Abertoir Horror Film Festival is back and this year comes with an extra bite.

For its 19th year, the festival returns with a killer animal and vengeful nature theme, from grizzly bears to Godzilla.

The festival spanning from 14-17 November at Aberystwyth Arts Centre will be showcasing three nationwide premieres from international directors, as well as bragging a live orchestra for a showing of Zombie Flesh Eaters.

Renowned Italian composer and musician Fabio Frizzi will return with his band to perform his live and expanded score along with the original dialogue and bone-crunching sound effects that make Lucio Fulci’s Zombie film so adored by fans.

This year's demand for tickets has forced organisers to expand to a bigger auditorium and screen.

Festival Director Gaz Bailey said: “We’ve been truly blown away by the support for this year’s event and we’re grateful to have been able to accommodate even more audience members this year.”

The films premiering in Wales for the first time include Dead Talents Society, a hilarious acclaimed ghost film from Taiwan; Seeds, the directorial debut from Indigenous Canadian filmmaker Kaniehtiio Horn; and the UK premiere of Decibel, which explores the horrors of AI technology.

Grizzly bills itself as a Jaws rip-off that replaces the infamous shark with a bear, whilst Godzilla vs Hedorah is described as one of the most horrific films in the franchise's 70-year history.

The festival includes talks by author Robin Ince celebrating the 50th anniversary of James Herbert’s Rats by taking audiences through his favourite animal pulp fiction books, whilst Aberystwyth University’s Professor Joanne Hamilton will bring out the science in the fiction by exploring the terrifying world of parasites.

Other films include Exorcismo, a documentary about Spanish film freedom after the death of General Franco; New Zealand comedy-horror Grafted, starring 3 Body Problem’s Jess Hong; Frankie Freako, a charming throwback to 80s ‘puppet’ horror films; acclaimed Argentinian chiller The Wailing; and a mystery bad film, presented by comedians Nicko and Joe.

Nia Edwards-Behi, Festival Co-director said: “We started thinking about the nature horror theme back before last year’s festival.

“We’re hoping that through a mix of fun and more serious films and events, people will have the chance to reflect on this pressing theme.”

The full programme is now live on the Abertoir website, with details on the online catch-up Abertoir Choice Cuts programme on 23-24 November to be announced soon.