‘The Nameless Ballad’ Reveals First Look Before FrightFest World Premiere

A musician retreats to the Italian countryside in search of a song and finds something waiting for him instead. That is the central idea behind The Nameless Ballad, Federico Zampaglione’s latest supernatural horror feature, which has revealed an exclusive poster and new stills ahead of its world premiere at Tubi FrightFest 2026.

The film will screen on Saturday, 29 August, on the festival’s main screen in London, marking Zampaglione’s return to FrightFest following the international run of The Well. Jamie Ward, whose credits include His Dark Materials and Juliet & Romeo, stars as Sam Gallo, a 27-year-old British musician struggling to follow the success of his debut album.

Unable to write and increasingly dependent on prescription medication, Sam leaves behind the pressure of his management and returns to the rural Italian setting where he spent his childhood summers. The intention is to recover some sense of direction. Instead, the secluded house in which he isolates himself becomes the site of a growing supernatural disturbance.

According to the official synopsis, the presences inside the property appear to feed on Sam’s fear, anguish and desperation to create. What begins as a period of artistic withdrawal gradually turns into a more dangerous breakdown, with the boundaries between imagination, addiction and the unexplained becoming increasingly difficult to separate.

Alana Boden, known for Mr Selfridge and I Am Elizabeth Smart, plays Sam’s partner Tania, who is drawn into the crisis alongside him. The supporting cast includes Giglia Marra, Fabrizio Ferracane, Seumas Sargent, Reed Stokes, Mia Desando, Vincenzo De Michele and Sergio Ceglie. Producers have also confirmed that a further cast member will be announced at a later date.

Zampaglione co-wrote the film with Barbara Baraldi, whose work includes Dylan Dog. Yuri Santurri serves as director of photography, while Somic Film produces and Minerva Pictures handles worldwide distribution.

The project also draws directly on Zampaglione’s parallel career as a singer and songwriter. Best known as the frontman of Italian rock-pop band Tiromancino, he has spent decades moving between music and filmmaking, with previous genre credits including Shadow, Tulpa: Demon of Desire and The Well.

‘I’m very happy for my latest film to have its world premiere at FrightFest, a festival I love, and I will be there, with the cast and crew, to meet the fans,’ Zampaglione said. ‘Although this film is deeply rooted in the supernatural, this is probably my most personal film to date, because it is inspired by my work as a musician and singer.’

The Nameless Ballad receives its world premiere at Tubi FrightFest on Saturday, 29 August 2026. The festival runs from 27 to 31 August at the Odeon LUXE Leicester Square and ODEON Luxe West End in London, with booking details available through the official FrightFest website:
frightfest.co.uk/