Dead Northern Brings Cult Classics and New Horrors to York

York’s annual celebration of independent horror has revealed the first glimpse of its 2026 programme, mixing forgotten cult cinema, ambitious British filmmaking, international premieres and microbudget horror comedy as Dead Northern Horror Film Festival prepares to return this September.

Running from 25 to 27 September at Picturehouse City Screen, Dead Northern has announced the first five feature films set to screen during this year’s event, offering an early indication of what organisers describe as one of the festival’s broadest line-ups to date. Rather than focusing solely on premieres, the programme continues the festival’s tradition of championing standout genre filmmaking regardless of where audiences first encountered it.

Leading the announcement is a rare UK screening of Aswang, the 1994 cult horror directed by Wrye Martin and Barry Poltermann. Inspired by Filipino folklore, the film follows a pregnant woman who accepts an offer from a mysterious aristocratic family to adopt her unborn child, only to discover a terrifying secret lurking within their isolated estate. Premiering in Sundance’s Midnight section more than three decades ago, Aswang became known for its practical effects and uncompromising body horror, and Dead Northern’s screening will be followed by a panel discussing the evolution of vampire mythology across different cultures.

Making its UK premiere is Zoe Berriatúa’s Buffet Libre, a darkly comic Spanish horror in which the owners of a failing all-you-can-eat restaurant stumble upon a gruesome solution to their financial troubles. As the body count rises, so too does the menu, with the film promising an irreverent blend of satire, graphic horror and black comedy.

Festival favourite Stewart Sparke also returns with Dead Reset, following his Best Feature-winning How To Kill Monsters at the 2023 edition. Adapted from the interactive video game of the same name, the science-fiction horror stars Daniel Thrace, Lyndsey Craine and Dennis Rasaq as a surgeon trapped inside a mysterious underwater facility, where an endless cycle of death and resurrection uncovers an increasingly disturbing parasitic threat.

Elsewhere, audiences will have another opportunity to experience Loner, the survival horror from Charlie Robb and Douglas Tawn. The film follows aspiring online content creator Angus Mattock as a wilderness challenge spirals into an increasingly desperate struggle against an unexplained force. By programming Loner, Dead Northern continues its commitment to celebrating exceptional independent films beyond their initial festival premieres.

Completing the first wave is Friday the 69th, the microbudget slasher comedy from writer, director and star Alex Montilla. Produced for just $15,000, the film affectionately embraces the excesses of 1980s horror, weaving together homicidal beekeepers, aspiring filmmakers and practical effects into a knowingly outrageous celebration of independent genre cinema.

Festival Director Joshua Lawson said the selection reflects the ethos that has defined Dead Northern since its launch.

“Dead Northern has never been about chasing premieres for the sake of it. It’s about discovering the films people will still be talking about when they leave the cinema. Sometimes that’s a world premiere, sometimes it’s a forgotten cult classic that deserves to be seen by a new audience, and sometimes it’s an independent film that’s simply too good to ignore. Every film in this first announcement represents something we love about horror, originality, passion and filmmakers taking risks. We can’t wait to share them with audiences in York.”

Further feature announcements, short film selections, guest appearances, live events and industry panels will be revealed over the coming weeks as the full programme takes shape.

Dead Northern Horror Film Festival runs at Picturehouse City Screen in York from 25 to 27 September 2026. Tickets and festival passes are available now via the festival website: deadnorthern.co.uk/