Over 300 Filmmakers and audiences came from all over the UK and abroad to watch 59 films at the ‘2 Days Later 09 Competition Halloween Screening & Awards Event’ at The Theatre Royal, Margate. The second oldest Georgian theatre in the country is home to a ghost or two of its own and the venue provided a magnificent backdrop to Kent’s biggest and scariest film screening event.

Since July 2009, entrants from across the Europe have been downloading the competition brief from the 2 Days Later website and then taking up the challenge to make a their mini-horror masterpieces in under 48hrs that had to feature three items from a given list as part of their film productions.

From over 900 Internet downloads and 59 film entries to competition, the judging panel eventually decided that David Keith’s film, Dead-Funny, was dead good! A chilling tale of a group of campers, stalked by a clown. The Aberdeen-based director scooped BEST SOUND, BEST EDITOR, BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY, BEST DIRECTOR and BEST SHORT FILM! Returning home with a car boot full of Horror DVDs and a week’s hire of a professional HD Camera Filming Kit from London sponsor’s VMI High Definition & Broadcast, worth £3000!

The 300-strong audience had other ideas for their favourite film of the evening, as their AUDIENCE BEST POPULAR SHORTLISTED FILM vote went to the cannibalistic comedy, Meat..., by Basingstoke based director, Alex Loeseke. Meat’s culinary lead role, played by James Burton, also won the Judges’ Award for BEST ACTOR.

From Kent; the BEST SFX Award went to Hythe based director Philip Mearns, for 1950’s B- movie homage - Vengence of the Creature From Beyond.

While previous shortlisted filmmakers Ben Worsfield & William Thomas from Chatham, was nominated in five categories with The Lincolnshire Poacher. Canterbury based filmmaker Bruce Parleton’s internet dating film LOL, was nominated for BEST FILM, BEST SCREENPLAY and BEST ACTOR.

A SPECIAL MENTION Award went to Canterbury filmmakers Rosie Escott & Philip Benedict for the successful innovation in his stereoscopic 3D horror Shortcut using only a pair of twin mounted low-fi digital stills cameras!

BEST STUDENT FILM was won by Canterbury Christ Church University student, Przemek Konieczny for his dreamy experimental horror Moth.

Victoria Bailey won BEST ACTRESS for her starring role in the urban horror Raid. shot in Sheffield city centre.

Swiss Director Sébastien Cornioley and his filmmaking team’s weekend dash across France was very worthwhile, whose film Holiday Bloodyday collecting the audience vote for the BEST POPULAR MATINEE FILM, beating the other 46 matinee screenings.

The awards were presented by film industry judges; Wendy Ide (The Times film critic), Damon Wise (The Guardian film critic) and Screen South’s Co-Head of Production, Development and Training David Castro.

Murderous Marguerites were drunk by all and the fright night ended at 3.00am with an after-party at The Westcoast Bar, Mansion Street, Margate.

This free filmmaking Event is organised by Beeping Bush, with the aid of UK Film Council’s regional film agency, Screen South funding, and prize sponsorship by VMI High Definition and Broadcast.


Click here to see the full film category result winners.

Click here to download a pdf document of the programme for the day and evening screenings.



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