Building a Home for Horror – Inside the Independent Horror Society with Chris Nials

When Chris Nials first launched the London Horror Society back in 2012, it was born out of a simple frustration – none of his friends shared his love for the weird, wonderful, and terrifying. “I didn’t like going to the cinema on my own,” Chris has admitted. But what started as a personal mission to find like-minded souls quickly grew into something far bigger: a thriving, nationwide hub for fans and creators of independent horror.

Now rebranded as the Independent Horror Society, the organisation has become a cornerstone of the UK’s grassroots horror scene. It’s not just about gathering fans for screenings anymore (though that’s still part of the fun). The IHS actively supports filmmakers, writers, theatre producers, and other creators, helping them find audiences, collaborators, and – through its ambitious Creators Fund – even financial backing for their projects. Fans, meanwhile, are invited to shape the future of indie horror themselves by voting on which projects the society supports.

This blend of passion and practicality is exactly what’s needed in a climate where funding for genre films is scarce and opportunities for new voices can feel few and far between. By uniting horror lovers and creators, Chris and his team are working to build a more connected and sustainable future for indie horror in the UK – one where fans aren’t just spectators, but active participants in the stories they love.

But what does it take to steer such a unique and ambitious organisation? And how does Chris balance his love of scrappy, DIY horror with a drive to help creators turn their passion into a career? Below, Chris shares his insights on building a community, championing grassroots talent, and why the horror crowd may just be the warmest, most supportive audience in the world.

Love Horror: You started the IHS because none of your mates wanted to watch weird horror films with you. When was the first time you realised, “Oh wow, I’ve actually built a community”? Was there a moment or event that made it feel real?

Chris Nials: That’s a really great question! I don’t think there was ever really a point where I looked at the IHS community as one that we’ve created or built ourselves per se. And that’s because the fans and creators that really support and celebrate indie horror in the UK were always there, long before we got started!  What I hope we’ve managed to do as a society, though, is just give more opportunities for fans to celebrate indie horror through our events, and also raising awareness of even more awesome films/book/stage shows etc for them to enjoy.

I do remember one of our early Indie Film Showcases though, a few years back, where we sold out the Hen and Chickens theatre on a Sunday afternoon. It was incredible not only to see so many people come out on a freezing cold Sunday evening to watch horror above a pub, but also the fact that almost everybody stuck around after the films finished to chat and discuss with each other what they’d seen. If anything has ever reinforced my belief that UK horror fans are the most supportive community in the media industry, it was events like that one!

You’ve said that you didn’t even realise it was possible to make horror films on no budget until you met the right people. What’s something you wish more aspiring creators understood about starting with nothing?

I think it’s very easy for an aspiring creative, particularly in film, to get put off by how complicated and difficult it is to deliver a project. And I totally understand that, as it is incredibly hard to do.  But what I think a lot of people sometimes don’t realise when they’re starting out is that you don’t have to undertake everything all by yourself. If you know where to look, it is possible to find collaborators who will be willing to come on board and help bring that idea to life.

In fact, I’ll go one further and say that I actually think it’s a better idea to get more people involved than it is to go it alone!  No one person can be good at everything it takes to get a film off the ground – that’s not a flaw, it’s just part of being human!

But it is absolutely possible to find people who are good at the things that you’re not, and get them involved in your project too. And when there’s more than one person driving a project forward, you all of a sudden have a support network, a sounding board and more pairs of hands to help when things get tricky.

It is definitely harder to rope people in when you genuinely have no budget to play with. And as a rule, I very much believe that if it’s truly your project, and you’re only looking to bring in crew rather than true collaborators to help you get it over the line, then you should do everything you can to pay them something. But if you’re open and honest with people at the start as to what you have and what you need from them, then if they make a decision to get involved, then great! If people genuinely like you and your project you’ll likely have a bit more success in bringing the right people in. It’s when things are either overpromised or not clearly spelt out that things can go wrong.

There’s this beautiful tension in IHS — between celebrating grassroots, underground horror and helping creatives turn it into a sustainable living. How do you personally balance your love of scrappy DIY energy with the need to support professional growth?

I don’t think they really have to be two separate things, to be honest. I think that if someone is really willing to get their hands dirty, and really test and push themselves in getting a project delivered, then that can only be helpful in building a career in their chosen field.

I think the main issue that filmmakers (especially those in genre) are facing in terms of creating a sustainable living is just the sheer lack of real investment opportunities there are in the UK right now, that are genuinely attainable.

Yes, there are the usual public channels where people can apply for funding, which is great – and the likes of the BFI and the regional hubs do superb work. But these are wildly oversubscribed, and often quite restrictive for many people.

And as for private investment in the UK? Well, if I’m honest, the appetite for investors to take a gamble on new filmmakers and new ideas is probably at its lowest that I’ve ever seen it. And look, I totally get it – investors shouldn’t have to shoulder all of the risk alone, just because a particular industry needs support.

But horror is unique in that it has unwavering support from hundreds of thousands of fans in just the UK alone, which means that micro budget films have a genuine chance of not just returning an investment, but also providing a decent wage to those that create them. What’s more, horror fans are always hungry (and willing to pay!) for awesome and unique films to watch – so let’s take a punt on new stories and the people that bring them to life!

If you could time-travel back to the first ever IHS screening and show that audience one of the projects you’ve helped support in recent years, what would it be — and why that one?

Oh wow that’s such a hard question… we’ve been lucky enough to have shown so many incredible films over the years!  And even more so, seen individuals really grow as filmmakers project by project too.

Here’s a few extra special ones that come to mind though:

The very first short film we ever showed at an IHS event was a film called Silently Within Your Shadow by Scott Lyus – an Essex-based filmmaker. Not only was this a really awesome short on its own, but Scott has since gone on to make his first feature film Walking Against the Rain, which premiered at Frightfest – I was lucky enough to help produce that one, which was a true career highlight for me.

Another filmmaker who has really stood out in terms of being so productive and never getting close to a dud is David Yorke.  We’ve shown many of his films over the years, including two Skully Award-Winners Eric and Nervous Ellie – both of which have brought the house down everywhere they’ve played! David has truly earned the opportunity to make a feature film now, and to go back to what I said earlier about people taking a chance on new ideas, he should absolutely be at the front of the queue.

And in terms of a filmmaker that’s shown incredible progression – I have to highlight Jon James Smith.  We played a short called Last Orders by Jon back in 2022, which actually won our first ever Skully Award. It was a really atmospheric horror that he and his team managed to make over lockdown. I remember asking Jon what he was working on next at that screening, and he mentioned he was actually heading to LA to work on something else.

Then, just a few months ago, Jon emailed me to say he’d finally finished his new project, Babushka, and that he was submitting it to our latest showcase. I won’t say too much as it’s in our current Indie Film Showcase line up, but my word, this mini-feature wouldn’t look out of place on an Atomic Monster or Blumhouse roster. A truly magnificent effort!

The Creators Fund lets fans literally vote on what gets made. What’s been the most surprising or heartwarming response from fans who’ve taken part in that process?

I think the most heartwarming thing was seeing people take it really seriously, and properly assess each entry. I’m probably sounding like a broken record already when talking about how supportive and passionate the UK horror community is, but the 1st round of The Creators Fund really helped highlight that. People actually spending their spare time reading up on people’s project ideas, and being interested enough to cast their votes! I fully stand by that you wouldn’t be able to do the same thing in any other genre.

And I’m so pleased that it did, as we have big plans for The Creators Fund! The more people that get involved helps spread the word about its projects quicker – which in turn brings in more donations and sponsorships — which then means we can increase the fund size in the future.

The concept of the fund won’t change – it will always be 100% community voted.  But if we can make a difference by harnessing a few hundred voters and giving £1,000 to get one project over the line, what might we be able to do with hundreds of thousands of voters, and £100,000?  I truly believe this can make a really meaningful mark on genre filmmaking in this country, and I’m delighted that we’ve proven the concept can work so early on.

Finally, the horror community can sometimes be misjudged by outsiders – but you’ve seen the best of it up close. What’s something about horror fans or creators that might surprise people who don’t ‘get’ the genre?

This hits close to home as it’s always great to see the grimace on my non-horror loving friends and family member’s faces when I explain to them about the IHS, or the subject matter of some of the films I’m working on ?

I always think that the horror community is looked at by outsiders a lot like the metal community in. On the surface, you see people going wild in a mosh pit and automatically assume its people fighting. But anyone that’s part of that scene knows that it couldn’t be further from the truth.

You get knocked down, and a throng of people rush to get you back on your feet and make sure you’re ok.  The same goes for those that love horror. It might look like we’re enjoying some really awful subject matter on the screen, but I have never been part of another collective of people who are as warm, loving, friendly, and accepting to all as horror fans are. So if people want to judge us from the outside based on first impressions and appearances, genuinely, they can go fuck themselves. We know what we are, and I’m proud to be a part of it.

Through events, screenings, training sessions, and the ever-growing Creators Fund, the Independent Horror Society is redefining what it means to be part of a fan community. Under Chris Nials’ leadership, it’s clear the IHS isn’t just a place to celebrate horror — it’s a movement to empower it.

From sold-out pub theatre screenings to filmmakers taking their first steps toward feature success, the IHS has already proven what’s possible when fans and creators work together. As Chris puts it: “We know what we are, and I’m proud to be a part of it.”

For fans, creators, or anyone curious about the future of British horror, there’s never been a better time to join the IHS and help shape the next wave of independent fright.

To find out more about the society and to sign up, you just visit independenthorrorsociety.com/introducing-lhs-pro-new/ and if you use our exclusive code ‘LOVHOR10’ you’ll get a 10% discount on membership.