Imagine proudly presents the full programme for Imagine Fantastic Film Festival 2024. Just one more month till our 40th edition! From 24 October – 3 November, we’ll be taking over LAB111, De Filmhallen and Galerie Beeldend Gesproken in Amsterdam-West with the best and latest genre films, shorts and VR, including three theme programmes, 63 features, 51 shorts, 8 VR experiences, specials, talks, exhibitions, games and more.
Ticket sales start 3 October. In the meantime, KINO Rotterdam and Forum Groningen are showing a selection of Imagine titles during Imagine On Tour from 18 – 20 October. Keep reading for more information about our opening film, our guests and the rest of the programme.
Fantastic Opener: Mr. K
Imagine 2024’s opening film, on 24 October, is Mr. K, a Kafkaesque mystery directed by Norwegian-Dutch filmmaker Tallulah H. Schwab. Crispin Glover shines as a travelling illusionist trying to check out of a labyrinthine hotel. Schwab will be joining us at Imagine!
Fantastic Themes
Imagine has three festival themes this year. Join us in a deep dive!1984 Re:Imagined takes Orwells vision as a starting off point for films and talks about futures past and present. For Djinn in Islamic horror, special screenings, Mezrab storytelling intros and a talkshow will be focusing on the figure of the Djinn in horror from a.o. Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Interfaces of Reality, this year’s Expanded theme programme, is about all the different ways interfaces allow us to relate to technology. And the cherry on top is Imagine 40th birthday party, which includes a special screening of The House (shown at the very first Weekend of Terror in 1984) and a talkshow about the good old days.
Fantastic Films
There’s no less than 63 features and 51 shorts to choose from at Imagine, from classics like Decoder (1984) and Dollman (1991) to the latest in horror, sci-fi, fantasy and everything in between. Check out the block schedule for the entire line-up. Highlights includie survival horror Azrael with scream queen Samara Weaving, monochrome Indian folk epic Bramayugam starring Mammootty (including a Q&A with the director) and the exclusive Dutch première of Guy Maddin’s supernatural satire Rumours with Cate Blanchett. Also the list: Alexandre Philippe’s new documentary Chain Reactions (about The Texas Chain Saw Massacre); Cloud (the new Kiyoshi Kurosawa); Escape from the 21st Century (time travel for TikTokkers); Heretic (Hugh Grant goes full creep); Kizumonogatari – Kyomi Vamp (the most original and sexy anime of the year) and The Rule of Jenny Pen (named one of 2024’s best films by Stephen King). We will be closing the festival with Night Call, about a locksmith diving into Brussel’s seedy underbelly.
Besides these features, the programme also includes four short film compilations with the prettiest, scariest and most confusing shorts about weird encounters and odd monsters, as well as four blocks of Dutch genre shorts: Nieuw Nederlands Peil.
Fantastic VR
Immerse yourself in the latest interactive experiences at Galerie Beeldend Gesproken during Imagine. From philosophical interactive VR to Mixed Reality fairy tales: we’ve got you covered. We’re especially proud of epic anime experience Mobile Suit Gandam: Silver Phantom and Uncanny Alley: A New Day, a live theatre/VR show with real actors. Book your slot from 3 October!
Fantastic Specials and Guests
More than movies and VR at Imagine! Our specials this year include an afrofuturism talk with Senegalese writer Felwine Sarr and a screening of Crumbs, a live theremin score accompanying expressionist sci-fi classic Algöl, and a book presentation of Heidi Honeycutt’s I Spit on Your Celluloid about the female voice in genre. We’re also welcoming a lot of wonderful guests. Guest of Honour Phil Tippett, the VFX wizard behind Starship Troopers and Jurassic Park is doing a Career Talk and bringing his favourite classics. And directors like Emma Benestan (Animale), Yannis Veslemes (She Loved Blossoms More) and Rahul Sadasivan (Bramayugam) will be introducing their own films. Plenty of screenings will be introduced by specialists and storytellers, plus we’re hosting a free Halloween party with drag karaoke (of course).
Imagine on Tour
Before Imagine kicks off, we’re touring the country with a curated selection of programme titles like A Different Man and Phil Tippett’s Mad God in KINO (Rotterdam) and Forum (Groningen). Check out the On Tour page for more information.
Volunteer at Imagine
We’d be nowhere without our volunteers. Want to work at Imagine and see as many genre films as you possibly can? Apply through this link.
Some more viewing tips
As if this wasn’t enough, we wrote a list of our favourite films in cinemas and online to keep you happy until the festival starts. Check them out here. You’re welcome!
So, mark 3 October in your calendars, get those tickets and see you in a month!
