Nightmares Come Alive in ‘Parasomnia’ Premiere at FrightFest

There is a moment, balanced precariously between waking and sleep, when the body surrenders but the mind is still restless. In that uncertain space lies Parasomnia, the debut feature from 25-year-old filmmaker James Ross II, which has its world premiere at this year’s FrightFest. The film transforms the intimacy of slumber into a battleground where grief, memory and terror entwine.

Parasomnia centres on Riley, a young woman plagued by relentless night terrors, whose subconscious is haunted by a demonic presence. When her best friend mysteriously disappears, Riley begins to suspect the shadowy figure stalking her in sleep has crossed over into the waking world. With trauma from her past surfacing alongside the terror of her dreams, she is forced to confront whether the demon is a figment of her mind or a threat that has escaped into reality.

Ross, just 25, channels a longstanding fascination with horror into his first feature. A film school graduate whose thesis project Don’t Blink won him a Gotham Award, Ross has spoken about the vulnerability of drifting into unconsciousness and how easily fear takes root in those moments. His approach positions sleep not as sanctuary but as a threshold through which terror might emerge.

The film also marks the feature producing debut of Gabrielle Chapman and Pacey Hansen, both Florida State University graduates. Chapman described being drawn to the premise of making something as ordinary as sleep terrifying, while Hansen emphasised the ambition to create a work that avoided overfamiliar genre tropes. Together with Ross, they assembled a team intent on making a horror film that feels both inventive and emotionally grounded.

The cast includes Jasmine Mathews, RJ Brown, Sally Stewart and Stephen Barrington, who lead the story through its shifting psychological terrain. Behind the scenes, the project was supported by executive producers Tabitha Shick, Dan Clifton and Jijo Reed, underscoring its collaborative origins.

Parasomnia continues FrightFest’s tradition of giving a platform to emerging horror filmmakers and it screens on 22 August at the ODEON Luxe West End.

For more information on this year’s fantastic FrightFest, and for tickets, visit frightfest.co.uk.