Black Sunday Film Festival Brings Terror to Essex with Halloween Mini-Fest

The Black Sunday Film Festival is set to make Halloween in Essex a little bloodier this year, as it returns to Firstsite Colchester for its annual spooky season celebration. Following the success of its summer mini-fest, the independent genre showcase is back on Saturday 1 November 2025 with a full day of horror, comedy and cult cinema.

Since its founding in 2018, the Black Sunday Film Festival has built a loyal following among horror fans and filmmakers for its dedication to supporting independent voices in genre cinema. Now based in Essex, the festival continues its mission to give emerging UK talent a platform while also treating audiences to the weird and wonderful from around the world.

Kicking off this year’s event is the UK premiere of For Sale by Exorcist, a riotous mockumentary from director Melissa LaMartina and writers Chris LaMartina and Rob Walker, best known for cult favourite WNUF Halloween Special. The film promises a mix of satire and supernatural shenanigans as a struggling priest tries to turn demonic possession into a booming business.

The day continues with the Essex premiere of He Kills at Night, a Christmas-set slasher from director Tom Pickering and writer James Pickering that delivers seasonal spirit with a deadly twist. Rounding out the features is the found-footage phenomenon Dooba Dooba, directed by Ehrland Hollingsworth and featuring an acclaimed performance from Betsy Sligh. Early festival reactions have already pegged the film as a cult classic in the making.

True to tradition, the Black Sunday team will close the day with their signature “Cult Film Secret Screening,” presented by Arrow Video. The title remains tightly under wraps, but the festival’s reputation for unearthing rare gems ensures a fitting finale for the Halloween event.

In addition to the feature slate, the festival will present an eclectic shorts programme. Highlights include David Gregory’s unsettling found-footage chiller Exhibit B, Anna-Ester Volozh’s beautifully crafted animated fantasy The Wedding Veil of the Proud Princess, Kris Carr’s offbeat Grandma is Thirsty, and Lucy Foster’s festive horror-comedy Santa’s Little Helper.

To cap off the celebrations, guests and filmmakers will be invited to a local afterparty and networking event — another reflection of Black Sunday’s growing role as a creative hub for the UK indie horror scene.

Festival founder Scott Lyus, who launched the event to champion independent genre film, continues to expand the brand’s reach, turning Essex into an increasingly vital destination for filmmakers and fans. With bi-monthly events and a major multi-day festival planned for 2026, Black Sunday’s momentum shows no sign of slowing.

Day passes and single tickets for Black Sunday’s Halloween mini-fest are available now via: blacksundayff.com.