VampFest arrives in Cardiff – just in time for Halloween

The world’s biggest Vampire Festival – run by two Welshmen – is moving from Transylvania to Cardiff, with the help of staff and students from the University of South Wales (USW).

The International Vampire Film & Arts Festival – also known as VampFest – will take place from 15-18 June 2022. Now in its sixth year, the event is brainchild of USW Journalism lecturer Craig Hooper and Porthcawl Elvis Festival organiser Peter Phillips. It will be launched tonight (Friday 29 October) at 6pm, at Insole Court in Cardiff – the Victorian gothic mansion used as a filming location for Sky One’s fantasy drama series A Discovery of Witches.

VampFest will feature scary films, an 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 event will be based at Insole Court, with at least one day celebrating A Discovery of Witches, as the hugely successful TV series was made entirely in Wales.

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 15-18 June.

USW staff and students will be involved in all elements of VampFest, from working on theatre productions, programming films and running the social media channels, to organising the Vampire Academic Conference and much more. 666 Words, a competition for under-16 short story writers, will also form part of the event. USW Lighting & Live Event students will help set the scene for tonight’s festival launch, while Drama students will be rehearsing for a stage production of Dracula.

Peter Phillips said: “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 to be bringing the festival to Wales.”

For more details on VampFest, visit www.ivfaf.com.