It’s nearly FrightFest time when our dark hearts grow cold at FrightFest Glasgow. Today the 2026 line-up has been unveiled, and it’s one which promises to be a rollercoaster ride with the devil.
It’s full scream ahead with three days of trauma, terror and tantalising thrills at the Glasgow Film Theatre, where the Woodstock of gore takes over the iconic cinema’s main screen – or should that be scream? – from 5th until 7th March with a programme comprising the latest genre discoveries from around the world. A mix of five world premieres, eight new feature films and a short film showcase all highlight fantastic filmmakers from the UK and Ireland.
FrightFest Glasgow kicks off with a world premiere on Thursday night, 5th March with Vasily Chuprina’s relentless action thriller Jailbroken. This claustrophobic experience takes place within a single prison cell and boasts a Scottish cast led by David Hayman, Bryan Larkin, Shauna MacDonald and Armin Karima.
The main crux of the festival all starts on Friday 6th March with the UK premiere of Bury The Devil. Adam O’Brien‘s supernatural horror promises to be a terrifying, twisty rollercoaster, as well as a fun ride that puts a new spin on the exorcism genre. Next up comes the return to Glasgow of the prolific Howard J.Ford with the world premiere of his creature feature, Bone Keeper. This monstrous tale of discovery and survival deep within a remote cave system, will be introduced to festival-goers by the director and members of the cast.
The premieres continue with David Kittredge’s documentary Boorman And The Devil, which explores the infamous Exorcist II: The Heretic sequel directed by John Boorman, a film that hit the skids in production and was critically panned. The evening adds humour to the mix with the UK premiere of The Restoration At Grayson Manor. Glenn McQuaid’s camp sci-fi horror comedy stars Alice Krige in a film mixes The Beast with Five Fingers with the Universal Monsterverse.
The first full day closes with some J-Horror with the UK premiere of Kenichi Ugana‘s The Curse. Described as The Ring updated for the TikTok age, this is a shocking satire on the terrors hiding in addictive internet algorithms.
Things get lethal at the start of day two with the international premiere of Connor Marsden’s visceral shocker, Violence, a shattering fast and furious love story wrapped in the raw energy of punk and action-horror.
After its debut success at last year’s event, the Short Film Showcase returns to shine the spotlight on home-grown talent and unleashes eight up-and-coming UK and Irish directors.
There’s more Japanese horror later in the second day with The Convenience Store from Jiro Nagae. This is an adaptation of the popular Chilla’s Art game, starring Kotona Minami as a worker who has to grapple with terrifying events in a midnight convenience store.
The evening line up features a first-time director getting a world premiere. Craig Conway’s Red Riding is a gritty horror-thriller reimaging of the classic Little Red Riding Hood fairytale seen through a contemporary lens. FrightFest alum Neil Marshall executive produces this one will and will join Craig and members of the cast on stage at the screening.
The future turns bleak in Aleksander Radivojević’s dystopian fable Karmadonna, which follows a pregnant woman receiving a brutal ultimatum from a voice claiming to be a god. She faces the choice of either eliminating corrupt figures or losing her unborn baby. Blending intense violence with social critique on religion, greed, and modern malaise, this is a very dark tale.
The 2026 FrightFest Glasgow climaxes with Australian fantasy horror Deathkeeper. Tristan Barr’s creepy unsettling and highly mysterious atmospheric chiller is adapted from Vasilios Bouzas‘ novella series The Deathkeeper and promises to be a compulsive, haunting experience.
FrightFest co-director Alan Jones said: “For twenty one years, FrightFest has joyfully programmed for collective gasps, laughs, screams and applause from our ever-supportive audiences within the Glasgow Film Festival. This year’s prime selection of unusual films will innovate, challenge, thrill and amaze as we platform both features and shorts from the most creative talents working in the genre”.
FrightFest Passes are £88 and available from 10am on Friday 16th January. Passes will be exchanged for admission wristbands, prior to the first screening on 6th March, which must be worn at all times to access all FrightFest films on Friday 6th and Saturday 7th March ONLY.
Online: Passes – https://www.glasgowfilm.org/movie/gff26-frightfest-weekend-pass
Tickets for Jailbroken (£12.00/£9.60 concessions), plus individual tickets for the Friday and Saturday films, are on sale to CineCard / CineCard+ members from Friday 23rd January from 10am.
The main Glasgow Film Festival general sale starts on Monday 26th January at 10am.
How to Buy Tickets
Online: https://glasgowfilm.org/glasgow-film-festival
Telephone: 0141 332 6535 (£1.50 fee per transaction, voicemail available during peak business periods).
In person: Glasgow Film Theatre, 12 Rose Street, Glasgow G3 6RB.
FrightFest Glasgow will take place from March 5th to 7th.
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