Guides
What's on
Where to go
See all

Guides
What's on
Where to go
See all

Grimmfest May Madness

Tom Grieve, Cinema Editor

Book now

Grimmfest May Madness

29-31 May 2021

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

From £23.5
Grimmfest
Book now

Grimmfest return with another online event set to delight (and possibly disturb) fans of horror and cult cinema. Scheduled across the Bank Holiday Weekend, May Madness is a series of three double bills that featuring everything from slick psychological thrillers to outrageous splattery satires.

Included in the programme is the world premiere of The Nest, an eco-horror spin on the Bodysnatchers template, directed by James Suttles and written by Grimmfest alum Jennifer Trudrung.

Max Reload & the Nether Blasters is a retro-styled gaming fantasy which packs star power, with the likes of Lin Shaye (Insidious), Greg Grunberg (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), Martin Kove (Karate Kid) and Kevin Smith (Clerks) all making an appearance.

“a mix of fun, crazy, scary and downright weird movies for you all to enjoy on the cusp of summer.”

Meanwhile, we like the sound of Lapsis, a lo-fi sci-fi, the fiction-feature debut from doc maker Noak Hutton. Billed as a gig economy satire with echoes of Philip K. Dick and Charlie Kaufman, this one should be interesting at the very least.

Speaking about the event, Simeon Halligan, festival director said: “This is likely to be our last fully online gig as UK cinemas begin to open this summer. We wanted to welcome brighter times into our lives and say goodbye to darkness through a mix of fun, crazy, scary and downright weird movies for you all to enjoy on the cusp of summer.”

For full timings and line-up click through to the Grimmfest website.

Where to go near Grimmfest May Madness

Castlefield
Restaurant
Trading Route

Trading Route serves up time-honoured Sunday grub, in a modern Manchester setting. Worth a visit for the expertly-curated soundtrack alone.

Side view of mixed race business colleagues sitting and watching presentation with audience and clapping hands
Theatre
Burnley Youth Theatre

Burnley Youth Theatre is a vibrant youth arts organisation based at our purpose built venue in Burnley, Pennine Lancashire.

Bar pub 3
Leeds
Restaurant
Arcadia Ale House

Arcadia Ale house is a sports bar located in the Headingly area of Leeds with a range of drinks offers throughout the week.

Restaurant
Leeds
Restaurant
Pasta Romagna

Pasta Romagna is a family owned, independent restaurant in the heart of the city centre. Bringing you homestyle Italian cuisine since 1982.

wine bar 2
Leeds
Restaurant
Farrands

Farrands is an independent bar located in the heart of Leeds city centre, specialising in a range of fine wine, beer and specialist cocktails.

Restaurant
Leeds
Shop
George and Joseph Cheesemongers

George and Joseph is Leeds’ only specialist cheesemongers, serving some of the city’s best cheese from its home in Chapel Allerton since 2013

Wine bar
Leeds
Restaurant
Wayward Wines

Selling natural wines since before it was cool (well, 2017), this tiny suburban wine house is so much more than just a bar.

Beer shop
Leeds
Shop
Caspar’s Bottle Shop

Independent craft beer and spirits den Caspars Bottle Shop is a quirky Chapel Allerton favourite that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Dry Dock
Leeds
Restaurant
Dry Dock

Dry Dock has carved out a reputation as a fixture for students and locals alike over the last thirty plus years

Manchester
Bar or Pub
The Rat & Pigeon

A slice of alternative Manchester in pub form, down a grotty, gritty backstreet and with a disgusting name. What’s not to love?

See all places

What's on: Cinema

Until
ActivityManchester
Film Course: French New Wave at HOME

Coinciding with the release of Richard Linklater’s film Nouvelle Vague, this HOME course offers an accessible overview of one of cinema’s most influential movements.

From £65

Culture Guides

A pair of white angel wings displayed against a dark, black background. The lower parts of the wings are stained with vivid red, resembling blood splatter.
Theatre

This month’s theatre highlights span dystopian classics, political thrillers and bold new opera.

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night
Cinema in the North

There's no shortage of great films out at the moment, whether you're looking for the latest blockbuster, that hot arthouse flick fresh from Cannes or a cosy classic.

Fatoumata Diawara by Alun Be.
Music

This month’s live music picks move between ambitious new work, grassroots celebrations and a few memorable settings.

Food and Drink in the North

Spring has arrived, bringing with it al fresco dining and a rush of high-profile food and drink-related events in Manchester.

Ceramic Sculpture
Exhibitions

Across Manchester and Salford, exhibitions are thinking hard about how things are made – and how materials carry stories.

Emily Lloyd-Saini as Grace in Space and Harrie Hayes as Lieutenant Strong in Horrible Science
Family things to do in the North

Whether you’re after storybook theatre, museum wanderings or illusion-bending play spaces, there’s plenty to keep curiosity ticking through winter and beyond.

See all guides