7th Fantastic Films Weekend

The final countdown has begun for the 7th Fantastic Films Weekend – Friday 13 to Sunday 15 June. The venue, as always, is the National Media Museum (NMeM), based in Bradford, West Yorkshire.

FFW 2008 OPENS WITH THE MIST
The 7th Fantastic Films Weekend will officially open with a sneak preview of Frank Darabont’s THE MIST, based on the novella by Stephen King. A taut tale of terror set in a supermarket enveloped in an otherworldly mist, the plot revolves around a disparate band of people trapped inside while, on the outside, giant bloodthirsty creatures lurk in the white-out beyond. Special thanks to Momentum Pictures for this special preview. The film has already picked up some great reviews in the US; this is your first chance to see it in the UK.

SPECIAL GUESTS
We are delighted to be able to confirm the final Guest of Honour line-up at this year’s FFW. Back by popular demand is Robert Fuest, who was a big hit back in 2006 when we screened And Soon the Darkness and The Final Programme. This year we’ll be absorbing ourselves in the wonders of his Phibes films. Peter Duffell joins us for a screening of his Amicus anthology The House That Dripped Blood and jetting in from Belgium will be Harry Kümel, the maestro behind Daughters of Darkness and Malpertuis. Both films are playing during FFW. Finally, meet the team responsible for Tigon’s Blood on Satan’s Claw. Director Piers Haggard – grandson of H. Rider Haggard – will be appearing alongside Robert Wynne-Simmons, who wrote the script. Yes, we would like to include Angel Blake herself, aka Linda Hayden, in the line-up. No, we haven’t got her. All guests appear subject to work (and other) commitments. Unfortunately, Jimmy Sangster has been forced to withdraw due to ill health. We wish him well. And Jenny Agutter has sent her apologies as filming on her new TV series means she will be working over the weekend.

FFW AND FRIGHTFEST – A NEW BREED OF HORROR!
We are delighted to announce a new partnership with the team behind Frightfest, the London-based horror festival and fantasy film festival. Sit back and enjoy the dubious delights of Vigilante and Savage Streets, a sleazy pairing that sums up the excesses of the ’80s.

WIDESCREEN SHOCKERS
FFW will present four classic movies in 70mm widescreen: Peter Hyams’ Outland, Tobe Hooper’s Poltergeist, James Cameron’s Terminator 2: Judgement Day and, the piece de resistance, John Carpenter’s The Thing. Since we were unable to attract Carpenter in person, we asked (and got) him to record an exclusive video introduction. The six-minute film will play immediately prior to the screening on Saturday night.

OTHER FILMS
Aficionados of horror, sci-fi and fantasy can wallow in the following titles during the weekend: Grindhouse (in its original double-bill format complete with fake trailers), An American Werewolf in London, The Most Dangerous Game, the Pakistani zombie horror Hell’s Ground, documentaries on horror pioneers Val Lewton and William Castle, the Lewton classic Cat People, Hammer’s Dracula (in digital), lesbian vampire chiller Vampire Diary and, from our dear friend Roy Ward Baker, And Now the Screaming Starts and Scars of Dracula. Still to be confirmed is Brain Dead, a disgusting new zombie horror parody from Kevin S. Tenney of Witchboard fame. There will also be our traditional gathering of new short films.

In IMAX we are proud to present I Am Legend, the Will Smith vehicle that owes more than a little of its style and direction to The Omega Man. Each FFW screening will be preceded by a six-minute prologue for Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight.
Sadly we have had to forego plans to screen Georges Franju’s Les Yeux sans visage due to the prohibitive cost of clearing rights with a continental distributor. Apologies to those of you who had the film on your wish list.

FANTASTIC TV
Our TV Heaven experts have put together another fine selection of rarely seen and obscure TV plays and series. Our line-up includes the 1984 Yorkshire Television adaptation of Frankenstein, starring Robert Powell, Carrie Fisher, David Warner and John Gielgud. Also watch out for apocalypse drama Z for Zachariah, Schalcken the Painter and episodes of The Nightmare Man, Maelstrom, The Day of the Triffids, Children of the Stones, Chiller and the acclaimed Louis Jourdan version of Count Dracula.

HAMMER MAKE-UP EFFECTS ON SHOW

We have trawled through the Ashton-Leakey Archive 51; a stunning collection of designs, photographs and make-up effects from the gory, glory days of Hammer horror now owned by the Museum – to present a unique insight into the working lives of two very special men: make-up wizards Roy Ashton and Phil Leakey. Our display will focus on some of the intricate and highly detailed work carried on for titles such as The Evil of Frankenstein. Among the items we hope to be able to unveil are plaster masks, plasticine models and an array of behind-the-scenes images of the men’s preparatory work. The display will take place within the Museum’s Insight research centre.

THE DIARY

To help you plan your weekend, here is the 2008 diary:
Friday             
12.00   Brain Dead TBC
1.00     Count Dracula (Pt 1)
2.00     The Nightmare Man (Pt 1)
2.00     Spine Tingler!
2.15     Vampire Diary
3.00     Schalcken the Painter
4.00     Black Christmas
4.15     Vigilante
6.00     Outland 70mm
6.15     An American Werewolf in London
8.15    The Mist
8.45     Val Lewton: The Man in the Shadows

Saturday                      
11.00   …And Now the Screaming Starts!
1.30   Scars of Dracula
1.00     Maelstrom (Episode 2)
1.00     The Abominable Dr. Phibes
1.30     Malpertuis
2.00     The Day of the Triffids (Pt 1)
3.00     Dr. Phibes Rises Again!
3.00     Z for Zachariah
4.00     Savage Streets
5.00     Screentalk: Robert Fuest
6.00     Poltergeist 70mm
6.15     The House That Dripped Blood
8.15     Screentalk: Peter Duffell
8.30     The Thing 70mm + intro by John Carpenter

Sunday            
10.15   Cat People
11.00   The Most Dangerous Game
12.00   Short Films
12.30   Dracula (digital)
1.00     Chiller: Toby
2.00     Blood on Satan’s Claw
2.00     Children of the Stones: Into the Circle
2.30     Grindhouse double-bill
3.00     Frankenstein
4.00     Screentalk: Piers Haggard + Robert Wynne-Simmons
5.30     Daughters of Darkness
6.15     Terminator 2: Judgement Day 70mm
7.30     Screentalk: Harry Kumel
8.45     Hell’s Ground

In addition there will be daily screenings of I Am Legend at 8.30pm in the IMAX auditorium.

DELEGATE PASSES
Weekend and Day passes are available from the Museum box office on 0870 70 10 200. Prices are Weekend: £40 (£35 concessions); Day: £20 (£15 concessions).
Buying a pass entitles delegates to a ticket for all FFW screenings and interviews excluding IMAX presentations of I Am Legend for which pass holders will receive a £1 discount.
Buying a pass does not automatically guarantee entry to screenings and interviews. Patrons must collect a ticket from the box office. Tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis.
All ticket holders must be in the auditorium when the screening/interview is due to start or risk losing their seat.
Show your pass in the Museum shop, café and bar to receive a 10% discount.

ACCOMMODATION
Travelling to Bradford and unsure where to stay? Look no further. Our official hotel is The Midland, which offers the following rate for FFW delegates:
From £69.00 – double/twin bedroom (bed and breakfast)
Rooms can be reserved by calling the following unique number: 0845 833 4363. Make sure you quote “Fantastic Films Weekend” when booking.
www.midland-hotel-bradford.com

FILM SUBMISSIONS FOR 2009
We are already accepting entries for FFW 2009. Filmmakers with new films that fit the themes of the Fantastic Films Weekend are encouraged to submit their work for consideration. The FFW accepts live action, animation and documentary films in both short and feature-length formats.
Screeners (preferably on Pal format DVD) should be sent to: 8th Fantastic Films Weekend, Film Department, National Media Museum, Pictureville, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD1 1NQ, England. All submissions should be accompanied by a full Press pack including contact details, an English language synopsis, cast/crew credits, images and a portrait of the director. Selection will begin soon. Our deathline for entries is March 31, 2009.

Further information will be available online via our website www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk/fantastic