Noseeums will have its World Premiere at FrightFest

Film Feature by Chris Olson

A film that was described as Get Out meets Candyman by the always wonderful people at Fangoria, Noseeums (sometimes referred to as No-See-Ums) will delight horror fans at the 2025 FrightFest event, with its world premiere on the 23rd of August at London's Odeon Luxe.

The film stars Aleigha Burt, Tabitha Getsy, Trisha Arozqueta, and Jasmine Nguyen, telling the story of Ember (Burt) a college student who joins her affluent white friends for a weekend retreat at the isolated country estate of Abigail, their campus queen bee. The opulent setting is overshadowed by an inexplicable sense of dread that Ember can’t shake. Drawn to an unkept grave site hidden in the backwoods, she is suddenly besieged by swarms of no-see-ums, tiny black insects native to Florida, whose bites leave an invisible, maddening sting. The irritation soon gives way to something more sinister: flashes of a brutal, forgotten past and premonitions of grisly deaths. Ember learns that the land is cursed by the restless spirits of those wronged long ago. As the spiritual connection deepens, Ember embraces her role as the vessel for their long-overdue vengeance, becoming the hand of retribution for the dead.

Raven Carter is a filmmaker, director, and co-writer of the feature film Noseeums. A former film student at Florida State University, Carter's debut feature is a Southern Gothic horror story with a political undercurrent exploring the loss of Black land rights.

The film, produced by Torchlight Studios, is set to have its world premiere at FrightFest London, a prominent horror genre festival. Carter has stated that premiering the film in front of a passionate genre audience is a "dream come true," and she is excited to be sharing her work with a festival she has long admired as a fan.

Prior to directing Noseeums, Carter's background includes work as a digital content creator, writer, and producer, with a career spanning national talk shows and digital media.

The executive director for Noseeums, Reb Bradock, had this to say:

"This is the first feature film from Torchlight Studios, produced in collaboration with FSU:" “As a horror film festival enthusiast, I am proud to see our debut feature, NOSEEUMS, in the Official Selection at FrightFest London, a prominent horror-genre driven festival, for its World Premiere.”

About FrightFest

FrightFest is a major international film festival in the UK that specializes in horror, fantasy, sci-fi, and thriller films. Often called "the dark heart of cinema," it showcases the best in genre movies, from low-budget independents to major premieres. The main event takes place annually in London over the August Bank Holiday, with additional events like FrightFest Glasgow and a Halloween-themed gathering. The festival is renowned for its passionate and dedicated audience, who travel from all over the world to discover new talent and celebrate the horror genre with filmmakers. It's a key event in the genre film calendar and a different entity from the "Fright Fest" Halloween events held at theme parks.