Maniacs, monsters, demons, creepy kids, apocalyptic visions, phobias, heavy metal meltdown and snails - yes, it's the FrightFest International Short Film Showcase, an eclectic mix of worldwide cutting edge short films, which is once again being presented by Horror Channel. It will kick-off today at 1pm at the Empire Cinema in London's Leicester Square.

Un Jour Sang from Steven Pravong is an intense piece that is a very artistic and unique way of bringing horror to the big screen I'll let him tell you about the twisted tale he has to tell.

HC: Have you always been a big fan of the horror genre?

SP: I'd say yes, as far as I can remember, I've always been a big fan of that genre. For many long years, being too young to see those films, the only thing I could do was fantasize about what they might contain, with the help of the posters I could see or pictures in magazines. Obviously, that made my craving for exploring that universe all the stronger.

HC: Where did the idea for Un Jour Sang come from?

SP: I was in the middle of editing a documentary and the sound department gave me a wrong file. The ensuing effect was rather strange as the images and the soundtrack dealt with two totally different subjects and a vague feeling of uneasiness emanated from the whole thing. I thought that such a discrepancy could be used in a film. Opposing relatively soft pictures to a very violent sound track might appeal to the viewers' imagination and lead them to build their own blood-curdling images.

HC: Did it take you long to write?

SP: No, writing the script proved pretty easy from the moment when I realised it had to be based on an extra simple story. It had to be simple if I wanted my future viewers not to feel totally baffled, considering the offbeat concept they had to grasp and accept.

HC: It's a very stylish, artistic piece with a deep and unsettling soundtrack, was it a hard film to cast?

SP: Actually no, as I wrote it having in mind young actors I had already worked with. Luckily they liked the idea and accepted these rather demanding parts.

HC: Was it a long shoot?

SP: Two long exhausting days with very poor means but an enthusiastically involved team. I had planned a great number of shots and worked almost accordingly. The sound track took an extra day of work.

HC: Are you nervous about Un Jour Sang showing at FrightFest?

SP: I'm just terrified... but I know England offers a variety of good alcoholic beverages. But I must say the whole team and myself are very proud of having been selected by your country.

HC: What advice would you give to someone attempting to make their first horror film short?

SP: Never make a horror film for the sake of it. Use the genre to serve an idea that belongs to you and no one else.

HC: What is the horror movie scene like in France?

SP: Paradoxical. A stubborn cultural resistance to the genre explains that we have a small production of horror films. Besides, France used to imitate what was done elsewhere. But surprisingly, French horror films meet with great success as they can be more extreme than others, notably more than American horror movies.

HC: So what projects are you working on at the moment?

SP: I'm trying to work on a fantastic feature film. It's hard work and it can be a depressing one when you start thinking about the difficulties you meet when it comes to financing such a project.

HC: Steven Pravong, thank you very much.