In a day and age when we’re being told that no one wants to go and watch films at the cinema anymore, it’s heartening that here in the UK – and of course, elsewhere in the world – independent film festivals persist in springing up and being (whisper it) a popular, fun way to spend a weekend, a means to support new, independent cinema, and an opportunity to watch tried-and-tested classics of the genre on the big screen. Whether you opt to spend your time with the big hitters like FrightFest, or smaller, grassroots projects (or indeed all of the above), there’s nothing quite like watching films with people who love them enough to send up a round of applause at the end credits. With that same vibe in mind, for the past five years Marc Brimfield has been running a film festival of his own. The Phantasmagoria Film Festival, which runs in North Wales. We got to chat with Marc about his experiences so far, the current state of play for film fans, festival organisers and festival attendees and that all-important ticketing info!
WP: Thanks for talking to us, Marc! Let’s start at the top: there are a few horror festivals, large and small, currently running in the UK: why establish one in Wrexham? And what has the experience of running a festival been like so far for you?
MB: The main reason for starting a festival was simply my experience at the Abertoir Festival. I had been to festivals before, but I suffer badly with anxiety and with my autism, I find it hard to connect with people. But then Abertoir was warm, friendly and had a relaxed vibe, while still having some of the best programming and guests on the UK festival circuit. I made friends and came a long way out of my shell and I thought if I could do this in my area, even if it was for one person, then I would have done something truly great, and I like to think I have. My audience attendants are low, but the people keep coming back every year and last year I was in tears when the father of a man with significant disabilities told me his son waits all year for it. Nothing had more value to me than those words. Don’t get me wrong, it’s hard, it costs a lot of money, and even with funding, most of the time you are a lot of money out-of-pocket. But for me and my wife, it’s worth it.
WP: What have been your personal highlights from Phantasmagoria so far?
MB: Personal highlights for me, guest-wise – we have been very lucky on our budget – we welcomed 70s exploitation writer David McGillivray. As someone who loved films like House of Whipcord and Satan’s Slave, having him was a big highlight and he was very engaging with the audience. But we have also had more mainstream guests like Robin Ince and Jeremy Dyson, who not only went down well as guests, but wanted to hang out all weekend with everyone, which was fantastic. Some of our indie filmmakers who do so much PR for us like Kemal Yildirim, Michael Fausti and MJ Dixon have become staples, regularly submitting and always attending each year. Film-wise, for me it has to be the 40th anniversary screening of House of the Long Shadows with an introduction from Pete Walker and a Q&A with Julie Peasgood. It was one of the 1st VHS videos I ever bought as a kid and it has held a special place for me, so to not only talk with the director and one of the lead actors, but to also see the film with an audience – this screening may never be topped.
WP: You have opted for a slasher theme this year: talk us through that, and why/how you have chosen your titles...
MB: The theme came about because of an offer from MJ Dixon to show a film from his back catalogue free of charge! And since we were already planning on showing his 13th film, Bannister Doll Heist, we thought how great it would be to show his 1st film Slasher House too, and do a Q&A. It then made sense to do a slasher theme, but anyone can show Halloween or Scream so I had a think and after chasing two films to a dead end (Evil Dead Trap from Japan and Grave Robbers from Mexico) we realised we had to be a little less ambitious, but still interesting. So after seeing what we could and couldn’t get, we worked out that we need a 15 rated film, as our Friday is 15 plus, and decided that April Fools Day was the obvious fit. Not only does it tick that 15 box, but it also has the most original twist for an 80s slasher. Next, we needed something from the seedier side of horror, so Don’t Go In The Woods, the video nasty, was our next pick. Now I know it’s not a masterpiece, but it has the added bonus of almost never being shown on the big (or in our case medium-sized) screen, and that for me made it interesting: where else will you get to see it? We’ve followed this with Happy Birthday to Me, very 80s but with a big budget, a great director and inventive kills. Then some names people do know but are still not too obvious, as that’s our goal. We needed a Friday The 13th so which one; it can’t be 1, 2, 3 or 6 as these are all well-loved and get screened regularly, so – what’s left? I thought, out of all them, the only one I have never seen on the big screen is Jason Goes to Hell, so why not? it’s fun and silly and a perfect fit for the festival vibe. We still needed a staple, so Urban Legends was the only true choice.
WP: If people fancied coming along to the festival, what should first timers know about Wrexham itself?
MB: Wrexham has a rich history from being the burial site of Elihu Yale, and Wrexham Steeple is known for being one of the seven wonders of Wales. We also have Wrexham Lager, that’s one of the oldest breweries in the UK, and was actually served on the Titanic. Now of course the city is famous for its Ryan Reynolds connection. We are in one of Wrexham’s villages on the edge of the town. The venue itself is full of history, it was a theatre until the 1920s, where it became a cinema up to 1960. The upper floor balcony still has its original seats, so I love that I have brought a small part of its history back with the festival.
WP: As a festival with a balance of classic cinema and newer, independent titles, what have you noticed – if anything – about the newer horrors coming through? Are there any particular trends or ideas which you are seeing more and more of – any you particularly like? What would help a film get selected for Phantasmagoria?
MB: I think as a whole, new cinema does follow trends, but the beauty of independent film is that it’s very varied. From arthouse time travel pieces about revenge to werewolves in space, from dark themes like domestic abuse to out-and-out B movies and love letters to past films. As indie filmmakers mostly self-release, they don’t have the constraints of what will sell in the box office, or what the masses will like. It’s more like: this is my story, come experience it and if you don’t like it, it’s fine, but we are very proud of it, and I think that’s how film should be. Too often a good film comes along, and then you have three years of films that are ever-decreasing imitations. You will never get that with independent cinema. Even if a film shares its themes with another, it’s still its own entity, going its own way and it’s not apologetic about anything it does. Submissions for us are broken into three main things we look for: firstly, a good story, it does not matter if the budget is £1000 or £100000; if the story is good, it transcends its limitations of budget. Then it needs to have heart, maybe for me that’s the most important thing, and finally it needs to be original. We also put a high priority on films with cover letters: if they try and sell their vision to us with their own words, it goes a long way.
WP: Finally – if there’s anything we haven’t covered, please take the opportunity to talk about it here!
MB: I am a big believer in building a community. That’s why we have always said we don’t want to be the biggest or the best, we just want to show good films to good people, creating a safe space for all walks of life. Horror can be brutal, it can be disturbing, but it is supported by a community of gentle souls, and that’s what our festival’s about. It’s why we cap the amount of ticket sales, so we have space for people to not feel crammed in, and so that we have time to talk to people in a relaxed way. That will always be our ethos, as well as keeping things affordable. We charge just £25 for three days full of films, or £13 for a day ticket – as well as selling cheap but nutritious home-cooked stews and curries, all for under £3! We’re also good with letting people bring their own food in, so it can truly be accessible to any budget.
WP: Many thanks to Marc at Wrexham’s Phantasmagoria Film Festival, which runs from October 2nd – 4th 2026 at the George Edwards Hall in Wrexham. For more information, including tickets, please click here.