If we told you that the world’s biggest Vampire Festival is run by two Welshmen, who also bring us the annual ELVIS FESTIVAL in Porthcawl, you’ll know it’s going to be something special. This year, VAMPFEST is moving from Transylvania to Cardiff.
The 2022 International Vampire Film & Arts Festival – aka VampFest – will feature scary films; atmospheric outdoor cinema and orchestrated theatre, celebrity guests, authors, academic discussions, fan conventions, a spooktacular family story-telling day, the prestigious Golden Stakes Awards ceremony and the legendary, extravagantly costumed, Vampire Soiree.
The fanged-fest will be based at the terrifying gothic grandeur of INSOLE COURT in Cardiff (the filming location for the main vampire in the hit TV drama ‘Discovery of Witches’), with at least one day taking the moniker of ‘A Discovery of Vampires’, focusing on the classic books and the hugely successful made-in-Wales TV series.
Beyond the vampire’s lair, a programme of classic vamp films will be shown at Chapter Arts Centre along with many other events including vampiric cabaret, Escape Rooms and the Blood Donor’s Ball taking place in various locations across the city from June 15th-18th.
In addition, 666 Words, a competition for Under 16 short story writers is being rolled out.
The festival is the brainchild of Porthcawl Elvis Festival organiser Peter Phillips, from Cardiff, and university lecturer Craig Hooper, from the Vale of Glamorgan.
Peter told us……
“For the largest horror genre within the film, TV, and literature industries there is no other event like it where filmmakers, writers, actors, authors, performers, academics and fans get to meet, mingle and share a bite to drink. After establishing the event for a number of years in Transylvania, and taking a pre-pandemic journey via Highgate Village, we are excited about bringing the festival to Wales.’
South Wales Life was given exclusive access to the events launch at Insole Court, just in time for Halloween. We spoke to Peter, and some of the team behind VAMPFEST. We also got to meet Cardiff Vampire Agrifina.
VAMPFEST will be based at Insole Court in Cardiff, but as Peter said, other venues across the city too. It runs from the 15th to 18th June next year.
Each year IVFAF invites short and feature films to be submitted for screening. From the shortlist of nominated films, a Golden Stake Award is given to the Best Feature Film and Best Short Film with Silver Stake Awards given as runner up prizes in each category.
Submissions are currently open via FilmFreeway and close on 30th April 2022. If you’d like details on how to enter, or indeed to find out more about the festival, just go HERE.
And if you’d like to look back at this years Elvis Festival, another of Peter’s creations, take a look at our feature HERE.