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.
Oh and don’t forget to get your tickets for The Best of Imagine on Sunday 3 November. The very best way to close the festival with us!
Yesterday’s news (Thursday 31 Oktober)
Halloween Drag Karaoke | Monstro Elisasue from The Substance on the dance floor; Janine from The Handmaid’s Tale singing Strong Enough by Cher (with only one eye); the scary doll from The Rule of Jenny Pen popping up and a light saber / trident fight. Halloween Drag Karaoke was so much fun! See you next year.
Nieuw Nederlands Peil | Some technical hiccup gave programmers Kiko and Clio the opportunity to ask the audience waiting for Nieuw Nederlands Peil 3 about their favourite karaoke songs, in preparation for Drag Karaoke. Nothing Compares 2 U? Ok! Once tech was back up, NNP3 treated us to a troubled father-son relationship, two animation shorts in which life was both created and destroyed, and a funny parody of 1970s educational television. The creators lapped up the applause afterwards. A big shout-out to everyone involved!
Imagine Industry | Over the past three days, LAB111 opened its door to a large group of enthusiastic genre filmmakers taking part in Imagine’s programme for professionals, Imagine Industry. People participated in workshops, masterclasses and one-on-ones for their selected projects, guided by script coaches, directors and financiers. Four projects were pitched for a jury, leading to one Imagine Pitch Award winner: horror project Real Blood, about an activist / artist losing her grip. Real Blood‘s director Joeri Pruys and producer Ewoud Bon will be going to the Frontières co-production market in Montréal, Canada next. Congratulations!
Tips for Today (Friday 1 November)
Shadowland |14:15 in LAB111| In L’autre monde (2013), director Richard Stanley (Hardware, Color Out of Space) first visited a remote part of the Pyrenees where magic was an everyday occurence. Documentary Shadowland sees Stanley return to the same place, joining a spiritual community of sorts. After accusations surface about Stanley’s violent intimate past, this fascinating film takes a dark turn, steering its protagonists towards a complicated, not exactly spiritual twist.
Bramayugam incl Q&A | 18:30 in LAB111 | Bramayugam is a stunning Indian folk horror shot in crisp black and white, based on 17th Century Keralan myths. Thevan, a court singer on the run, finds shelter in an old castle that appears to be haunted. Director Rahul Sadasivan is dropping by for a Q&A to tell us all about the creation and success of his film, and how he managed to snare Indian superstar Mammootty (who acted in 430 films!).
Heretic | 19:00 in Filmhallen | We all know Hugh Grant as the fumbling softie from romcoms like Four Weddings and a Funeral and Notting Hill. There’s nothing soft about his turn as theologist / sinister host Mr. Reed in Heretic, though – it’s simply terrifying. From the team behind A Quiet Place, Heretic capitalises on Grant’s cute image for this dark story about two naive Mormon missionaries visiting Mr. Reed’s house of horrors.
Straight to Video: Albert Puyn | From 19:45 in LAB111 | From 1982 to 2018, Albert Pyun produced an impressive oeuvre of over fifty B-films. Almost all of his films went straight to video, but made the most of their limited means. A perfect fit for our yearly Straight to Video, Imagine edition! This double bill starts off with the recent documentary Albert Pyun: King of Cult Movies (at 19:45), followed by a real Puyn classic: Dollman (1991) (at 21:30). ‘A low budget sci-fi goldmine,’ according to the fans. ‘Thirteen inches… with an attitude,’ according to the VHS cover.
