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 (Monday 28 October)
Fahrenheit 451 met intro | 1984 isn’t over yet, at least not at Imagine. You can go see the classic film one last time today, but there’s plenty of other dystopian sadness to dwell on. Such as François Truffauts Fahrenheit 451, introduced yesterday by film journalist Gawie Keijser. Ray Bradbury’s 1953 book tells of a society where books are considered dangerous and are being burnt. People are sad and rebellious. Truffaut was part of the Nouvelle Vague and a rebel himself, which is why he wanted to adapt this novel. The 1966 film may have gotten a bit older, its message is as relevant as ever, according to Keijser. We still love looking away. For anyone who loves worrying about the future: Fahrenheit 451 will be screened one last time tomorrow.
48h Film Project | Filmmaking is fun! Yesterday evening, a large group of young filmmakers came to Imagine (some for the first time!) to present their 48h Film Projects in the categories horror, fantasy, SF and everything inbetween. They had 48 hours to write, film and edit their films – no small feat. After seeing their films on the big screen, the 48H Film Project winners were announced, with prizes for Best World Building (a new category introduced by Imagine, and won by De Tijdmachine) and Best Costume Design (won bij Between Us), amongst others. The winner of Best Film? Horror short Anti-Bodies. Congrats!
Today’s highlights (Tuesday 29 October)
Kizumonogatari: Koyomi Vamp | 16:00 in LAB111 | Hardcore anime fans can get their fix with Kizumonogatari: Koyomi Vamp, about a lonely teenager who meets a female vampire. A bload-soaked prequel marking the beginning of an entire universe that’s already been portrayed in many manga’s and three earlier films. Those who prefer their animation to be less violent can check out The Umbrella Fairy on Friday November 1st, a Chinese fantasy fairytale about a vengeful fairy challenging the status quo.
Cloud | 19:00 in Filmhallen | Japanese filmmaker Kyoshi Kurosawa rode the J-horror wave around the year 2000 with Cure and Pulse. He left the scene for a while, but his new thriller-cum-internet satire Cloud, which focuses on the shadow side of online entrepreneurship, is Kurosawa on top form. Cloud is also the official Japanese entry for next year’s Oscars.
Mythos: Djinn Stories| 19:30 in Mezrab| Most of Imagine’s special Djinn film screenings this week were accompanied by live storytelling courtesy of Mezrab’s storytellers. If you want to hear these stories again – or missed them the first time around – this special storytelling night in Mezrab | The House of Stories (Veemkade 576, Amsterdam) brings them all back.
Zero | 21:45 in Filmhallen| No better way to end a Tuesday than with Zero, the ultimate ticking timebomb-film of the festival. Congolese director Jean Luc Herbulot zones in on two American soldiers in Dakar with bombs strapped to their chests, who have ten hours before detonation. ‘A geopolitical punch to the gut,’ as quoted in a review. So get ready!
