13th edition to screen a record 48 films, including 23 UK or European premieres.

Film4 FrightFest is set to host a record-breaking 15 world premieres during its 13th edition, which runs Aug 23-27 at London’s Empire Cinema in Leicester Square.

Alongside the previously announced world premieres for The Seasoning House and Tower Block, which open and close the festival respectively, Matthias Hoene’s comedy horror Cockneys Vs. Zombies, Federico Zampaglione’s neo-giallo Tulpa and Stuart Urban’s psycho cop thriller May I Kill U? are among the films receiving their world premieres at the festival.

On top of the 15 world premieres, the festival will also host 23 UK or European premieres, including much buzzed-about horror anthology V/H/S, Jennifer Lynch’s Chained, Noboru Iguchi’s Dead Sushi, Franck Khalfoun’s remake of Maniac and Jaume Balaguero’s Sleep Tight.

Edinburgh International Film Festival hits Grabbers and Berberian Sound Studio also receive London previews during the five-day event.

For the first time, the festival will have a third screen called the Re-Discovery Screen. Among its inaugural line-up are restorations of three House of Hammer classics – The Devil Rides Out, Rasputin The Mad Monk, The Mummy’s Shroud – and a special presentation of The Bride Of Frankenstein.

It will also screen two hits from the Glasgow Film Festival strand of FrightFest – Paul China’s Crawl and The Manetti Bros.’ The Arrival Of Wang.

Special events at the 13th edition include a Q&A with Dario Argento, as part of the festival’s focus on the Italian genre scene, and a showing of Nightbreed: The Cabal Cut – which splices footage from two European work prints and the Warner Bros. DVD into the 1990 theatrical release – for the first time ever in the UK.

Julia Wrigley, Head of Film4 Channel, commented: “We are delighted to extend our headline sponsorship of Film4 FrightFest to a record 6th year, as the festival continues to evolve in an exciting fashion. 

“We are thrilled by the incredibly strong presence of British films in this year’s line up, including the artfully sinister Film4 Production, Berberian Sound Studio.  Our FrightFest season on the channel also goes from strength to strength, like the Festival itself.”

The full guest line-up will be announced next month and festival and day passes go on sale from Saturday (June 30), with tickets on sale for individual films from July 28.