(Graphic designed by Steve Kirkham)

The Festival of Fantastic Films 2008
The 19th Annual Convention of the Society of Fantastic Films
will be held at the
Day's Hotel, Sackville St., Manchester
(The Manchester Conference Centre)

Click here for Maps, Directions, Car Parking, etc.

Dates: 17th - 19th October, 2008

News for 2008
Rules and entry forms for the Amateur and
Independent Film Competitions are now available.

The debut DVD release from Paura Productions
entitled "PAURA: Lucio Fulci Remembered ~ Volume 1"
will be available for pre-order beginning this Sunday via www.PauraProd.com. The DVD will ship mid-late February.

Guests of Honour for 2008
Guests will be listed as they become confirmed.
The following guests are expected to appear,
subject to professional commitments:

Horst Janson Actor Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter, The McKenzie Break, You Can't Win 'Em All, Murphy's War, Shout At The Devil, Escape From East Berlin & Enemy (TV)
John Saxon Actor The Night Caller, Black Christmas, Cannibal Apocalypse, Queen of Blood, Enter The Dragon, Joe Kidd, Battle Beyond The Stars, Blood Beach, A Nightmare on Elm Street 1 & 3, From Dusk Till Dawn
Jess Conrad Actor Konga, The Boys, The Ugly Duckling, Aliki My Love, The Queen's Guards, Hell is Empty, The Assassination Bureau, The Flesh & Blood Show, The Great Rock & Roll Swindle
Emily Booth Actress & TV Presenter Pervirella, Evil Aliens, Cradle of Fear, Inferno, Grindhouse, Fallen Angels, Sacred Flesh, Witchcraft X Mistress of the Craft. Also presenter of Live TV's Blue Review
Robert Fuest Director The Abominable Dr Phibes, Dr Phibes Rises Again, The Devil's Rain, The Final Programme, And Soon The Darkness, + Avengers episodes (both original & New Avengers)
John Scott Composer A Study in Terror, Rocket to the Moon, The Long Duel, Beserk, Twinky, Trog, Doomwatch, Satan's Slave
Guest Appearances: To be announced.
(Note: All guests listed are confirmed as attending - however, it is only fair to be aware that all these 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)

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 on 16mm and 35mm.  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

Call for Entries

The Independent Film Competition entry form is available here

The Amateur Film Competition entry form is available here

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.

2007 Independent Film Award Results

Full details of the films which were accepted for the Independent Film Competition are available here.

Winner - Independent Feature
"Fallen Angels" directed by Jeff Thomas (USA)

Highly Commended - Independent Feature
"Chill" directed by Serge Rodnunsky (USA)
"Something Beneath" directed by David Winning (USA)
"The Planet" directed by Mark Stirton (UK)

Commended - Independent Feature
"Death Knows your Name" directed by Daniel De La Vega (Argentina)
"Kreating Karloff" - directed by Vetche Arabian (USA)
"Hellbride" directed by Pat Higgins (UK)
"Dreamscape" directed by Daniel J Fox (UK)
"Insanity" directed by Richard T Celenza (USA)

Winner - Independent Short
"D'Entre Les Morts" directed by Alain Basso (France)

Highly Commended - Independent Short
"Colour Blind" directed by Bryan Tyrell (Ireland)

Commended - Independent Short
"Paraffin" directed by Laurence Easeman (UK)

See the 2007 archive site for a complete list of the finalists.

2007 Amateur Film Competition Results
Steve Green, administrator

Full details of films which were accepted for the Amateur Film Competition are listed here.

The following films received awards at the Festival:

Winner: Contretemps (dir. Jean Luc Baillet, France)

Highly commended: Flyer (dir. Helmi Yusof, Singapore)

Commended: Halfway (dir. Karl Holt, UK)
Commended: The Morality Game (dir. Jim Walker, UK)

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

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 2007

Eurocon Award to Concatenation

2004 Festival Photo Album

2003 Festival Photo Album

Harry Nadler Photo Album
assembled by Tony Edwards

Festival Movies on DVD

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

Sci-Fi London:
The London International Festival
of Science Fiction and Fantastic Film
April 30th - May 4th 2008

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

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

In Memoriam Recently Deceased, and Missed ROY SCHEIDER - Actor Jaws & Jaws 2, French Connection, All That Jazz, Sorcerer ( Wages of fear remake ) & Marathon Man. BARRY MORSE - Actor Lt Gerard in TV series The Fugitive, also in Thunder Rock, Asylum, Welcome to Blood City, Shapes of Things to Come & The Changeling LOIS NETTLETON - Actress Deadly Blessing & a great number of TV films & shows SUZANNE PLESHETTE - Actress The Birds, A Distant Trumpet, Rage To Live, Ugly Dachshund, Mr Buddwing & Support Your Local Gunfighter HEATH LEDGER - Actor The Patriot, Sin Eater, Brothers Grimm, Brokeback Mountain Ned Kelly & Casanova & had just finished shooting the new Batman epic as the Joker in Dark Knight BRAD RENFRO - Actor Apt Pupil, Ghost World, Sleepers & The Client. Maila Nurmi The actress best known for creating the character of Vampira died on January 10th.  Tony Tenser - Producer We are sad to report the death of Tony Tenser on December 5th. Peter Graham Scott It is with deep regret that we heard about the death of Festival favourite Peter Graham Scott. Peter came to see us two years ago and gave us Part One of his story - sadly we won't now hear Part Two. I heard quite a bit of it and it was really interesting. Having directed Captain Clegg and Children of the Stones, Peter has a deserved place in genre history. We'll miss him - he was a real gentleman and a pleasure to know. Gil Lane-Young, Chairman, on behalf of the Festival of Fantastic Films.   This Science Fiction Conventions Webring site is administered by Bill Burns. [ Previous 5 Sites | Skip Previous | Previous | Next | Skip Next | Next 5 Sites | Random Site | List Sites ]

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Last updated: 11 April, 2008
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