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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.

Entry form for the 2012 Amateur Film Competition

Entry form for the Independent Competition is available on request

The 2012 Delta Film Award

Steve Green

Named in honour of the group of amateur film-makers whose efforts enlivened many a 1960s science fiction convention (members included Tony Edwards and the much-missed Harry Nadler, the founding fathers – with Gil Lane-Young – of this very festival), the Delta Film Awards recognize significant achievement by low-budget directors.

This is a truly international contest: this year alone, Ray Holloway and I have reviewed entries from as far afield as France and Norway, Brazil and South Korea, Germany and the United States, not forgetting the UK and Eire.

This competition screens exactly the kind of material you attend the Festival of Fantastic Films for, and which you’ll be eager to crow about to your friends in the months after. So why not come along on Sunday morning for one of the more cutting-edge events (“unmissable” – graveorc.com) at what remains Britain’s best celebration of cinema fantastique? And if you know someone who’s working on a homegrown movie, pass on the word for next year’s competition.