Night of the Dead 2025: Leeds International Film Festival's night of mayhem returns - here's what's screening

• A world of weirdly wonderful films is set to take centre stage this evening at Hyde Park Picture House.
• The annual midnight movie-a-thon, Night of the Dead, takes place as part of this year’s Leeds International Film Festival.
• Dare you travel to see these four macabre and magnificent films taking place this evening - if tickets are still available?

Night of the Dead is back! The UK's longest-running, all-night film marathon returns to the historic Hyde Park Picture House this evening, bringing with it a fresh mix of outrageous horror, cult carnage, and midnight mayhem.

A firm fan favourite since it first began in 2001, the event has grown into an annual highlight of the Leeds International Film Festival, now selling out well in advance. Since its fourth edition in 2004 (the last to take place at the Lounge Cinema), it has called the beloved Hyde Park Picture House home, creating an essential, unique viewing tradition.

This year's marathon features a spectacular line-up designed to keep the audience wide awake until dawn. Highlights include a queer zombie romp directed by the daughter of horror legend George A. Romero, a darkly comic French thriller that traps its lead character in a nightmare of humiliation and bodily fluids, and a lovingly schlocky 1950s creature feature spoof that will be followed by a Q&A with the director, Michael Stasko.

The night closes with a riotous remake of a cult swords-and-sorcery epic from director Steven Kostanski, packed with gloriously gooey practical effects.

But Night of the Dead is more than just movies. It’s an immersive experience filled with plenty of audience banter, prize giveaways for daring (or silly) feats, and a special appearance by someone involved in the making of the films. Get ready for a whole night of pure, communal cinematic chaos!

So, what will you dare to venture out and watch past bedtime this Friday night as Leeds International Film Festival 2025 draws to a close?

What’s screening as part of LIFF’s Night of the Dead event in 2025?

Queens of the Dead (Tina Romero, 2025) - 11pm

This gloriously trashy, yet heartfelt horror-comedy throws drag queens, club kids, "token straights," and bitter frenemies into a fight for survival, forcing them to battle not only the undead but also their own spectacular personal conflicts.

Featuring queer icons like Nina West, Dominique Jackson, Margaret Cho, and Cheyenne Jackson, the film comes from director Tina Romero, the daughter of legendary zombie pioneer George A. Romero.

This vibrant directorial debut proudly honours the Romero family tradition by giving the zombie genre a fierce, glittery, and deeply queer makeover.

Vampire Zombie From Space (Michael Stasko, 2024)

Get ready for a wild, silly, and uncannily faithful trip back to B-movie cinema!

The quiet town of Marlow is under siege from bloodsuckers and zombies multiplying fast, all led by none other than Dracula himself, who has arrived from space to suck their blood. To save the town, a motley crew—consisting of a grizzled detective, a chain-smoking greaser, and a plucky young woman—must join forces.

This film is a pure parody that revels in its love of schlocky horror, offering a blend of laughs, gore, and 1950s creature-feature thrills. This screening is part of Night of the Dead, and immediately following the film, audiences will be joined by the film's director, Michael Stasko, for an exclusive Q&A session.

Flush (Grégory Morin, 2025)

Meet Luc, an ageing father battling a severe cocaine addiction, who is desperate to prove he can turn his life around. His attempt to make amends leads him to the club where his ex works, but his good intentions are immediately derailed when he stumbles upon a secret stash of drugs.

Old habits prove fatal, and Luc quickly draws the wrath of a ruthless drug dealer. As the night descends into a spiral of chaos, humiliation, and bodily fluids, Luc finds himself in a truly desperate situation: trapped headfirst in a toilet.

This tense, often darkly comedic thriller explores a desperate man's last attempt at redemption.

Deathstalker (Steven Kostanski, 2025)

Cult director Steven Kostanski (known for Psycho Goreman and The Void) resurrects a classic 1980s fantasy franchise in a riotous mix of swords, sorcery, and gloriously gooey practical effects.

In the kingdom of Abraxeon, the legendary warrior Deathstalker uncovers a cursed amulet that marks him for death from a never-ending onslaught of monstrous assassins. To break the curse, he must join forces with a wizard and a thief to battle the dark necromancer Nekromemnon and his formidable undead army.

This is a triumphant tale of pure fantasy, fun and inventive monster creations that perfectly channel the wild, unrestrained spirit of its 80s B-movie predecessors.

Can I still get tickets to attend LIFF’s Night of the Dead event at Hyde Park Picture House?

As of writing, film buffs, there are still tickets available to attend this evening’s Night of the Dead event!

Tickets can be purchased from the Leeds International Film Festival website, with prices for the event between £28 and £34 (booking fees may apply), so for those night owls looking for something to do and to see out this year’s festival in trashy style, book now to avoid missing out!

Entry to the marathon starts at 11pm GMT, with the first film starting at 11:30pm GMT, so don’t be one of those people walking in halfway through a feature presentation, please?

Looking for something a little more family-friendly? Check out our guide to this year’s Leeds Christmas Markets, or the 14 Christmas Markets and events taking place around Yorkshire this year.