Grimmfest Names Filmmakers and Critics to Decide 2025 Awards

Grimmfest has revealed its official jury for the 2025 edition of the Manchester-based horror film festival, with five international names tasked with selecting the winners across eleven competitive categories. Set to take place at the Odeon Great Northern from 9 to 12 October, this year’s festival will see filmmakers from around the world compete for honours including Best Feature, Best Director, and the Silver Méliès Award for Best European Short.

Joining the jury are filmmaker Andrew Bell, horror scholar Shellie McMurdo, experimental director Stef Meyer, producer-director Nicholas Payne Santos, and critic James Whittington. Between them, the panel brings a wide range of expertise from both creative and academic sectors of the genre.

Bell returns to Grimmfest following last year’s screening of his debut feature Bleeding, which was named one of the best horror debuts in recent memory by the New York Times and is now available on Screambox. An MFA graduate from Columbia, Bell has also taught film and screenwriting in the US.

McMurdo, a senior lecturer in Film at the University of Hertfordshire, specialises in American horror cinema. Her publications include Blood on the Lens and Devil’s Advocate: Pet Sematary, with a forthcoming title focused on gore and makeup effects. A regular contributor to international conferences, she also co-leads the BAFTSS Horror Studies SIG.

French-American director Stef Meyer is no stranger to the genre festival circuit. Her short Mantra won Best Short at Grimmfest 2023 and went on to screen at Gérardmer, Toronto After Dark and others. She recently completed gothic horror Even the Moon Will Bleed and is currently developing a number of feature projects.

Nicholas Payne Santos returns as both filmmaker and producer, having previously premiered his horror comedy It Cuts Deep at Grimmfest 2020. His producing credits include Uncle Peckerhead and Bleeding, the latter of which won Best Screenplay at last year’s edition.

The jury is rounded out by James Whittington, a veteran critic and writer with decades of experience in horror media. Formerly associated with Horror Channel and now content creative for SCREAM TV, Whittington has interviewed numerous key figures in the genre, from Guillermo del Toro to Leigh Whannell.

The jury will vote on eleven award categories: Best Feature, Best Director, Best Actor in a Male Role, Best Actor in a Female Role, Best Screenplay, Best Score, Best Cinematography, Best Short, Best SFX, Best Scare and the Silver Méliès Award for Best European Short.

Grimmfest continues to build its reputation as a leading platform for genre cinema in the UK, attracting submissions from across the world and providing a space for emerging and established creators alike to premiere their work. The full festival line-up and ticket information are available now via the official Grimmfest website: grimmfest.com/