Contra Captain James T. Kirk, it is imagination, rather than space, which will forever remain the final frontier. And it is the science fiction and fantasy genres where imagination stretches to the furthest outposts of this frontier and beyond.
It is not surprising that filmmakers have embraced these speculative genres since the dawn of motion pictures, pushing the boundaries of imagination along with cinematic techniques to transport us from darkened cinemas to places alien, but uncannily familiar; to strange other realms that reveal unexpected insights into our own.
The mission of Fantastic Planet Film Festival is to seek out and encourage bold speculative films that explore other imagined worlds, universes, and realities – new celluloid glimpses of alternative futures, pasts, and presents - and to showcase this fantastic cargo of cinema to audiences in Sydney, Australia.
With the rest of the festival’s crew, I eagerly await submissions to the inaugural Fantastic Planet: Sydney International Science Fiction and Fantasy Film Festival.
Dean Bertram PhD Festival Director
Fantastic Planet, Sydney Sci-Fi and Fantasy Film Festival announces the first six feature films of this year’s program. Festival director Dr. Dean Bertram is sure that “Sydney film fans are going to go crazy for the festival’s line-up this year. It covers an amazing gamut of genre films. Audiences will see a dark twist on the Santa legend, machete-wielding vigilantes, out-of-this-world conspiracies, a love-mad evil genius bent on world annihilation, cyber-Shakespeare, and Greek zombies. And that’s just from the first half dozen films that we’re announcing!”
The six feature films, all of which are Australian premieres, are: Robert Rodriguez’s (director of Sin City, Spy Kids, Grindhouse) highly anticipated, no-holds barred MACHETE; the Finnish dark fantasy and internet buzz sensation RARE EXPORTS, Australian Sci-fi come Shakespearean comedy MORTAL FOOLS; The X-Files meets The Blair Witch Project in the mind-bending conspiracy mock-doc LUNOPOLIS; a megalomaniacal super villain uses his evil powers for love in I HEART DOOMSDAY; and a frenetic-paced, gore-filled, zombie comedy from Greece EVIL IN THE TIME OF HEROES.
“I’m really proud of the scope of this year’s films”, adds Bertram’s co-director Lisa Mitchell. “The festival is showcasing an international program that ranges from amazingly creative independent films made by young filmmakers, to spectacular blockbusters. And I’m looking particularly forward to the Q&As and filmmaking forums, where the festival’s audience gets to interact with visiting filmmakers.”
The second annual Fantastic Planet Film Festival runs from October 29 to November 5, 2010 at Dendy Newtown Cinema and other Sydney venues.
