UK Fans Gear Up for Cult Film Weekend at Weird Worcester

A new cult film convention is set to make its debut in the West Midlands this June as ‘Weird Worcester’ launches its first edition at the Worcester Arena. Organised by boutique home video label Treasured Films, the two-day event will run from 14 to 15 June, promising an ambitious celebration of Italian genre cinema and international cult classics.

Positioned on the banks of the River Severn, the convention will welcome an eclectic group of guests, many of whom are icons of European horror and exploitation cinema. The event’s centrepiece is a rare UK appearance from Fred Williamson, the American actor and former football player whose prolific film career spans From Dusk Till Dawn, Vigilante, Hell Up in Harlem, and the original Inglorious Bastards.

Italian cinema is the event’s central theme for its inaugural year, and the guest list reflects a deep engagement with the genre’s roots and legacy. Among those attending is Sergio Martino, whose giallo films of the 1970s, including Torso and All the Colours of the Dark, helped define the style. Also featured is Lamberto Bava, director of the cult horror films Demons and Demons 2, who will be joined by actress Geretta Geretta and make-up effects artist Sergio Stivaletti, who will host a presentation on his work.

Further appearances include Enzo G. Castellari, known for his action films and the original Inglorious Bastards; Alessandro Capone, director of Witch Story and screenwriter of Body Count; and Howard Ross, making a rare UK appearance and remembered for his role in Lucio Fulci’s The New York Ripper.

The convention will also feature a long-awaited reunion between Cannibal Holocaust actors Carl Gabriel Yorke and Francesca Ciardi, marking Yorke’s UK convention debut. Silvia Collatina (The House by the Cemetery) and Margi Newton (Hell of the Living Dead) round out the impressive guest roster.

Treasured Films founder Graeme Lloyd, who leads the event’s organisation, said the idea was born from a desire to bring cult film celebration closer to home. “We always seem to be travelling up North or way down South to trade at events,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to see something like it in the Midlands – something run by fans for the fans.”

With a schedule including film screenings, guest Q&As and photo opportunities, Weird Worcester sets out to establish itself as a new focal point for genre film culture in the UK. Tickets are priced at £20 per day and are available via the event’s official website. For local and travelling fans alike, it presents a rare opportunity to meet key figures from decades of cult cinema in a single location.

The convention runs from 10:00 to 17:00 on both days at Worcester Arena.

For more information and tickets, visit: www.treasuredfilms.co.uk/weirdworcester