GRINDFEST 2026 Revives Lost Horror and Rare 35mm Classics

For one weekend this September, Christchurch’s Regent Centre will once again become a haven for genre cinema as GRINDFEST returns with another carefully curated celebration of horror, science fiction and cult filmmaking. Now in its eighth edition, the three-day festival has unveiled a programme built around rare 35mm screenings, forgotten curiosities and one remarkable television rediscovery that has been missing from public view for decades.

Taking place from 18 to 20 September, GRINDFEST 2026 is presented by Dirt In the Gate Movies in partnership with headline sponsor Arrow Video. This year’s event continues the festival’s long-running commitment to screening films in their original theatrical formats, bringing together archive prints and specialist presentations that are rarely seen on UK cinema screens.

Among the standout attractions is a special presentation of the long-lost BBC television drama No Such Thing as a Vampire. Originally broadcast in 1968 as part of the corporation’s Late Night Horror series, the adaptation of Richard Matheson’s story was long presumed destroyed during the BBC’s tape-wiping era. Its rediscovery on a 16mm recording print at The Regent, followed by restoration work carried out with Film Is Fabulous, now allows audiences to experience a remarkable piece of British television history once again.

Elsewhere, the festival opens with David Cronenberg’s eXistenZ before moving into a packed weekend that includes Richard Wenk’s stylish vampire comedy Vamp, Frank Henenlotter’s cult favourite Basket Case, Roger Corman’s Frankenstein Unbound, Robert Englund’s gothic take on The Phantom of the Opera, Dario Argento’s Tenebrae, Stephen King’s Silver Bullet, Wes Craven’s The People Under the Stairs and a closing screening of Robin Hardy’s The Wicker Man. Every feature will be presented from original 35mm prints, reinforcing the festival’s emphasis on preserving the theatrical experience.

GRINDFEST also continues its annual International Short Film Showcase, highlighting emerging genre filmmakers from around the world, while this year’s mystery screening returns to the Saturday night schedule with organisers once again refusing to reveal any clues in advance.

One of the weekend’s most unusual events arrives on Saturday morning with Steven Hahn’s Starchaser: The Legend of Orin. The 1985 animated science fiction adventure will be screened in its original over-and-under 35mm 3D format using modern Panavision-compatible lenses and glasses, offering audiences a chance to experience one of the earliest full-length animated stereoscopic features as it was originally intended.

Academic introductions from members of Northumbria University’s Horror Research Group will accompany selected screenings throughout the festival, while the organisers continue their collaboration with BFI Film Hub South West.

Festival passes, day passes and individual tickets are available now, with GRINDFEST 2026 taking place at The Regent Centre in Christchurch from 18 to 20 September.

For more infomation and to book your tickers and passes, visit: theregent.co.uk/grindfest-2026/