SCREAMS BY THE SEA RETURNS!
We're thrilled to announce that SCREAMS BY THE SEA is back for its second year, following an incredible debut in 2024!
Screams By The Sea is a one-day event packed with thrills, chills, & amazing opportunities. The main stage will show 5 feature films, a short film selection, script pitches, & an awards ceremony where the audience will have the chance to cast their vote for “Best Film”.
We are also very excited to bring to you a slew of industry talks, workshops and Q&As in our Industry Hub.
● Feature Films ● Short Films ● Screenplays
ABOUT OUR FILM FESTIVAL
"Screams By The Sea" International Film Festival is a celebration of independent horror & genre cinema hosted in the heart of Bournemouth,UK. We’re on a mission to discover and promote diverse & emerging talent. Screening 5 feature films & an hour of shorts that will keep film lovers on the edge of their seats as well as a series of industry talks and workshops to expand any indie filmmakers skill sets. But that's not all! In addition to our screenings, networking, & film making panels, we’re thrilled to host a screenwriting competition that will launch your horror story onto the big screen. Four talented screen writers will be shortlisted & invited to present their stories in the spotlight of the main stage at the event. The winning script will be produced by Silent D Pictures and the writer will be offered a contract for the production of the film.
Full festival passes are: £24.
That includes:
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5 Feature films;
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1 hour of short films;
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Industry talks and Q&A’s;
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Screenwriting competition;
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Hot-Swap Tables;
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Audience choice award ceremony;
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Filmmaker networking drinks.
Day Passes:
THE SCRIPT COMPETITION
In 2024 ‘Screams By The Sea’ awarded one winning screenplay with a production deal. The film is now in pre-production with Silent D Pictures.
We're bringing that opportunity to 2025!
The festival invites budding screenwriters to submit their original, self-contained, horror feature film screenplays by the 10th Feb 2025 for the chance to win a production deal with Silent D Pictures. Four of the best screenplays will be shortlisted and the writers invited to pitcth their stories to the audience of the festival where one screenplay will be awarded - Best Screenplay award.
Our professional readers are ready for your tales.
SUBMISSIONS FOR 2025
ARE NOW CLOSED
SPONSORSHIP & MARKETING
OPPORTUNITIES
If you wish to be part of the festival and take advantage of the amazing opportunities we have prepared, you can download our Marketing, Sponsorship & Exhibitors guide bellow.
MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES CLOSE ON: 17.02.25
FULL PROGRAM - 2025
96 min. | Language: English | dir. JT MOLLNER
A clever and relentless thrill ride that defies audience expectation at every turn, in Strange Darling, nothing is what it seems when a twisted one-night stand spirals into a serial killer’s vicious murder spree.
A brand new horror-thriller from the producers of Late Night with the Devil and Barbarian, this flawlessly constructed fresh take on the cat-and-mouse genre stars Willa Fitzgerald (Reacher, Scream series), Kyle Gallner (Smile, 2022 Scream), Ed Begley Jr. (Better Call Saul, A Mighty Wind), and Barbara Hershey (Black Swan, Insidious, The Last Temptation of Christ).
87 min. | Language: English | dir. David Yohe, Matt Devino
Haunted by the aftermath of his father's suicide, Tom abandons his wife and seeks refuge at the lakeside cottage where his father met his tragic end. There, his tormented memories from childhood resurface, all intricately connected to an ancient, mystifying force lurking beneath the lake's depths, driving Tom inexorably towards madness. As Tom's communication dwindles into eerie silence, Kathy, desperate to rescue her husband, enlists the help of her brother Mark, a struggling entrepreneur, and Mark's compassionate yet inexperienced wife, Jess, a trauma and grief counselor. Unaware of the sinister malevolence seeping from the lake, Tom becomes a willing vessel for the same evil that claimed his parents and now threatens all who dare draw near.
In a chilling and relentless sequence of events, they are each devoured, one by one, by the malevolent entity, while Jess grapples with the horrifying realization that her worst fears have materialized. Her unshakable belief in the goodness of humanity becomes their last hope in the face of a primordial force that materializes their deepest nightmares into horrifying reality.
The question remains: can Jess' unwavering faith spare them from the clutches of THE DÆMON, or will they all succumb to its sinister embrace?
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100 min. | Language: English | Subtitles: English | dir. Chris Reading
Best friends Ruth and Megan run a vintage shop in North London. When they stumble across a time machine, they embark on trips to the past, ‘borrowing’ items to sell in the present. They don't want to change history, or rob banks, they just want to find a nice lamp… without getting sucked into the hellish time/space vortex that is the Unreason.
106 min. | Language: French | Subtitles: English | dir. Aurélia Mengin
Alter, in her 40s, suffers from a profound ailment that is eating her inside out. After attempting suicide, she is consulting her therapist Léandro Lecreulx, a specialist in hypnosis, who connects her to her most buried terrifying fears. Léandro is developing unique methods to help his patients deal with their childhood trauma.
The days pass to the rhythm of nightmares and hypnosis sessions. Alter goes back further and further into her past, until the devastating moment that changed everything. Her life is turned upside down as she discovers that her loving and protective mother has always hidden a secret from her.
93 min. | Language: English | dir. Craig Thieman
Writing the perfect suicide note isn't easy. Murdering a garage full of people is also pretty hard. But getting your victims to like you while you kill them, that's the really tricky part.
