Special Guests at Cine-Excess 2026
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Reuniting two of the stars of The Hills Have Eyes and The Hills Have Eyes II, Cine-Excess is proud to welcome Michael Berryman and Janus Blythe, who will be joining us at the festival for an online Question and Answer session, in advance of their being awarded the 2026 Cine-Excess Lifetime Award acknowledging their work in horror and cult cinema.
The Hills Have Eyes and its 1984 sequel not only contributed to a popular cycle of backwoods horror but radically showcased a socially conscious approach to genre filmmaking through the aesthetics of exploitation cinema. Cine-Excess are delighted to welcome these stars of the original Hills Have Eyes franchise, Michael Berryman (“Pluto”) and Janus Blythe (“Ruby”), who will both be attending the festival via live stream. The awards acknowledge not only the incalculable contributions Berryman and Blythe made to the infamous backwoods horror franchise, but their wider contributions to the modernisation of North American horror cinema and cult traditions.
Michael Berryman and Janus Blyth will be joining us online at 3.30pm on Wednesday 21 October 2026, to receive their award and discuss their careers.
An additional panel discussion between emerging cult cinema luminaries is taking place online at 5pm on Tuesday 20 October. This Industry Panel, entitled "Legends, Legacies and Home Entertainment" features comics publisher Sandy King (Storm King Entertainment), documentary director Thomas Edward Seymour (Enter The Television), and David Gregory from film distributors Severin Films. This will be a fascinating discussion about how cult cinema has transmedia spread across television, comics, and blu-ray boutique labels.
Towards the end of our online programme, we also have a streamed Q and A with Rob Schmidt (Wrong Turn, 2003) talking about his career so far on Thursday 22nd October from 11am-1pm. Access to all events is available to all ticket holders of a Cine-Excess pass, which you can order from the Birmingham City University website.
The Hills Have Eyes and its 1984 sequel not only contributed to a popular cycle of backwoods horror but radically showcased a socially conscious approach to genre filmmaking through the aesthetics of exploitation cinema. Cine-Excess are delighted to welcome these stars of the original Hills Have Eyes franchise, Michael Berryman (“Pluto”) and Janus Blythe (“Ruby”), who will both be attending the festival via live stream. The awards acknowledge not only the incalculable contributions Berryman and Blythe made to the infamous backwoods horror franchise, but their wider contributions to the modernisation of North American horror cinema and cult traditions.
Michael Berryman and Janus Blyth will be joining us online at 3.30pm on Wednesday 21 October 2026, to receive their award and discuss their careers.
An additional panel discussion between emerging cult cinema luminaries is taking place online at 5pm on Tuesday 20 October. This Industry Panel, entitled "Legends, Legacies and Home Entertainment" features comics publisher Sandy King (Storm King Entertainment), documentary director Thomas Edward Seymour (Enter The Television), and David Gregory from film distributors Severin Films. This will be a fascinating discussion about how cult cinema has transmedia spread across television, comics, and blu-ray boutique labels.
Towards the end of our online programme, we also have a streamed Q and A with Rob Schmidt (Wrong Turn, 2003) talking about his career so far on Thursday 22nd October from 11am-1pm. Access to all events is available to all ticket holders of a Cine-Excess pass, which you can order from the Birmingham City University website.