCK! THE STORY OF 2000AD and THE BORDERLANDS. In collaboration with Kim Newman and a host of other genre writers, he co-created and directed the anthology horror plays THE HALLOWE'EN SESSIONS and THE GHOST TRAIN DOESN'T STOP HERE ANYMORE. He is also the author of the novels ENGLAND'S SCREAMING, TWILIGHT'S LAST SCREAMING and THE CORPSE ROAD. He is currently in post-production on a new feature film, THE DARK GETS IN.
Attention
Film Makers!
Submissions for 2026 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
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Keep up to speed with the latest developments!