Grimmfest, Manchester’s International Festival of Fantastic Film return to regular venue, The Odeon Great Northern, in Manchester on October 8th – 11th 2026, for four fear-filled days of the very best in challenging, independent genre cinema.
And as a bloody taste of things to come, the Grimmfest team are thrilled to unveil this year’s Festival Artwork from our iconoclastic iconographer and long-time creative partner-in-crime, the inimitable Ilan Sheady of Uncle Frank Productions. Riffing off a classic image of Girl and Monster, which has echoed down the years from FRANKENSTEIN to THE MUMMY to THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON, and recasting it with a bold, contemporary edge, the design showcases Sheady’s signature illustrative style, perfectly capturing the spirit of Grimmfest, and is certain to become a fan-favourite, emblazoned across posters, apparel, and festival merchandise.
Alongside the poster reveal, we’re excited to announce the first two films selected for Grimmfest 2026—an extraordinary short and a highly anticipated debut feature.
The first short on the slate, THE BONES EXIST is a gripping western-horror from directors Kelsey Bollig and Matthew DuVall. Set against a fearsome frontier backdrop, the film follows a group of gold prospectors who encounter a terrifying presence deep within the woods. Combining a TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE style study of greed and paranoia with stunning practical and VFX effects and an atmosphere steeped in Gothic dread, it’s a bold and unforgettable piece of genre filmmaking.
As our first announced feature this year, we’re delighted to confirm the UK Premiere of Damien Fannon’s IVAN. Fannon is no stranger to Grimmfest, where his chilling shorts THE KEEPER and CRY BABY made lasting impressions on our audience, and so we’re proud and honoured to welcome him back with his debut feature. IVAN combines the mastery of slowly escalating claustrophobic domestic disquiet that characterised Fannon’s shorts, with the unsettling Science Gone Bad paranoia of classic 1970s horror, evoking in particular the wilder, weirder earlier work of David Cronenberg, to offer a challenging and provocative exploration of modern anxieties surrounding Artificial Intelligence and the extent to which it is encroaching on all of our lives.
To celebrate the announcement, Grimmfest is releasing a limited number of Earlybird Day Passes for the 2026 festival, alongside Full Festival Passes already on sale.
For tickets and further information, visit: www.grimmfest.com
