Bournemouth Prepares a Festival of Frights with Screams By The Sea

Bournemouth’s Screams By The Sea International Horror Film Festival is set to return for its third edition, bringing two days of screenings and events to Pavilion Dance South West on March 13 and 14. The independent festival continues its focus on international genre cinema, with organisers confirming films from ten different countries and an expanded programme across both days.

The 2026 edition opens on Friday with the south-west premiere of Mag Mag, directed by Yuriyan Retriever. The Japanese horror film launches the festival’s programme with a ghost story rooted in love, revenge and the consequences faced by its characters. The opening night marks the first time the film has screened in the region.

Screenings resume on Saturday with Matt Stuertz’s Human, a darkly comic blood-soaked feature that kicks off the day’s line-up. This is followed by Alien on Stage, a Dorset-shot documentary directed by Danielle Kummer and Lucy Harvey, which offers a local counterpoint within the genre programme. Later in the afternoon, the festival presents the Polish slasher Dead by Dawn, directed by Dawid Torrone, before closing with another south-west premiere, Chad McClarnon’s thriller The Other People.

Alongside the five feature films, the festival will showcase a curated shorts programme designed to highlight emerging voices in genre filmmaking. The confirmed shorts include The Tenant by Ollie Hilton, Snacktime by Alphonse Ferrari, The Complete Package by Wyn Wallace, The Bait by Sabrina Rivetti, Surprise! by Dave Gardner, The Whisperer by Pepo González and Juan Carlos Saloz, The Beneath by Lisette Vlassak, Cosmic Crash by James Smith, Stalker by David Cholewa and The Synthetic Age by Dimitris Armenakis.

Festival director Radi Nikolov said the decision to expand to two days followed feedback from returning audiences and filmmakers. He has highlighted the increase in international representation and the continued emphasis on independent cinema within Dorset.

Beyond screenings, Screams By The Sea will also host a script pitch competition and introduce a new Industry Hub based at Patch Bournemouth, aimed at supporting filmmakers and aspiring creatives. The wider programme includes free live events and practical industry sessions focusing on areas such as effects and prosthetic makeup.

Full day passes are priced at £34, with single screening tickets and full programme details available through the festival’s official website: screamsbythesea.com/

With its mix of premieres, international titles and locally connected projects, the festival continues to establish itself as a key fixture on the South coast’s cultural calendar.

Screams by the Sea trailer