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The Festival of Fantastic Films 2010
The 21st Annual Convention of the Society of Fantastic Films

will be held on the

15th - 17th October, 2010
at Sachas Hotel, Manchester

Guests of Honour for 2010

February 2010: We are pleased to announce that
Derren Nesbitt will be returning for an encore this year.

The following guests are expected to appear,
subject to professional commitments.
In alphabetical order:

Eunice Gayson
Actress

Dr No, From Russia With Love, Revenge of Frankenstein, Out Of The Clouds, Zarak, Down Among The Z Men & Carry On Admiral.

Bert I Gordon
Director / Producer

  The well known Film Entrepreneur will be spending some time with us in October.

Attack of the Puppet People , The Cyclops, Beginning of the End, War of the Colossal Beast, Food of the Gods, Empire of the Ants, Necromancy, The Magic Sword & Picture Mommy Dead.

Susan Gordon
Actress

Susan will be returning to the Festival to accompany her father in October

Attack of the Puppet People, The Five Pennies, Boy And The Pirates, Tormented, Picture Mommy Dead & several TV series including Route 66, 77 sunset Strip, Sam Benedict, Gunsmoke, Alfred Hitchcock Hour & Twilight Zone.

Jim Groom
Director

Revenge of Billy The Kid, Room 36

Jane Merrow
Actress

Night Of The Big Heat, Hands Of The Ripper, The System, The Lion In Winter, Assignment K, Catacombs, The Wild And The Willing

Derren Nesbitt
Actor / Director

Where Eagles Dare, Burke & Hare, Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders, Strongroom, Man in the Back Seat, The Informers, The Blue Max, The Naked Runner, Nobody Runs Forever, Monte Carlo or Bust.

Françoise Pascal
Actress

There’s A Girl in my Soup,  Burke & Hare,  Incense for the Damned, Keep it up Downstairs, The Grapes of Death,  French Undressing, and several episodes of Mind Your Language (TV)

Stephen Volk
Author / Screenwriter

Telepathy (in production) (2010) (screenplay), "Afterlife" (2005), Octane (2003) (written by), Superstition (2001) (story), Cyclops (2001) (TV) (writer), The Deadness of Dad (1997) (writer), Massage (1995) (TV) (writer), I'll Be Watching You (1995) (TV) (screenplay), Ghostwatch (1992) (TV) (writer), The Guardian (1990) (screenplay), The Kiss (1988) (screenplay) (story), Gothic (1986)

(Note: All guests listed are confirmed as attending - however, it is only fair to be aware that all appearances are subject to commitments - and the Festival organisers cannot be held responsible for any cancellations. Where this occurs it is policy to try to replace the guest with another; however, that is not always possible)

Latest News

May 24th 2010

Deadline dates have been announced for the Independent Film Competition. The entry form must received by 31 August, and films are due in September. See the entry form for full details.

February 12th, 2010

Fantastic Film Festival returns to Sachas

I am pleased to be able to confirm that the 21st Festival, from 15th–17th October 2010, will be held back at an old favourite of ours - Sachas Hotel.

Because of the substantial increases in price at the Days Hotel (upwards of 100%) we needed to find a new venue, and while Sachas does not have anything like the cinema-style locations of the Days Hotel, it does have various other pluses:

1) The accommodation cost has been confirmed as £55 per room B & B for single occupancy, £65 per room B & B for double occupancy, £75 per room B & B for triple occupancy.

As Sachas is regularly used by soccer fans it is recommended that you arrange booking very soon if you wish to stay in the hotel – when United or City are at home rooms are at a premium.

When booking you MUST quote code FFSA 1010 to the booking office and the rates will be held.

Special Festival rates are available from Thursday 14th to Monday 18th. The Hotel will release ALL unbooked rooms on the 1st September, and after that will charge the going rate.

Please book soon to avoid disappointment!

2) Bar Prices for the full weekend will be held at Happy Hour rates.

3) The hotel has a lunch carvery at £5 daily and its very good value. Evening meals: Pizzas are available for £10-£12, and we will also be having our usual pub grub at about £6 per evening meal.

4) The films will be shown in the big room and the smaller room upstairs will house Tony Meadows' movies. These will have to be set up as there are no cinema facilities within the hotel – however for those with long memories you’ll remember we did all this back when.

5) I am trying to negotiate a discounted rate for a car park. Sachas do have an agreed discount of 20% with NCP for parking in the ARNDALE CAR PARK (which is security covered and only 400 yards from the hotel)

6) Sachas is on the Metro line from Piccadilly station and is almost next door to the Arndale / Town Centre so the shops etc. are easily accessible.

Tony and I would agree with all the Festival regulars who prefer the Days Hotel / Conference Centre complex, but the prices make it completely impossible. If you're not familiar with Sachas please talk to some of the attendees from the early 90’s and they’ll tell you that Sachas was great fun.

Gil Lane-Young 

January 2010

It is with regret that we announce the death of the excellent magazine The House That Hammer Built, devised and nurtured by our very good friend Wayne Kinsey.  For final copies contact Wayne through his website or by email at waynelkinsey@aol.com and you’ll see some pictures he has the audacity to say are of him – but they look like a much younger and better looking man.

December 2009

George Houston's review of the 2009 Festival may be read on his website.

Film Programme

The Film Programme will include a variety of features and shorts, plus a selection of the Independent and Amateur Film Competition entries.

Introduction to the Festival

If you are a new visitor to The Festival of Fantastic Films web pages we invite you to climb aboard the greatest weekend a science fiction, fantasy or horror movie fan could ever find on the planet.

Based in MANCHESTER, ENGLAND (just two-and-a-half hours from LONDON by rail-link) we have THREE programme streams containing a terrific range of movie-related events that include Guest Interviews, Discussions, Panels, Special Events, Presentations, Auctions, Artshow and Poster Exhibition, Dealer Room, Themed Dinner, Parties and of course an AMAZING number of movies..... the old and the new run alongside each other throughout the festival.

Please scroll down our pages to get a taste of this 3-Day UK Movie Convention (now in its eighteenth year) - and hop off on the various links should you want even more in-depth info! But DO COME BACK... we'll be updating frequently throughout the upcoming year!

Special Events

Festival Opening Ceremony. An introduction to the Festival and its guests.

Q & A sessions with directors and producers of a number of the films we shall be screening throughout the weekend.

Much more.

Featured Events

Big retrospective Science Fiction and Fantasy
movie programme. Films to be announced.

3-D!

CinemaScope!

Discussions, Panels

Film Fair, Auctions

Low-price Convention Bar!

Guest of Honour Signing Sessions

Amateur and Independent Short Film Contests

The Auction

RAMSEY CAMPBELL puts a multitude of movie-related
items under his infamous gavel... and we'll guarantee
he'll keep you amused and penniless!

Independent & Amateur Films

In addition to the retrospective film programme that is the backbone of the event, the Festival of Fantastic Films has, within the past few years, become the premiere UK venue for new genre movies. We are pleased to showcase an amazing selection of Independently produced feature length and short films from all over the world. Films that you are unlikely to see anywhere else are screened alongside the new movies from major studios right through the weekend. Each year sees an increase in the number of young and highly creative film-makers, submitting their work into our International Competition and giving members of the Festival a unique opportunity to see a great range of movies. The Festival programme also screens new films outside the competition itself and although it is difficult to announce specific titles in advance, we expect to surprise members of the event with major premieres!

The Festival is also the place to meet with many of the creative people from behind and in front of the cameras. In 1998 we had director Jake West and actress Eileen Daly along with their new film RAZORBLADE SMILE. American director Tyler Tharpe came over from the USA to screen and discuss his horror film THE LAST ROADSTOP and from the UK, Jon Sorensen premiered his science fiction feature ALIEN BLOOD. In 1999 delightful American director Joei Gharrity came from Los Angeles to screen her short film THE GRAIL and was sucked into the fannish activities and friendliness of the eventMost of the Independent movies screened at the Festival have a substantial budget behind them, whereas other equally creative genre movies are made each year by talented amateurs working on a shoestring. These films are enormously entertaining and often just as thought provoking as their Indie relatives. The Amateur Contest entries are pre-judged by The Festival Committee with the top rated films going forward to the Festival for the final round. 1998 saw the Award going out of the UK for the first time ever, being won by Florida USA film-maker Shane Hannafey with his science fiction story THE GIFT.

The International Movie Competitions have become a very important section of the Festival of Fantastic Films.

Click here for the entry form for the 2010 Independent Film Competition

Click here for the entry form for the 2010 Amateur Film Competition (Delta Film Award)

Society Notices

The Society of Fantastic Films, organizer of the Festival, also has regular meetings in Manchester city centre. Held at the Unicorn Hotel, High Street, on the last Friday of each month, the meetings feature movie showings and lively discussions in a convivial atmosphere.
For more information, email
Gil@manchesterfantasticfilms.co.uk.

Membership Information

Full Attending Membership is £70 (UK pounds), or $140 (US dollars) which entitles you to Progress Reports, Programme Booklet, Badge, and Attendance to all of the events over the three days of the convention. A single day membership is available for £30 (UK pounds).

Children: Attending Membership £20 up to 12 years of age and £30 up to 16 years of age.

Supporting Membership £30, entitles you to three Progress Reports, Programme Booklet, Badge, and Attendance to any of the events on any SINGLE day of the convention. (Supporting membership can be upgraded to FULL by paying the balance at any time up to the week before the Festival).

Register now by printing the form (click below) and mailing to the Festival address!

Click here for a membership form you can print and mail (coming soon)

Festival e-mail may be sent to Gil Lane-Young: Gil@manchesterfantasticfilms.co.uk

The Society of Fantastic Films is a member of the British Federation of Film Societies

Comments or suggestions?
Please post to the Festival Guestbook

Add comment to the Festival Guestbook

View the Festival Guestbook

Website Special Features

Archives and Reviews of Past Festivals
from 1997 to 2009

Eurocon Award to Concatenation

2004 Festival Photo Album

2003 Festival Photo Album

Harry Nadler Photo Album
assembled by Tony Edwards

Festival Movies on DVD

Your help is requested

Email contact information

We would like to have current and prior Festival attendees' email addresses on file so that we can send you news and announcements about the Festival.

Please email Gil (Gil@manchesterfantasticfilms.co.uk) and let us know your preferred email address.

Suggestions for future Guests

We are also looking for suggestions for guests for upcoming Festivals. If there is someone you feel would make a good guest, and you are in personal touch with them, please email Gil and give him their contact information.

Special Notices, October 26th 2009 (post-Festival wrap-up):

Click for Festival Film Reviews, 2009 by Gil Lane-Young


Special thanks

The Festival committee would like to offer grateful thanks to the following for their participation in the Festival of Fantastic Films 2009. These movies were shown out of competition for various reasons, but the selection panel feel that any one of the films shown below would not have been out of place in the competition, and indeed had very good chances of recognition.

Famous Monster Directed by Michael MacDonald Canada
The Soldier Directed by Shaun Robert Smith UK
Ironwerkz Directed by Mike Kehoe UK
Resurrecting The Street Walker Directed by Ozgur Uyanik UK
Nightmares in Red, White And Blue Directed by Andrew Monument USA
The Hunt For Gollum Directed by Chris Bouchard UK
Dark And Stormy Night Directed by Larry Blamire USA

Independent Films Competition Awards 2009

The selection committee for the Independent competition would like to offer their congratulations to all participants winners & other competitors on the quality of the entrants into this years competition.

Whilst there always has to be a winner, the committee wish it to be known that the they found it increasingly difficult in some cases to make the choices.

If all future competitors are as good as those who have entered for the competitions over the last few years then we can look forward to some really excellent fare in the future.

Shorts

Winners (tied):
Enchanted Island directed by Noel Kearns (Ireland)
Under My Garden directed by Andrea Lodovichetti (Italy)  

Highly Commended:
Mark Macready and the Archangel Murders directed by Sean Candon (UK)
Babylon 2084 directed by Christian Schleisiek (Germany)

Features

Winner:
Kirk directed by Michael Ferns (UK)

Runner Up:
Lodo directed by Karlos Alastruey (Spain)

Highly Commended:
Evil Angel directed by Richard Dutcher (USA)
Dreamscape directed by Daniel J Fox (UK)


Amateur Films Competition Awards 2009

Winner:
McDonough (Kyle Stephens, USA)

Runner-up:
Home (Francesco Filippi, Italy)

Highly commended:
He Dies at the End (Damian McCarthy, Eire)
La Vie Lamort (Brandyn Boid, USA)
Monster Movie (Stephen Hammond, USA)

This year's judges were Ray Holloway, Tris Thompson and Norman J Warren. The results were announced by special guest Emily Booth.

Festival Guest and Contributor Websites

Harry Nadler Memorial Website

Widescreen Movies Magazine
a web and print magazine by John Hayes

Janina Faye - The Official Website

Ramsey Campbell - The Official Website

Stephen Laws - The Midnight Man

John Harden
(writer/director, "Breakfast With The Colonel")

Harry Hamill's artwork for the 1998 Festival

Gil Lane-Young's Festival Page

Festival Information on the Concatenation Website

Other Sites of Interest

FAB Press and Filmhouse Edinburgh present

Fab Fest 2010

Fans of the fantastic world of weird and wonderful cinema can start making plans for the weekend of Friday 30 April to Sunday 2 May

For tickets:
http://www.filmhousecinema.com/showing/fab-fest/

 

Sci-Fi London:
The London International Festival
of Science Fiction and Fantastic Film

Monstrous Movie Music
World-Premiere Recordings Of Music From
Classic Science Fiction, Fantasy, And Horror Films!

Film Fan Addict

3DTV - LCD Glasses, 3D Movies, & More!

Concatenation Convention Reviews

3D Movies in North Carolina

HammerWeb - Hammer Films Official Site

Film & TV Connection:
an entertainment industry school with 5,000 students worldwide
who train on-site at major film studios, video production companies,
radio and TV stations, recording studios and record labels.

Virtual Manchester
Virtual Manchester

everything you need to know
about the Festival's home city

Science Fiction Conventions Webring

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