Imagine Fantastic Film Festival 2024 has begun. We’ll keep you updated on yesterday’s news and today’s highlights through this daily blog. Want tips in your inbox? Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter at the bottom of our homepage. Curious about the audience scores for the Silver Scream Award? Find those here.
Yesterday’s news (Sunday 27 October)
40 Years of Imagine | During our anniversary talkshow, Jan Doense and Phil van Tongeren brought back memories of four festival decades. Like the first years in Tuschinski, when doors and chairs were broken and toiletpaper and cans of beer would be thrown from the balconies. And about Jac. Goderie, who gave Doense a chance the first time (and who was present at the talkshow!). Liselotte van der Burgt, who helped Imagine become a professional festival per 2002, was also applauded. And then there’s the anecdotes: from Roger Corman being knocked out by some Amsterdam hash, to Udo Kier moving in permanently, to Stuart Gordon being pelted with M&Ms by the audience. ‘Let’s make it to a 100!’ Goderie said at the end. Yes, let’s!
Talkshow: Djinn in Turkish Horror | Djinn horror is one of the main threads in our festival programme this year. Tijdens this talkshow, academic Cüneyt Çakirlar explained the genre’s political and social background in Turkish Djinn horror, where mostly non-religious, middle class households tend to become haunted. The films, heavily influenced by J horror, prove to be especially popular among a-political youth from Islamic families. After Çakirlar’s, the audience was treated to a terrifying short film by Sayara director Can Evrenol, after which this rough guide to Djinn horror was closed off with a discussion between directors Evrenol and Utku Uçar (whose Hüddam 4: Ahmer is also showing at Imagine). Both mentioned how they feel the Djinn genre could use some technical and aesthetical oomph. It’s sure in good hands with these two.
Today’s highlights (Monday 28 October)
We’ve got a great festival week coming up: besides more films from our Djinn programme, there’s a theremin film concert for German Expressionist classic Algöl and screenings of Senegalese actioner Zero, activist sci-fi Planet B and intimate Mexican horror story Párvulos. And here are our tips for today.
Tulpamancer | Vanaf 14:00 in Galerie Beeldend Gesproken | Look, it’s an 80s computer from an abandoned lab in East Germany. In Tulpamancer, a unique combination of AI and VR will take you on a trip through your memories and even into the future, blurring the lines between AI and your own consciousness. Scary? More like an invitation to a reflection on how we connect with technology.
Bird |16:30 in Filmhallen | Andrea Arnold is known for her social realist films about life in the suburbs (Red Road, Fish Tank) or on the dusty roads of the American Midwest (American Honey). Bird sees her returning to her roots with a story about a young girl who needs to navigate her harsh circumstances on her own, only this time Arnold has added some unexpected magical realism to the mix.
48 Hour Film Project | 17:00 in LAB111 | In the 48 Hour Film Project, young filmmakers are challenged to create a short themed film in only 48 hours. It’s inspiring and exhausting in equal measure. The results for the categories of horror, sci-fi, fantasy en cult are being shown at Imagine today. Afterwards, the winners will be announced.
Oddity | 21:40 in Filmhallen | In 2020, we showed Damian McCarthy’s debut film Caveat, which was insanely creepy. Even more insanely creepy is his latest: Oddity, a film which, from it’s terrifying opening scene onward, completely lives up to the hype. Horrible, perhaps even supernatural things are happing in an isolated house in the Irish country side. Those in the know will spot the references to British horror anthologies from the 60s and 70s. AND THAT DOLL!
