Bring out your undead

Leicester's zombie film festival returns for another day of gore.

by Jennie Kermode

Day Of The Undead
Day Of The Undead Festival organiser Ed Thurlow and his wife

Last Hallowe'en saw some decidedly peculiar goings on in the normally respectable city of Leicester, and this year it seems the rot has spread. Yes, it's time to rise from your grave and get ready to celebrate the second Day Of The Undead film festival, brought to you by zombie filmmaking collective Terror 4 Fun.

This year's 12-hour event will take place on November 1st in (ironically enough) the Phoenix Arts Centre. Though there is no strict dress code, it's worth making an effort - the most impressive looking zombies will win exciting prizes! But if you're unsure of your own creative abilities, you can get a hand from an on-site make-up artist. After all, when in zombieland, it's wisest to do as the zombies do.

The festival will feature a variety of films, including the classic Night Of The Living Dead, the distinctly deranged Return Of The Living Dead, and the gory Hell's Ground, billed as Pakistan's first ever contribution to the genre. There'll be a fresh chance to see recent hit Zombie Strippers, you can watch lots of fun shorts some of whose stars will be eating brains in the back row, and you can look forward to the UK première of New Zealand film Last Of The Living, which follows the fate of the last four humans in a zombie infested world.

Attendees can also shop for rare zombie goodies and can get their pictures drawn by a specialist zombie caricaturist. Food and drink will be available all day and the first 250 people through the door will receive lucky bags packed full of good stuff. As things to do in Leicester when you're dead go, it has to be the most fun event of the year.

For more information and tickets visit www.phoenix.org.uk

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