1999 Archive
(Click here for information on the next Festival)

Click on the image for a full-screen impression of the Festival by artist Steve Kirkham
(click on the logo above to see Steve Kirkham's impression of the Festival)

The 1999 Festival of Fantastic Films
was held
Friday Sept 3rd through late, late Sunday Sept 5th 1999

at The Britannia Hotel, Piccadilly, Manchester, England

This archive page presents the highlights of the 1999 Festival

RARE MOVIES and GREAT CLASSIC & CULT FAVOURITES screening on 16mm include:

WARNING SHADOWS (1925) silent directed by Arthur Robison
THE CATMAN OF PARIS (1946) Leslie Selander
THE MAN FROM PLANET X (1951) Edgar G. Ulmer
THE VAMPIRE'S COFFIN (1957) Mexi-Monsters!
THE GARGON TERROR (1959) They blast the flesh off humans!
TERROR IN THE MIDNIGHT SUN (1960) Virgil Vogel's original uncut version!
PANIC IN THE YEAR ZERO (1962) Ray Milland
ZOTZ! (1962) The rare William Castle comedy sci-fi.
HOUSE OF THE BLACK DEATH (1965) Lon Chaney & John Carradine
DR JEKYLL & THE WEREWOLF (1971) Paul Naschy
WEREWOLVES ON WHEELS (1971) What a great title!

Plus Our Special Tributes to BORIS KARLOFF and BELA LUGOSI:-

FRANKENSTEIN
DRACULA

and the Lugosi Double-Bill:-

ONE BODY TOO MANY + THE CORPSE VANISHES

OUR 35mm PROGRAM includes

IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE (1953) presented in 3-D!

and an EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE of Paul Cotgrove's new horror film GREEN FINGERS starring INGRID PITT and JANINA FAYE with music by Hammer Composer JAMES BERNARD. Members of the cast and production crew will be with us to talk about the movie

INDEPENDENT & AMATEUR FILM COMPETITIONS

In addition to the retrospective film programme that is the backbone of the event, the Festival of Fantastic Films has, within the past few years, become the premiere UK venue for new genre movies. We are pleased to showcase an amazing selection of Independently produced feature length and short films from all over the world. Films that you are unlikely to see anywhere else are screened alongside the new movies from major studios right through the weekend. Each year sees an increase in the number of young and highly creative film-makers, submitting their work into our International Competition and giving members of the Festival a unique opportunity to see a great range of movies. The Festival programme also screens new films outside the competition itself and although it is difficult to announce specific titles in advance, we expect to surprise members of the event with major premieres!

The Festival is also the place to meet with many of the creative people from behind and in front of the cameras and last year we had director Jake West and actress Eileen Daly along with their new film RAZORBLADE SMILE. American director Tyler Tharpe came over from the USA to screen and discuss his horror film THE LAST ROADSTOP and from the UK, Jon Sorensen premiered his science fiction feature ALIEN BLOOD. In addition we had the premiere screenings of HALLOWEEN H20, the newest Roger Corman production from his Ireland Studios, A VERY UNLUCKY LEPRECHAUN, and the first feature length screening of Stephen Gallagher’s OKTOBER. Many of these films were not released until well after their Manchester screening at The Festival of Fantastic Films.

The 1998 Independent Competition saw the Best Short Film Award going to Israel’s Ori Savan for DOMINO - a superb piece of science fiction and The Best Feature Film Award went to LONG TWILIGHT, a bizarre fantasy from the Hungarian director Attila Janisch.

The line-up for this year looks set to be equally as exciting and wide-ranging in style and content. The short films will include an excellent Australian production SUCCUBUS THE MOTION PICTURE directed by Harry Weinmann, AMPLIFIER by Glen Forbes of Canada and WRAP ME IN FILM directed by British based Roberto M. Loizaga. We have already tasted some of the feature films and have an idea that the German made gore-fest PROMETHEUS THE FALLEN ANGEL produced and directed by Olaf Ittenbach will be the hit of the Festival for you Zombie freaks! Other feature films in competition include AURORA by Christopher Kulikowski of Australia, and THE ALCHEMIST AND THE VIRGIN from Hungary, directed by Koltan Kamondi.

Most of the Independent movies screened at the Festival have a substantial budget behind them, whereas other equally creative genre movies are made each year by talented amateurs working on a shoestring. These films are enormously entertaining and often just as thought provoking as their Indie relatives.  The Amateur Contest entries are pre-judged by The Festival Committee with the top rated films going forward to the Festival for the final round. 1998 saw the Award going out of the UK for the first time ever, being won by Florida USA film-maker Shane Hannafey with his science fiction story THE GIFT. Shane is busy putting the finishing touches to a new film for this year. The Sheffield based production team of Keith Wright and Rob Richardson have won the Delta Award on a number of occasions and have a strong contender this year with AQUAROID.

The International Movie Competitions have become a very important section of the Festival of Fantastic Films and we are delighted that the publishers of "Alive in Manchester" have agreed to sponsor this year’s Awards.

The winners of The Best Amateur Film, The Best Independent Feature Film and the Best Independent Short Film will each receive the new ALMA trophy which will be presented by our sponsor and all films reaching a Highly Commended level will be awarded a certificate of merit.

Featured Events

Big retrospective Science Fiction and Fantasy
movie programme on 16mm and 35mm!

3-D!

CinemaScope!

Discussions, Panels

Film Fair, Auctions

Low-price Convention Bar!

Guest of Honour Signing Sessions

Amateur and Independent Short Film Contests


Guests of Honour

HAZEL COURT
(Actress: The Curse of Frankenstein, Masque of the Red Death etc)

JANINA FAYE
(Actress: Day of the Triffids, Horror of Dracula,
Never Take Sweets From a Stranger, etc.)

FREDDIE FRANCIS
(Director/Cinematographer: Dr Terror's House of Horrors,
The Innocents, Paranoiac, etc.)

HAROLD GOODWIN
(Actor: Quatermass and the Pit (BBC), Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed, Die, Monster,
Die!, Phantom of the Opera, The Mummy, etc.)

EDDIE POWELL
(Stunt Man: Alien, Aliens, The Mummy,
Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade, etc.)

JIMMY SANGSTER
(Screenwriter/Director/Producer: Curse of Frankenstein,
Horror of Dracula, X-The Unknown, etc.)

JANETTE SCOTT
(Actress: The Old Dark House, Day of the Triffids,
Crack in the World, etc.)

Special Events

DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS REUNION.
A screening of the film, as part of our retrospective program, will be
have the added attraction of an overture. This will be the first public
performance of a suite of film composer Ron Goodwin's brilliant score.
This is the first time this new recording, to be published by Monstrous
Movie Music
of Burbank, California <[email protected]> has been
played to an audience - a real World Premiere. The film will be followed
by a Masterclass on the art of Triffid manipulation with Freddie
Francis, Janina Faye and Janette Scott.

MOVIE POSTER EXHIBITION AND ARTSHOW

HAMMER'S GOTHIC MASTERCLASS
Wayne Kinsey talks to some of our Guests
who have all been involved in Hammer's Gothic films.

THE RISE AND FALL OF THE BRITISH HORROR FILM
A discussion
on the demise of the British horror studios.

THE EXPLOITATION MOGULS
Film maker STEVE BARKETT jets in from Italy to talk about some of the
great names he's worked with including FRED OLEN RAY, ROGER CORMAN,
JIM WYNORSKI, etc., and screens some amazing clips and outtakes from a
fascinating career in film.

COME BACK NEXT WEEK
Serial enthusiast ADRIAN JAMES takes a look at the art of the motion
picture serial with some wonderful examples of the action, stunts and
breathtaking thrills that entertained our miss-spent youth at the
Saturday matinee.

THE FILMS OF DOUGLAS BUCK
Renowned horror writer Ramsey Campbell introduces two films by the
American filmmaker CUTTING MOMENTS and HOME.

THE REVENGE OF BILLY THE KID
First ever screening of the director's cut of this British made horror film.

MODERN VAMPIRES
UK Premiere Screening of Richard Elfman's feature film.

BEYOND 2000
The horror film is exhausting its potential to shock
- the science fiction movie has little space left to explore.
Where do filmmakers go from here to meet the fan's expectations?
A discussion with writers STEPHEN GALLAGHER and STEPHEN LAWS,
producer RICHARD GORDON and director NORMAN J. WARREN.

HEROES OF FILM
A showreel of two proposed new UK TV shows, THE SCI-FI LOUNGE
and CAUSE AND EFFECT. Introduced by Nik Hewitt.

COSMIC BRAINSUCKERS
First screening of the showreel for GRANT LITTLECHILD's epic project - a
science fiction comedy that features cameo's by a great many celebrities
including scenes with director John Landis that were filmed at
The Festival of Fantastic Films a couple of years back.
The finished feature film will help to raise funds for
The Great Ormond Street Hospital in London.

THE GREAT USA TRAILER SHOW
A compilation of movie trailers from the classic years of the 1930s, 40s
and 50s.

THE GREAT GERMAN TRAILER SHOW
A 35mm compilation of amazing trailers for some of the most outrageous movies
ever released in Germany. Bring a phrase book - subtitles we don't have!


The Auction

We have already had pledges of some great auction material, including
a special batch from Jonathan Sothcott which will help to raise funds for UNICEF.

Horror Writer and President of The Society of Fantastic Films, Ramsey Campbell, will be in charge of the Auction Hammer.

Here are some of the items from Jonathan Sothcott:

The Asphyx - 25 b/w stills
Private Life of Sherlock Holmes - UK Pressbook + Paperback
Terror of the Tongs - UK Pressbook
Revenge of the Pink Panther - Huge UK Pressbook
Satanic Rites of Dracula - 8 French FoH stills
Howling 2 - set of 8 US Lobby Cards
Moon Zero Two - UK FoH set
The Skull - 7 French FoH stills
The Anniversary - UK Quad
Gorgon/Curse of the Mummy's Tomb - UK Quad
Maniac (C. Munro) - US Insert
I Don't Want To Be Born - UK 1-sheet (Signed by C. Munro)
Biggles - UK Quad (Signed by dir. John Hough)
Hammer House of Horror Magazine - 20-odd issues
Hammer Horror Omnibus bk
Second Hammer Horror Omnibus bk
Kiss of the Vampire - Col UK FoH Set
Zoltan Hound of Dracula - UK Quad
Zoltan Hound of Dracula - Huge UK Pressbook
Blood On Satan's Claw/Beast In The Cellar - UK Quad (signed by L. Hayden)
Jack The Ripper (58) book
Tales From The Crypt book
Corruption book
Nearest & Dearest - The Movie (Hammer) - Philip Martell's shooting script
The Golden Voyage of Sinbad - release script (signed by C. Munro)
& Now The Screaming Starts book
Legend of the Werewolf book
Demons of the Mind Video
Hammer House of Horror - The Silent Scream video
Rasputin (Castle) - video
Peter Cushing signed 10 by 8 original
Nothing But The Night (big box) - video
The Monster Club - Shooting Script (signed by authors + Roy Ward Baker)
Revenge of Frankenstein book
Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde - Large col. Pressbook (signed by Martine Beswick, V. Wetherell, B. Clemens, Roy Ward Baker).


Major international independent movie contest

The following entries have been selected to be screened at the Festival:

GEORGES Directed by Fernando Tunon - Belgium
THE BEAST Directed by Rhoderyc Charles Mongomery - USA
PICTURE THIS Directed by Matt Ellis - Austrailia
ON EDGE Directed by Frazer Lee - UK
PICTORIAL FOREST Directed Heath Tait - Canada
AMPLIFIER Directed by Glenn Forbes - USA
KING OF THE MAGICIANS Directed by Paul Malmont - USA
MEMORY Directed by Teruyuki Tsujita - USA
WRAP ME IN FILM Directed by Roberto M. Loizaga - UK
STORIES FROM SPACE Directed by Barnaby Clay - UK
SUCCUBUS Directed by Harry Weinman - Australia
CREEP Directed by Julian Grant - Canada
THE GRAIL Directed by Joie Gharrity - USA
PROJECT OMICRON Directed by Jared Whitham - USA
NIGHT OF THE LAWYERS Directed by Philip Koch - USA
AURORA Directed by Christopher Kulikowski - USA
ALCHEMIST AND THE VIRGIN Directed by Zoltan Komondi - Hungary
HARRIET Directed by Andrew Spencer - UK
TOLEDO HOOD Directed by Leigh Nicholls - UK

Amateur movie contest

This year's finalists are as follows:

BEACH CRAZY Directed by Toddy Burton - USA
ABDUCTION Directed by Ben Campbell - UK
THE WAGES OF SIN Directed by Darryl Sloan - Northern Ireland
MATING SEASON Directed by Shane Hannafey - USA
AQUAROID Directed by Rob Richardson & Keith Wright - UK
FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH Directed by Sandra T.Moriya - USA
KLADDEN-KOMIX WITH KING KONG AND GODZILLA Directed by Ingo Strecker - Germany


Site created 04 June 1997 by Bill Burns [FTL Design : Long Island : NY : USA].  Last updated 5 September 1999.
All pages copyright � 1999 by the Society of Fantastic Films.