Fear 2000 was established in 2016 as a site for the scholarly discussion of the horror genre’s contemporary social, cultural, political and industrial significance.
Convened by Craig Ian Mann, Chris Cooke and Oliver Hicks, it explores horror across a wide range of media, from cinema to podcasts via television, video games and music.
Sheffield Hallam University has held five Fear 2000 conferences with a sixth taking place this year. Each event is organised around a broad theme:
- Fear 2000: Horror Undying, 1–3 July 2022
- Fear 2000: Horror Unbound, 11–13 September 2021
- Fear 2000: Contemporary Horror Worldwide, 1–2 June 2019
- Fear 2000: Horror Media Now, 6–7 April 2018
- Fear 2000: 21st Century Monsters, 21–22 April 2017
- Fear 2000: 21st Century Horror, 1–2 April 2016
Horror studies research
Since its inception, Fear 2000 has become a leading site for the dissemination of the latest horror studies research.
It has hosted keynote lectures by leading scholars in the field, including:
- Stacey Abbott (University of Roehampton)
- Lindsay Hallam (University of East London)
- Steffen Hantke (Sogang University)
- Peter Hutchings (Northumbria University)
- Laura Mee (University of Hertfordshire)
- Kendall R. Phillips (Syracuse University)
However, the conference aims to dissolve the boundaries between established and junior scholars. It is equally dedicated to fostering the new and vital work being conducted by postgraduates, doctoral candidates and early-career researchers.
Industry links and film screenings
Fear 2000 also has strong links with the media industries. Part of each conference is dedicated to a series of screenings and industry events.
In 2018, the conference hosted an interview with writer, director, actor and producer Larry Fessenden, the founder of the independent genre production house Glass Eye Pix. This was followed by the UK premiere of Like Me (2017), starring and produced by Fessenden.
The latest Fear 2000 conference, held online in 2021, played host to a raft of genre talent, including filmmakers Aislinn Clarke (The Devil’s Doorway), Glenn McQuaid (I Sell the Dead) and Jim Mickle (Stake Land, We Are What We Are, Netflix’s Sweet Tooth), screenwriter Clay McLeod Chapman (The Boy) and special effects artist Dan Martin (Color Out of Space, Possessor, Censor).
