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27 APRIL – 6 MAY 2016 SCI-FI-LONDON.COM
WELCOME TO SCI-FI-LONDON 2016
Sweet sixteen! When we started the festival we never thought beyond year one, let alone a 16th edition, so firstly I want to thank all those who have supported the festival: the filmmakers, volunteers, distributors, sales agents, producers and sponsors. Of course, there’d be no festival without our fabulous audiences – thanks for letting us share so much great sci-fi with you. I am delighted to bring you our 2016 programme. From honey-covered sexual exploits (ZERO) to sockpuppets with chainsaws (DOLCEZZA EXTREMA), we have an eclectic mix of visual and cerebral treats. We are honoured to open the festival with new British sci-fi CAPSULE, a cold-war thriller in space, and to close with THE CALL UP, the ultimate VR experience gone bad, by the team who made THE MACHINE.
SCI-FI-LONDON 2016 IS DEDICATED TO CHARLES KNEVITT (1952 – 2016)
We also spend some time outside the cinema looking at the latest in immersive technology at our art meets tech event HACKSTOCK. Check the website for full details and tune-in, drop-out and log-on. Finally, the world has witnessed some awful and tragic events this year, many carried out by fellow human beings. I live in hope that either we start being nice to each other or a benign, superior alien race turns up to make us sort it out. Come on folks, step up! Klaatu Barada Nikto.
Louis Savy Founder and Festival Director
OPENING NIGHT FILM
CAPSULE WED 27 APRIL 8.00PM STRATFORD PICTUREHOUSE Dir: Andrew Martin Year: 2016 Language: English Runtime: 92 Country: UK
After limited contact with mission control in the UK, unusual communication with the US and unorthodox exchanges with Soviet Russia’s Cosmodrome, will the navigator make the right decisions and get home? Set in 1959, Guy is an experienced British fighter pilot in command of Britain’s first manned mission to space. He has trained for this for years, but at the height of the Cold War he is alone in space, suffering from hypoxia, with a malfunctioning capsule.
This claustrophobic thriller stars Edmund Kingsley as Guy Taylor, in this breathtaking début feature from Andrew Martin. A perfect film to open our festival, and we are delighted to have cast and crew in attendance at the world premiere.
WORLD PREMIERE
DIRECTOR Q&A
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THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 27 APRIL– 6 MAY 2016
CLOSING NIGHT FILM
THE CALL-UP When a group of elite online gamers receive a mysterious invitation to trial a state-of-the-art virtual reality video game, it’s a dream come true and impossible to resist. Arriving at the test site, the group steps into hi-tech gear and prepares for a revolutionary, next-level gaming experience bringing modern warfare to life with frightening realism. At first their experience is unique and exhilarating. But what starts out as a dream encounter with cuttingedge technology quickly turns sinister.
Once the group is attacked by enemy combatants, they soon realise this is no game after all. Make a mistake here and you pay with your life. Now these masters of the shoot ‘em up will have to fight for survival within a game gone bad, but this time it’s for real. A timely look at the blurring of realities through technology. You’ll never crank up your PS4 again without looking over your shoulder...
FRI 6 MAY 8.45PM STRATFORD PICTUREHOUSE Dir: Charles Barker Year: 2016 Language: English Runtime: 90 Country: UK
UK PREMIERE
DIRECTOR Q&A
THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 27 APRIL– 6 MAY 2016
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TELEIOS SUN 1 MAY 5.00PM WED 4 MAY 9.00PM STRATFORD PICTUREHOUSE Dir: Ian Truitner Year: 2016 Language: English Runtime: 88 Country: USA
This sci-fi thriller follows five genetically engineered ‘perfect’ humans who are sent on a rescue mission to Titan. Their objective: to retrieve the sole survivor of a failed expedition. A deep space mining vessel has been adrift for two years and it is suspected that the crew had brutally killed each other, but the reason for the bloodbath is unknown.
concealed character flaws. Cracks appear within the group which threaten the success of the mission – and also their chances of survival. Stars Sunny Mabrey, Michael Nouri, Lance Broadway, Weetus Cren, TJ Hoban and Christian Pitre.
The genetically modified ‘superior’ humans must investigate yet, under the stress of isolation in outer space, the crew begins to exhibit previously
WORLD PREMIERE
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THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 27 APRIL– 6 MAY 2016
TOURBILLON Think you want to live forever? Think again. Tourbillon is the story of Daniela, a woman who, due to a secret genetic modification, has not aged since her twenties. Under the strict control of a clandestine organisation that she calls her family, Daniela faces the decisive days of her endless life.
A cerebral, and gentle character study. Shot by a female cinematographer it offers a refreshing contrast to the more ubiquitous male gaze and deftly explores the themes of alienation, empathy, and our need for human connection. A solid début feature for which we are delighted to host the world premiere.
FRI 29 APRIL 7.00PM SAT 30 APRIL 3.00PM STRATFORD PICTUREHOUSE Dir: Germán Izquierdo Valero Year: 2016 Language: English Runtime: 87 Country: USA
WORLD PREMIERE
DIRECTOR Q&A
THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 27 APRIL– 6 MAY 2016
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KILL COMMAND THU 5 MAY 8.30PM HACKNEY PICTUREHOUSE FRI 6 MAY 5.00PM STRATFORD PICTUREHOUSE Dir: Steve Gomez Year: 2016 Language: English Runtime: 90 Country: UK
Kill Command is a sci-fi action thriller set in a near future, technology-reliant society that pits man against killing machines. Against this backdrop an elite army unit is helicoptered to a remote, off-grid island training facility. What starts out as a simple training exercise for Captain Bukes and his tight-knit unit, descends into a terrifying battle to the death, as the marines discover the island is overrun by an enemy that transcends the human concept of evil.
Gomez’s début feature is a feast for the eyes – Steve is a leading VFX artist and it shows in this film. Great character design and well shot, this is an awesome kill or be killed adventure! We are delighted to present this world premiere with cast and crew in attendance.
WORLD PREMIERE
DIRECTOR Q&A
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THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 27 APRIL– 6 MAY 2016
POLDER German-Swiss-Chinese company, NEUROO-X, develops entertainment to blur the boundaries between reality and gaming. Their latest release, the myth-enshrouded RED BOOK, offers the ultimate gaming experience where gamers’ secret longings are scanned and transformed into fantastic adventures. Marcus, Chief Development Manager, dies shortly before completion of the RED BOOK and his lover, Ryuko, finds out that during the game’s testing phase a terrible event occurred.
As she gets closer to uncovering the secret of NEUROO-X, the more she loses touch with reality, neglecting her son Walter, who logs into the game and disappears into its digital parallel world. Ryuko attempts to rescue her son, updating the narrative desired by NEUROO-X. Schwarz and Grünthal paint a kaleidoscopic world of psychedelic imagination. They cleverly combine reality with virtual worlds, exploring new territories of dystopian science fiction. A film that hacks the holodeck!
MON 2 MAY 6.15PM RICH MIX THU 5 MAY 3.00PM STRATFORD PICTUREHOUSE Dir: Samuel Schwarz, Julian M. Grünthal Year: 2015 Language: German/ Japanese (English Subtitles) Runtime: 94 Country: Switzerland
UK PREMIERE
DIRECTOR Q&A
THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 27 APRIL– 6 MAY 2016
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THE GREAT FEAR SAT 30 APRIL 8.30PM GENESIS CINEMA MON 2 MAY 3.00PM STRATFORD PICTUREHOUSE Dir: Iain Laird Year: 2015 Language: English Runtime: 105 Country: Canada
A visually stunning film about, GM, a collapsing food industry, a lonely farmer and an equally lonely botanist. Set in the prairies of Montana, THE GREAT FEAR introduces us to Victor, a quiet farmer who has been forced to forfeit his cattle herd following a highly dubious inspection of his farm by the large agricultural corporation, Vassal. With little prospect of generating income other than through renting out his property, he takes on a tenant; scientist Meryl, who appears to be looking for something.
As this aloof pair begin to open up to one another, something quietly disturbing has started to cast a shadow over the community: locals begin to exhibit flu-like symptoms as Vassal’s presence in the area increases. Understated performances in beautiful settings bring this David and Goliath story to life. In this struggle against sinister, faceless corporate power, will the little guys win?
EUROPEAN PREMIERE
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THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 27 APRIL– 6 MAY 2016
EMBERS After a global neurological epidemic, those who remain search for meaning and connection in a world without memory. What defines us? Memories, experience? Imagine life without short-term memories – what happens to love and relationships, work and responsibility? The film explores these ideas through an assortment of characters: two people convinced they must be lovers; a researcher who attempts to apply logic to his situation; a violent, screaming teenager who ransacks
his way through the chaos. Amidst this terror we meet a father and daughter, seemingly the only people left with their memories intact. But they live in an underground shelter, repeating the same routines and never venturing out. Writer/director Claire Carré creates a convincing and enthralling world where she examines the quixotic nature of memory as both enlightenment and burden, moral boundary and source of pain. EMBERS is both poetic and cerebral, told with a graceful compassion.
TUE 3 MAY 8.30PM HACKNEY PICTUREHOUSE THU 5 MAY 8.30PM GENESIS CINEMA Dir: Claire Carré Year: 2015 Language: English Runtime: 86 Country: USA
UK PREMIERE
THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 27 APRIL– 6 MAY 2016
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EINSTEIN’S GOD MODEL TUE 3 MAY 7.00PM STRATFORD PICTUREHOUSE WED 4 MAY 3.00PM STRATFORD PICTUREHOUSE Dir: Philip Johnson Year: 2016 Language: English Runtime: 88 Country: USA
Quantum physics and string theory collide with the afterlife when a researcher makes contact with the departed. Einstein said we can never understand everything in the universe, if we did, we’d be God. For thousands of years, only religion has offered answers to what possibly happens after death, but science may be on the verge of providing its own suggestions using quantum physics and string theory. Could they unlock what happens when we die?
This background is the context within which Brayden Taylor embarks on a quest to contact the afterlife. With the help of a physicist, a blind medium, and Thomas Edison’s final experiment, he launches his ambitious project. In order to transcend dimensions, he must defy the laws of quantum physics, the balance in nature and the God Model. A complex story with some great effects and stylish retro tech.
UK PREMIERE
DIRECTOR Q&A
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THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 27 APRIL– 6 MAY 2016
THE OPEN Bombs have exploded and the war is global. Yet André and Stéphanie won’t give up: tennis is their life, the reason they live – their history. And come what may, they will organise their Open, whatever the cost. Even without rackets, even without balls, by the sheer strength of their faith. They believe in it. They may even be able to convince Ralph, a guerrilla from the plain, to join them, lay down his weapons, take up his racket once more and try his luck in the final.
Three misfits, playing air tennis in the middle of nowhere, strive to dream – even though life is turning into a farce, even though the world is coming to an end. Federer as Mad max? Imagine Waiting for Godot crossed with Tank Girl – a quirky delight. Advantage Monsieur Lahore!
WED 4 MAY 8.30PM HACKNEY PICTUREHOUSE Dir: Marc Lahore Year: 2015 Language: French/English (English Subtitles) Runtime: 104 Country: France
LONDON PREMIERE
DIRECTOR Q&A
THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 27 APRIL– 6 MAY 2016
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ANDROIDS DREAM SUN 1 MAY 8.30PM GENESIS CINEMA FRI 6 MAY 7.00PM STRATFORD PICTUREHOUSE Dir: Ion de Sosa Year: 2014 Language: Spanish (English Subtitles) Runtime: 61 Country: Spain/ Germany
The year is 2052, yet this future has one foot in the past. With strangely artificial skyscrapers adorning the coastline and neonlined broadwalks, it could be 1975. Many of the towering apartments lie empty – wastelands of exposed wires, unfinished plasterwork and endless dust. The residents are house-proud, eager to show off their knick-knacks and national clothing, when not meeting up for the occasional tea dance. Into this dystopia, enters a bounty hunter whose livelihood depends
upon exterminating robots – a neccessary role since the androids have become indistinguishable from the humans. A sparce, enigmatic adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s ‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?’ that is far removed from Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner. De Sosa’s film is a minimalist genre piece, an oblique treatise on difference and brings a documentary sensibility to scrutinising the status quo of contemporary Spain.
LONDON PREMIERE
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THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 27 APRIL– 6 MAY 2016
MADE IN TAIWAN Experimental filmmaker, Jack has developed a revolutionary type of film, which induces a euphoric state in the viewer. Needless to say, this rapidly becomes an underground phenomenon in Taipei. The label of these mindaltering screenings? Made In Taiwan... With the help of Amy Lin, organised screenings pop up around the city and crowds of eager MIT fans flood in to see his latest creations.
As his films become more popular, Jack fights obsessively to keep complete control of his work. However, he also comes to realise that his films have long-lasting effects on the mind. With his own constant exposure to the films, Jack begins to slip into a dark, dream world of his own creation from which he may never return. Stylish and sinister, this wonderful film, explores our relentless search for pleasure. But should we screen the film in MIT format?
THU 28 APRIL 8.30PM GENESIS CINEMA FRI 29 APRIL 5.00PM STRATFORD PICTUREHOUSE Dir: Jonny and Leonora Moore Year: 2016 Language: English Runtime: 76 Country: UK
LONDON PREMIERE
THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 27 APRIL– 6 MAY 2016
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CORD FRI 29 APRIL 9.00PM STRATFORD PICTUREHOUSE TUE 3 MAY 1.00PM STRATFORD PICTUREHOUSE Dir: Pablo Gonzalez Year: 2015 Language: English Runtime: 65 Country: Germany
In a post-apocalyptic world of never-ending winter, ‘outsiders’ live mostly underground.
for pleasure. Inevitably, their relationship soon spirals out of control.
Due to their unsanitary conditions, sexual contact has become dangerous, even fatal. Masturbation has become the paradigm of sexual experience and an array of low-tech devices for this purpose has come into existence.
This isn’t sci-fi as you might know it. Sexual but not erotic, dark and claustrophobic, in the vein of 1990s cult classic, HARDWARE. It shares a similar flesh-meets-metal aesthetic and noisy soundtrack.
In this bleak reality, Czuperski (a dealer of such machines) and Tania (a sex addict) make a deal: she allows him to develop experimental new devices on her in exchange
Strong performances help to sustain the film along with its abundance of fresh ideas. An accomplished, oddball début from Gonzalez and a welcome new chapter in dystopian storytelling.
UK PREMIERE
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THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 27 APRIL– 6 MAY 2016
IDENTICALS The BRAND NEW-U organisation identifies ‘identicals’ – ‘people who walk like you, talk like you, but are walking through different, better lives’. Customers need only pay for a ‘life upgrade’ to be assured of an improved existence. In the process, the ‘better-life donor’ is simply eliminated and the client is allocated a ‘brand new life’. Occasionally, however, errors can occur, and a Brand New life can cost more than expected.
IDENTICALS follows Slater as he is forced to move through a series of parallel lives. He becomes more and more obsessed as he tries to find the lover he lost, but what he must find in the end is himself. The film takes elements of science fiction movies and thrillers, strips them down, and re-mixes them into a looping dream logic. A brilliant contemporary allegory on our search for identity and human connection in a rootless, media-saturated world.
TUE 3 MAY 8.30PM RICH MIX FRI 6 MAY 1.00PM STRATFORD PICTUREHOUSE Dir: Simon Pummell Year: 2015 Language: English Runtime: 100 Country: UK
LONDON PREMIERE
DIRECTOR Q&A
THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 27 APRIL– 6 MAY 2016
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BATTLEDREAM CHRONICLE WED 4 MAY 8.30PM GENESIS CINEMA Dir: Alain Bidard Year: 2015 Language: French (English Subtitles) Runtime: 61 Country: Martinique
Back in 2100, the Earth was conquered and its population forced into slavery. All enslaved people must play Battledream, a video game where the penalty for losing is death. Only those who earn enough points have the right to live until the following month’s tournament. Syanna, a young Martinican slave, refuses to continue living under these conditions and decides to fight for her freedom. In this beautifully animated feature Bidard explores the relationship between dominators and the
dominated and implicitly critiques colonial exploitation. What is refreshing about this ‘Martinican Manga’ are the female lead characters, unusually welldelineated, passing both the Bechdel Test and any BAME version of it. As globalisation fails to bring about ‘one world’, but rather increases nationalism and isolationism, this superb film offers a window on a possible future – a world in which we have little control over our own destiny.
UK PREMIERE
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THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 27 APRIL– 6 MAY 2016
IN SEARCH OF THE ULTRA-SEX From Canal Plus’ Charlet and Lavaine, this science fiction comedy of the XXX kind is (apparently) inspired by a true story: a pandemic infects people with infinite lust, and the only ones who can save planet Earth are a ragtag group of astronauts in space, led by Captain Cock. And with that, the tone is firmly set... As the Galactic Confederation tries to understand the reason behind this sudden madness, the horrifying truth is discovered by FBI agents, Bambi Darling and Stormy Brushing: the sexual matrix of the universe, the ‘Ultra-Sex’, has been stolen!
Meanwhile, on starship ‘4Skin 5’, the crew must solve the mystery and save Earth from an endless orgy! The film is made up of about 100 (non-explicit) excerpts from vintage adult movies, re-dubbed in the movie-hijacking tradition of Woody Allen’s WHAT’S UP, TIGER LILY? Not for the faint-hearted, a tastelessly absurd, hallucinatory comic journey through 70s and 80s porn, twisted in a similar way to their Canal Plus TV show, ‘Message à Caractère Informatif’, where they overdubbed corporate videos.
*DOUBLE BILL WITH DOLCEZZA EXTREMA SEE PAGE 18
THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 27 APRIL– 6 MAY 2016
FRI 29 APRIL* 8.30PM GENESIS CINEMA TUE 3 MAY 9.00PM STRATFORD PICTUREHOUSE Dir: Nicolas Charlet, Bruno Lavaine Year: 2016 Language: French (English subtitles) Runtime: 61 Country: France
UK PREMIERE
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DOLCEZZA EXTREMA THU 28 APRIL 8.30PM GENESIS CINEMA* SAT 30 APRIL 3.00PM RICH MIX Dir: Alberto Genovese Year: 2015 Language: Italian (English Subtitles) Runtime: 82 Country: Italy
SCI-FI-LONDON would like to coin a new term – SOXPLOITATION. In a galaxy far, far away, Captain Pixws was a bad-ass rockstar but the galaxy has grown tired of him, and the new king, Grigorio, has come to power with an idea that ‘fitness régimes’ will keep his populace content. Tasked with delivering essential tanning showers to every corner of the universe, Pixws and his crew find themselves on planet Nemesis, where Pixws discovers ‘a lot of things wrong with the galaxy’ and that he may have been played for a fool.
To try to pin down DOLCEZZA EXTREMA with a synopsis isn’t really fair. On the surface it reads like a space opera with more than a few nods to Star Wars, but that would be missing the point as this movie is quite simply insane: a no-budget science fiction piece starring mostly sock puppets in a world of sex and crime, with some song-and-dance scenes thrown in for good measure. If you’re looking for a politically correct narrative and a three-act structure this might not be for you, but if you’re open to new visions on screen… it’s awesome!
UK PREMIERE
*SEE PAGE 17 18
THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 27 APRIL– 6 MAY 2016
DUAL CITY In 2034, following a civil war, Japan is divided into North and South. Yoriko, a nurse living in the north, had lost her daughter during the war but when she is abducted by guerrilla terrorists she discovers that her daughter may exist in the ‘Information Life’: a digital collection of memories. Yoriko’s kidnappers tell her about the Nephe Corporation, a mighty hightech giant, and she becomes involved in the hacker resistance. In exchange for carrying a mysterious dead body from North to South, she is promised help to find her daughter.
Along the way, she also meets a highly-capable agent, Ayumi, who helps her infiltrate the corporation’s headquarters. Their ownership of the Information Life technology allows them to retain a stranglehold over both the North and South. What are Nephe’s real intentions with the system and will Yoriko be reunited with her child? With nods to Japan’s neighbours who are so divided, Hasegawa has directed a solid story, well told, with a futuristic vision – a great example of contemporary independent Japanese sci-fi.
TUE 3 MAY 5.00PM THU 5 MAY 1.00PM STRATFORD PICTUREHOUSE
Dir: Yokna Hasegawa Year: 2015 Language: Japanese (English Subtitles) Runtime: 95 Country: Japan
UK PREMIERE
THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 27 APRIL– 6 MAY 2016
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SYNCHRONICITY THU 28 APRIL 9.00PM STRATFORD PICTUREHOUSE Dir: Jacob Gentry Year: 2015 Language: English Runtime: 101 Country: USA
Chad McKnight plays physicist Jim Beale, whose experimental wormhole machine requires the radioactive fuel MRD, which he can only purchase with the help of venture capitalist Klaus Meisner (Michael Ironside). After its first test, the machine releases a human traveller who escapes the lab before anyone gets a good look, and Jim stumbles into a flirtation with, Klaus’ aide, Abby (Brianne Davis). Could Abby be part of a scheme to swindle Jim out of ownership of
his invention? Why has Jim been suffering piercing headaches since he turned the machine on? And what’s with the exotic breed of dahlia that appeared in the lab right after the experiment? Puzzling over these questions, Jim inevitably tries sending himself back a few days to the mystery’s beginning. A compelling sci-fi noir feature with echoes of BLADE RUNNER and other 80s SF movies. Taut screenplay, smart production and cool cinematography.
UK PREMIERE
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THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 27 APRIL– 6 MAY 2016
THIS GIANT PAPIER MACHÉ BOULDER IS ACTUALLY REALLY HEAVY What happened to the good old days of sci-fi, when spaceships were real models, monsters were made of latex and laser guns were simply curling tongs painted silver? In this film, three ordinary guys are thrust into a parallel world of an old sci-fi movie, trapped in a low budget universe. One minute Tom, Jeffrey and Gavin are watching an old B-grade movie, the next they’ve been thrust into the movie itself and find themselves at the helm of a rickety old spaceship. Panic-stricken, they stumble into a space battle and make a mortal enemy of the evil Lord Froth
whilst unwittingly saving the space princess Lady Emmanor. When poor Jeffrey’s psyche is overridden by the sci-fi character, Star Captain Kasimir, Tom and Gavin must find a cure for Jeffrey’s predicament as they could well be next. They must adapt to survive long enough to find their way home. In this action-packed comedy adventure of giant lizards, space battles, robots, aliens, warlords and amazons an affectionate tribute to a pre-CG cinematic world shines through. A true delight.
MON 2 MAY 9.00PM FRI 6 MAY 3.00PM STRATFORD PICTUREHOUSE Dir: Christian Nicolson Year: 2016 Language: English Runtime: 112 Country: New Zealand
UK PREMIERE
THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 27 APRIL– 6 MAY 2016
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ZERO SAT 30 APRIL 9.00PM THU 5 MAY 5.00PM STRATFORD PICTUREHOUSE Dir: Gyula Nemes Year: 2015 Language: Hungarian (English Subtitles) Runtime: 83 Country: Hungary
A bee-keeper’s stand against our society of consumption is taken to the extreme. N runs a bottling factory for artificial honey but, when he tastes the real thing his life changes radically. He leaves his factory and starts working with bees in the traditional way. However, the harmful effects of a mobile phone tower are destroying his bees. In the meantime he has fallen in love with L, the daughter of the director of the phone company. Their legal fight to save the bees is unsuccessful and they embark upon
an eco-warrior crusade against GM crops, factories and transport routes. Their actions become more extreme and radical – after hacking the media they move on to taking hostages: key political and economic leaders. This not-to-be missed Hungarian action adventure is witty, sexy and sinister with a powerful environmental message at its core.
UK PREMIERE
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THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 27 APRIL– 6 MAY 2016
MERGE A group of teenagers tamper with nanotechology, inadvertently opening a Pandora’s Box.
It soon becomes clear that this technology is having other effects on the group.
When Kaz arrives from Japan at the school for gifted children in Vermont, he soon makes friends, then he introduces them to a new Nano-drug that helps make them smarter but the effect is temporary. One of the other pupils reverse engineers the drug and reprogrammes the Nanites, giving a longer effect. However, there are side effects as the group starts to be able to transit messages to each other, the nanites have created a shared network.
At times the film’s styling suggests a YouTuber’s fly-on-the-wall camera, naturally lit and almost improvperformances, it is an interesting hard scifi film. Set in the very near future, when the post-millennials have even more connected-tech to keep them ‘social’ MERGE asks what will happen to us when we share too much.
MON 2 MAY 7.00PM STRATFORD PICTUREHOUSE Dir: Justin Bull Year: 2015 Language: English Runtime: 72 Country: USA
UK PREMIERE
THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 27 APRIL– 6 MAY 2016
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MME A R G O R P 16 0 2 N O D N SCI-FI-LO TITLE
Ticket prices vary across the venues, all activity at The Trampery is free but tickets must be booked on Eventbrite – see relevant pages for links or online at sci-fi-london.com
VENUE DATE
CAPSULE SPH WED 27 APRIL SHORTS 3 SPH THU 28 APRIL SHORTS 4 SPH THU 28 APRIL SHORTS 5 SPH THU 28 APRIL VINTAGE TOMORROWS SPH THU 28 APRIL MADE IN TAIWAN GEN THU 28 APRIL SYNCHRONICITY SPH THU 28 APRIL HACKSTOCK TRA FRI 29 APRIL SHORTS 5 SPH FRI 29 APRIL SHORTS 2 SPH FRI 29 APRIL MADE IN TAIWAN SPH FRI 29 APRIL TOURBILLON SPH FRI 29 APRIL DOLCEZZA EXTREMA / ULTRA-SEX GEN FRI 29 APRIL SHORTS 1 RM FRI 29 APRIL CORD SPH FRI 29 APRIL HACKSTOCK TRA SAT 30 APRIL SHORTS 1 SPH SAT 30 APRIL TOURBILLON SPH SAT 30 APRIL DOLCEZZA EXTREMA RM SAT 30 APRIL FANARCHY SPH SAT 30 APRIL SOMNIO SPH SAT 30 APRIL THE GREAT FEAR GEN SAT 30 APRIL ZERO SPH SAT 30 APRIL HACKSTOCK TRA SUN 1 MAY SHORTS 4 SPH SUN 1 MAY SHORTS 5 SPH SUN 1 MAY SHORTS 2 RM SUN 1 MAY TELEIOS SPH SUN 1 MAY ABDUCT SPH SUN 1 MAY ANDROIDS DREAM GEN SUN 1 MAY PRISONER X SPH SUN 1 MAY HACKSTOCK TRA MON 2 MAY THE GREAT FEAR SPH MON 2 MAY 24
TIME 8.00PM 1.00PM 3.00PM 5.00PM 7.00PM 8.30PM 9.00PM 2-10PM 1.00PM 3.00PM 5.00PM 7.00PM 8.30PM 8.30PM 9.00PM 12-6PM 1.00PM 3.00PM 3.00PM 5.00PM 7.00PM 8.30PM 9.00PM 12-6PM 1.00PM 3.00PM 3.00PM 5.00PM 7.00PM 8.30PM 9.00PM 12-6PM 1.00PM
THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 27 APRIL– 6 MAY 2016
SHORTS 3 SPH MON 2 MAY PRISONER X SPH MON 2 MAY POLDER RM MON 2 MAY MERGE SPH MON 2 MAY FANARCHY GEN MON 2 MAY THIS GIANT BOULDER SPH MON 2 MAY CORD SPH TUE 3 MAY SHORTS 5 SPH TUE 3 MAY DUAL CITY SPH TUE 3 MAY EINSTEIN’S GOD MODEL SPH TUE 3 MAY IDENTICALS RM TUE 3 MAY EMBERS HPH TUE 3 MAY SHORTS 3 GEN TUE 3 MAY THE SEARCH FOR THE ULTRA-SEX SPH TUE 3 MAY ABDUCT SPH WED 4 MAY EINSTEIN’S GOD MODEL SPH WED 4 MAY SHORTS 4 SPH WED 4 MAY 48HR FILM AWARDS SPH WED 4 MAY THE OPEN HPH WED 4 MAY BATTLEDREAM CHRONICLE GEN WED 4 MAY TELEIOS SPH WED 4 MAY DUAL CITY SPH THU 5 MAY POLDER SPH THU 5 MAY ZERO SPH THU 5 MAY CESIUM AND THE TOKYO GIRL SPH THU 5 MAY KILL COMMAND HPH THU 5 MAY EMBERS GEN THU 5 MAY SHORTS 5 SPH THU 5 MAY IDENTICALS SPH FRI 6 MAY THIS GIANT BOULDER SPH FRI 6 MAY KILL COMMAND SPH FRI 6 MAY ANDROIDS DREAM + GRAFFITI SPH FRI 6 MAY THE CALL UP SPH FRI 6 MAY
3.00PM 5.00PM 6.15PM 7.00PM 8.30PM 9.00PM 1.00PM 3.00PM 5.00PM 7.00PM 8.30PM 8.30PM 8.30PM 9.00PM 1.00PM 3.00PM 5.00PM 7.00PM 8.30PM 8.30PM 9.00PM 1.00PM 3.00PM 5.00PM 7.00PM 8.30PM 8.30PM 9.00PM 1.00PM 3.00PM 5.00PM 7.00PM 8.45PM
Genesis Cinema (GEN) 93-95 Mile End Rd, London E1 4UJ 020 7780 2000 https://www.genesiscinema.co.uk/ @GenesisCinema
Rich Mix Cinema (RM) 35-47 Bethnal Green Rd, London E1 6LA 020 7613 7498 http://www.richmix.org.uk/ @RichMixLondon
The Trampery (TRA) 239 Old St, London EC1V 9EY 020 3111 9883 www.thetrampery.com @thetrampery
Hackney Picturehouse (HPH) 270 Mare St, London E8 1HE Phone: 0871 902 5734 https://www.picturehouses.com/ cinema/Hackney_Picturehouse @HackneyPH
Stratford East Picturehouse (SPH) Salway Rd, London E15 1BX 0871 902 5740 https://www.picturehouses.com/cinema/ Stratford_London @SEPicturehouse
BOOKINGS WWW.SCI-FI-LONDON.COM
THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 27 APRIL– 6 MAY 2016
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PRISONER X SUN 1 MAY 9.00PM MON 2 MAY 5.00PM STRATFORD PICTUREHOUSE Dir: Gaurav Seth Year: 2015 Language: English Runtime: 88 Country: Canada
A sci-fi thriller set against a contemporary political backdrop. As the world rages in war and civil strife, a CIA agent arrives at a secret underground prison to interrogate a terrorist, who she believes is responsible for the unfolding catastrophe. When a man is found unconscious at the wheel of his vehicle and weapons-grade uranium is recovered from his boot, he is imprisoned. Refusing to disclose any information he does predict a series of shocking, celestial events – this is no ordinary
terrorist. In the meantime, the US continues its war to neutralise the ‘jihadists’ who the prisoner claims had arrived with him from the future. Fifteen years on, the prisoner still incarcerated, agent Carmen Reese is sent to investigate the death of her predecessor. Was it suicide? She finds the answers are linked to bigger, more important questions. It’s now a race against the clock. This enigmatic thriller keeps you guessing all the way through.
UK PREMIERE
26
THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 27 APRIL– 6 MAY 2016
SOMNIO In a society with an automated justice system, what happens when computer systems malfunction? Shot in the back by government hit-men, Frank Lerner wakes up to find himself in a fully automated government prison. Howard, his Life Support Operator provides food, drink and basic needs to keep Frank alive. He undergoes intense interrogation that forces him to relive the day of his suspected crime over and over until the evidence is found to either convict or acquit him.
During this process a war erupts in the outside world, leaving our hero trapped inside the prison with a security system that refuses to release him. He must venture into his own synthesised memory to find a way out and escape to a world that may already be gone. A gripping, stylish sci-fi thriller from the creator of PANDORUM that questions how far we want to live in an automated world.
SAT 30 APRIL 7.00PM STRATFORD PICTUREHOUSE Dir: Travis Milloy Year: 2016 Language: English Runtime: 143 Country: USA
UK PREMIERE
THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 27 APRIL– 6 MAY 2016
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CESIUM AND A TOKYO GIRL THU 5 MAY 7.00PM STRATFORD PICTUREHOUSE Dir: Ryo Saitani Year: 2015 Language: Japanese (English Subtitles) Runtime: 109 Country: Japan
A delightful adventure fantasy about Mimi and the seven gods. 17-yr-old Mimi lives with her parents in the Tokyo suburb, Asagaya on the Chuo Line. Three days after the terrible eastern Japanese earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident, Mimi’s fate changes drastically as radiationcontaminated rain has left Mimi with terrible pain in her tongue. She is determined to find out why.
Mimi and the gods start measuring cesium levels throughout Tokyo. They visit hot spots of cesium pollution to see the reality of damage from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant. Will Mimi and her divine friends manage to squeeze out a happy ending? A magical mystery tour through space and time begins! Saitani effortlessly combines live action and animation to depict Mimi’s view of modern Japanese history – equally comfortable in the realms of fantasy and realism.
UK PREMIERE
28
THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 27 APRIL– 6 MAY 2016
ABDUCT Ilyas Kaduji, veteran film effects and artist of the outrageous computer game, Carmageddon, turns his attention to those sinister ‘men in black’ and the world of UFO conspiracy. Charismatic ‘paranormal’ radio host Ridley Kay meets Crystal, a runaway. She begs for his help and tells of an incident from her traumatic childhood. Strange lights had appeared outside the family home one night and, awaking from having blacked out, she finds her abusive parents had been brutally murdered.
Convinced that otherworldly forces are pursuing Crystal, Kay decides to study paranormal phenomena at first hand. Strange lights and sounds follow the pair wherever they go, and government agents offer no assistance. No matter how far they run the sinister Men in Black are never far behind… Legendary US radio host, Art Bell, cameos as a caller to Ridley’s show to help unravel these mysteries. Any fan of the X-Files will love this movie starring Sienna Guillory, William B. Davis and Mhairi Calvey.
SUN 1 MAY 7.00PM WED 4 MAY 1.00PM STRATFORD PICTUREHOUSE Dir: Ilyas Kaduji Year: 2016 Language: English Runtime: 110 Country: UK/USA
DIRECTOR Q&A
UK PREMIERE
THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 27 APRIL– 6 MAY 2016
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VINTAGE TOMORROWS THU 28 APRIL 7.00PM STRATFORD PICTUREHOUSE Dir: Byrd McDonald Year: 2015 Language: English Runtime: 68 Country: USA
Documentary filmmaker, Byrd McDonald examines the Steampunk movement’s explosive growth, origins, and cultural significance.
with galvanizing the movement, and the cultural historians and social scientists investigating the phenomenon.
Steampunk started as a sub-genre of science fiction typified by a fascination with steam-powered machinery and alternative histories, with stories frequently set in Victorian England. Today, it has grown into an aesthetic movement with influence in art, fashion, design and music.
The documentary analyses the spike in Steampunk cultural activity and poses the question: what can Steampunk tell us about history, humanity and our complicated relationship with technology? What can we learn about tomorrow from Steampunk’s playful visions of yesteryear?
VINTAGE TOMORROWS examines the subculture via interviews with the writers and artists credited
EUROPEAN PREMIERE
30
documentary programme
THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 27 APRIL– 6 MAY 2016
FANARCHY We’re in the midst of a huge cultural transformation where media has become participatory. Fans are no longer satisfied being passive consumers of content. With affordable technology at their fingertips, fans are now producing more new content per month than studios or networks combined. This thoughtful documentary examines this burgeoning media landscape and the issues that potentially complicate it – copyright, intellectual property and the concept of originality in a remix culture.
FANARCHY uncovers a subculture of die-hard fans who risk life, limb and financial bankruptcy in their quest to pay homage to the films and TV they love. The results range wildly in quality but it’s hard to resist a shotby-shot remake of Raiders of the Lost Ark made by a bunch of kids, or a seamlessly accurate continuation of the original Star Trek series. Look out Hollywood, the barbarians are at the gate! Fan culture is on the rise and is challenging the industry by becoming a creative force in its own right.
documentary programme
THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 27 APRIL– 6 MAY 2016
SAT 30 APRIL 5.00PM STRATFORD PICTUREHOUSE MON 2 MAY 8.30PM GENESIS CINEMA Dir: Donna Davies Year: 2015 Language: English Runtime: 88 Country: Canada
UK PREMIERE
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BLINK OF AN EYE SHORT FILM PROGRAMME SCI-FI-LONDON loves short film! We’ve always supported shorts through our festival programming and our 48 Hour Film Challenge (see page 45). We reckon that some science fiction stories lend themselves perfectly to short film and have selected a fantastic bunch of international short films for this year’s festival. Expect the unexpected from serious to silly and everything else in between. Our selection is presented in 5 programmes over the festival. Enjoy!
BEST SHORT FILM 2016 UNCANNY VALLEY SHORTS 1 (Dir. Federico Heller, Argentina, 9 min.) VR junkies satisfy their violent impulses online. However, one expert player discovers that the line between games and reality is starting to fade away. BEST SHORT FILM 2016 – UNCANNY VALLEY
Apart from the fabulous effects and cinematography, this film hit a virtual nerve with the team – stunning. Don’t miss our mini programme of VR SHORTS presented as part of #HACKSTOCK – see page 42
TITLE SHORTS 1 SHORTS 1 SHORTS 2 SHORTS 2 SHORTS 3 SHORTS 3 SHORTS 3 SHORTS 4 SHORTS 4 SHORTS 4 SHORTS 5 SHORTS 5 SHORTS 5
VENUE DATE RM FRI 29 APRIL SPH SAT 30 APRIL SPH FRI 29 APRIL RM SUN 1 MAY SPH THU 28 APRIL SPH MON 2 MAY GEN TUE 3 MAY SPH THU 28 APRIL SPH SUN 1 MAY SPH WED 4 MAY SPH FRI 29 APRIL SPH SUN 1 MAY SPH THU 5 MAY
THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 27 APRIL– 6 MAY 2016
TIME 8.30PM 1.00PM 3.00PM 3.00PM 1.00PM 3.00PM 8.30PM 3.00PM 1.00PM 5.00PM 1.00PM 3.00PM 9.00PM
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2BR02B: TO BE OR NAUGHT TO BE SHORTS 1
(Dir. Marco Checa Garcia, Canada, 18 min.) Set in a dystopian future where population is strictly controlled, a father waits for his children to be born. 2BR0TB: TO BE OR NAUGHT TO BE
AFTER THE END SHORTS 1
(Dir. Sam Southward, UK, 11 min.) The only thing worse than being the last man on earth, is being the second to last man on earth.
APPETENCE SHORTS 1 AFTER THE END
(Dir. Cristhian Andrews, USA, 15 min.) A mom manipulates her ‘hunger-for-fame’ idealistic daughter to stop eating to save the world, but not without consequences.
AVANT SHORTS 1 APPETENCE
(Dir. Arthur Tabuteau, France, 13 min.) In a world turned to ashes by war between human and machines, a boy tries to survive.
BACK TO THE GAIA SHORTS 2
(Dir. Chen Xiaomeng, China, 15 min.) After a collision with an asteroid, the earth’s magnetic field has been broken. To survive, humans must find sanctuary in outer space. AVANT
BEARS DISCOVER FIRE SHORTS 2
(Dir. Ben Leonberg, USA, 14 min.) The story of a lonely man, his aging mother, his curious nephew, and a family of bears that have discovered how to use fire. BACK TO THE GAIA
BIONIC GIRL SHORTS 2
(Dir. Stephanie Cabdevila, France, 14 min.) Afraid to face the outside world, a scientist creates an android clone to replace her.
CALEB SHORTS 2 BEARS DISCOVER FIRE
(Dir. Susanne Aichele, Amanda Mesaikos, UK, 15 min.) To contend with the bullies at school, 9-year-old Caleb 3D prints himself. Back home there’s confusion, discord and reshuffled schedules.
CHRONOS SHORTS 4
BIONIC GIRL
(Dir. Martin Kazimir, Slovakia, 11 min.) A troubled businessman finds himself looking at the world upside down through a hotel room where time runs backwards.
CIRCLES SHORTS 1
(Dir. Dean Puckett, UK, 15 min.) A comedy/horror which follows a pair of paranormal investigators around Totnes, Devon.
CLONES SHORTS 3
CALEB
(Dir. Rafael Bolliger, Switzerland, 14 min.) A dying scientist is offered the chance to live on in his clone’s body.
CROPPED SHORTS 4 CHRONOS
(Dir. Chris Thomas, UK, 6 min.) A group of sceptical UFO enthusiasts on the hunt for proof that crop circles are human fabrications get a little surprise.
DEADLY DINNER DATE SHORTS 2
CIRCLES
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(Dir. Lucyus Ribas, UK, 5 min.) Steve is a 24-year-old who always screws things up when he goes on dates. But he has an unusual ability to rewind time.
THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 27 APRIL– 6 MAY 2016
DISAPPEARED SHORTS 2
(Dir. Jon Silverberg, Canada, 6 min.) Wes, a shipping clerk, is going to propose but finds a fountain pen that causes objects to vanish. He embraces the strange phenomenon, until it threatens his romantic plans, and very existence.
EIGHT MISSISSIPPIS SHORTS 2
CLONES
(Dir. Ian Johnston, Canada, 4 min.) A man gets caught in an eight second time loop in his bathroom. A time tripping comedy.
EXIT SHORTS 3
(Dir. Davide Pellino, Italy, 9 min.) One day, a robot executing the same routines decides to break the sequence.
CROPPED
FLIGHT FRIGHT SHORTS 3
(Dir. Jim Politano, USA, 8 min.) An airline passenger with a fear of flying starts to see strange things after taking his ‘nerve’ medicine. DEADLY DINNER DATE
FRIENDLIES SHORTS 1
(Dir. Steve Kopera, USA, 5 min.) A lonely astronomer discovers extraterrestrial life.
FUTURE BOYFRIEND SHORTS 2
(Dir. Ben Rock, USA, 11 min.) A short film about falling in love in the wrong space-time continuum.
DISAPPEARED
GENGHIS KHAN CONQUERS THE MOON SHORTS 3
(Dir. Kerry Yang, USA, 17 min.) In Khan’s last days, an encounter with a wizard sends him to the Moon. Is this his greatest conquest?
EIGHT MISSISSIPPIS
GET THE F**K OUTTA PARIS SHORTS 1
(Dir. Greg Emetaz, USA, 9 min.) A text message turns a depressing laundry night into a mad dash for survival.
GRAFFITI SCREENS WITH ANDROIDS DREAM
(Dir. Lluis Quilez, Spain, 30 min.) An apocalyptic world. The ‘only’ survivor finds a single word ‘Anna’ is sprayed on the walls around the city. Perhaps he is not alone?
EXIT
L O N E SHORTS 2
(Dir. Will Wightman, UK, 12 min.) L O N E is a beautiful short film about space, science and loneliness – made by a 16-yr-old with a zero budget.
FLIGHT FRIGHT
LOOP SHORTS 3
(Dir. Samantha Moore, UK, 6min.) Loop is about what can be seen and what cannot, how scientists imagine their work and how they describe it.
FRIENDLIES
MIRROR SHORTS 2
(Dir. Daniele Barbiero, Italy, 8 min.) The reflections we see in the mirrors are actors who interpret us. What if one of them got sick of being someone else? FUTURE BOYFRIEND
GRAFFITI
GET THE F**K OUTTA PARIS
GENGHIS KHAN CONQUERS THE MOON
THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 27 APRIL– 6 MAY 2016
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PETS SHORTS 3
(Dir. Raymond Carr, USA, 11 min.) A woman and her Creature Pet go on a journey to start a new life.
RAE SHORTS 1
(Dir. Aaron Rovner, USA, 13 min.) When an office robot attempts to express its affection towards a co-worker, the fragile balance between employees in the office is pushed to tipping point.
LONE
REPLIKA SHORTS 5
(Dir. Luc Walpoth, Switzerland, 26 min.) As she is forced to terminate her only daughter, a 13-year-old android, a loving mother tries to convince her husband to adopt a real ‘human’ child.
LOOP
REQUIEM FOR A ROBOT SHORTS 4
(Dir. Christoph Rainer, Austria, 6 min.) Rob, a worn out robot with a corrupt memory, drowns the sorrows of his ‘screwed’ existence in alcohol and asks himself the essential question: what did he do wrong?
MIRROR
RESET SHORTS 4
(Dir. Jeremy Lutter, Canada, 16 min.) A female android discovers she has feelings for her owner and must put her life on the line to gain a human connection.
RESTART SHORTS 4
PETS
(Dir. Olga Osorio, Spain, 15 min.) A woman is trapped in a temporal loop that she may not be able to break.
REVERSAL SHORTS 4
(Dir. Michael Lippert, USA, 15 min.) An ageing inventor with questionable sanity is determined to prevent his wife’s murder. His method: a 16mm film projector.
RAE
ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE SHORTS 5
(Dir. Bears Fonte, USA, 7 min.) A mysterious woman stranded by the side of the road hitches a ride with a passing stranger – neither of them is who they seem. REPLIKA
SEA VIEW SHORTS 4
(Dir. Ruslan Izhguzin, Russian Federation, 10 min.) A pregnant woman travels in a tank to the sea through a radioactive desert.
SOLO FINALE SHORTS 3 REQUIEM FOR A ROBOT
(Dir. Ingo Putze, Germany, 9 min.) A story of a relationship gone awry. Depicted through poetic, surreal pictures, where the physics of the world we know do not always apply.
SUICIDE SAM SHORTS 4
(Dir. Maurice Chauvet, USA, 18 min.) A sales executive marketing a suicide machine for consumer use meets his first customer.
RESET
TERMINALLY HAPPY SHORTS 4
(Dir. Adina Istrate, UK, 13 min.) A journey into the subconscious of Dr. Louis who has the ability to travel deep into the mind and reconnect broken memories of our pasts. RESTART
REVERSAL
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ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE
SEA VIEW
THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 27 APRIL– 6 MAY 2016
THE ALPHA INVENTION SHORTS 5
(Dir. Mark Towers, UK, 15 min.) A reclusive programmer is contacted by a suspicious man looking to buy his new A.I. technology. Neither man is who or what they claim to be.
THE CLOCKMAKER’S DREAM SHORTS 5
SOLO FINALE
(Dir. Cashell Horgan, 13 min.) A clockmaker, in a world of automata, tries to build the perfect replacement for his lost wife but finds it is proving more difficult than he imagined.
THE FANTASTIC LOVE OF BEEBOY & FLOWERGIRL SHORTS 3
(Dir. Clemens Roth, Germany, 10 min.) Peter is being followed by killer bees, Elsa collects exotic flowers. How can they be happy together?
SUICIDE SAM
THE GREAT SILENCE SHORTS 1
(Dir. Shuren Hao, USA, 3 min.) An astronaut crashes on an unknown planet. Is this journey’s end?
TERMINALLY HAPPY
THE INVENTION OF THE PERPETUAL MOTION MACHINE SHORTS 5
(Dir. Steve Young, UK, 5 min.) Brilliant inventor, Jack, has built an impossible object: a perpetual motion machine. Now all he has to do is pitch his idea for funding...
THE ALPHA INVENTION
THE INVITATION TO ARMAGEDDON SHORTS 3
(Dir. Paul Hough, USA, 16 min.) A Steampunk Musical set in 1888. On a mission to save the world, a team of steampunk monster-hunters take a rollercoaster ride to Hell. THE CLOCKMAKER’S DREAM
THE LAST JOURNEY OF THE ENIGMATIC PAUL WR SHORTS 5
(Dir. Laurent Helas, France, 17 min.) The red moon threatens Earth. Our only hope is Paul WR, the most talented astronaut of his generation. But Paul has disappeared.
THE ORIGINAL SHORTS 5
THE FANTASTIC LOVE OF BEEBOY & FLOWERGIRL
(Dir. Arthur Veenema, USA, 9 min.) Maia is a computer programmer evaluating a digital replication of her own mind, or is she?
THE TREATMENT SHORTS 5
(Dir. Marvin Meiendresch, Germany, 6 min.) Isolated patient Linus starts to question what he believes.
THE GREAT SILENCE
THE WELCOME COMMITTEE SHORTS 5
(Dir. Joel Blackledge, Phineas Harper, UK, 2 min.) A representative of Earth dispatches a hopeful message into deep space. THE INVENTION OF THE PERPETUAL MOTION MACHINE
THE WELCOME COMMITTEE
THE TREATMENT
THE ORIGINAL
THE INVITATION TO ARMAGEDDON
THE LAST JOURNEY OF THE ENIGMATIC PAUL WR
THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 27 APRIL– 6 MAY 2016
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DOG SHOW It’s not all serious dystopias and tech paranoia at the festival – DOGSTAR has teamed up with SCI-FI-LONDON for our annual dog show. Do you have a four-legged friend who likes to dress up as a sci-fi character?
Or a pooch that looks like Princess Leia? Bring them along to our ‘dressed-up dog’ photo session, in association with Dogstar photo dog photography. Hosted by glamorous dog lover, Bunny Galore, parade your dogs outside The Trampery, Old Street on MON 2 MAY at 2.00PM, and have your dog professionally photographed for free!
We are honoured to once again host the Arthur C. Clarke Award. The ACCA is presented for the best science fiction novel of the year, and selected from a list of novels whose UK first edition was published in the previous calendar year. The award was originally established by Sir Arthur C. Clarke with the aim of promoting science fiction in Britain, and is currently administered by the Serendip Foundation, a voluntary organisation created to oversee the on-going running and development of the award.
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our fabu
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Show co
The best dressed dogs will win a bag of goodies and a framed print of their photo! Please note, dog wellbeing first: any dog who appears to be under any kind of distress won’t be allowed to take part. Sign up here at sci-fi-london.com/scifido EVENT FRINGE COME! ALL WEL
The judging panel are nominated by supporting organisations, currently the British Science Fiction Association, the Science Fiction Foundation and SCI-FI-LONDON. For the 30th anniversary of the prize, the ceremony will take place at Foyles Bookstore in London on WED 24 AUGUST and the shortlist will be announced at our opening night reception on WED 27 APRIL. Watch the announcement live on sci-fi-london.com or clarkeaward.com EVENT SPECIAL NLY ATION O BY INVIT
THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 27 APRIL– 6 MAY 2016
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THE 5th LOCO LONDON COMEDY FILM FESTIVAL 20th April — 1st May
’s most original 12 days of the world to be partnering comedy films.Proud with SCI-FI-London. locofilmfestival.com
The ultimate team adventure through Space and Time: ‘Immersive theatre, meets the Crystal Maze, but better.’
– Metro
20% discount for teams of 4+ players on weekdays using the code: TRSCIFEST16
RY NIVERSA 50TH AN
OYAGE V C I T S LAXY A A G E H FANT T ANS OF I D R A U G FANTASTIC VOYAGE – 50th anniversary
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
(Dir: Richard Fleischer, USA, 1966, 100mins)
(Dir: James Gunn, USA, 2014. 122 min)
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of FANTASTIC VOYAGE, we have teamed up with Science Fiction Theatre (London’s leading sci-fi film club – Time Out) to present a special screening of Richard Fleischer’s diminutive classic.
In association with LOCO, the UK’s leading comedy event, we are delighted to present Marvel’s most delightful movie on the big screen.
When a failed assassination attempt leaves a top miniaturisation scientist in a coma, a submarine containing a highly specialised crew is shrunk to microscopic size and injected into his blood stream. Winner of two Academy Awards, FANTASTIC VOYAGE has influenced countless films and television shows since its release in 1966, becoming a staple of popular culture. The screening will be preceded by a talk from Professor Edward James who will examine the history of shrinking in sci-fi films. From DR CYCLOPS, THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN, through Innerspace and HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS, right up to 2015’s ANT-MAN. Science Fiction Theatre is a monthly film club dedicated to classic sf film and television www.sciencefictiontheatre.co.uk The Victoria, 451 Queensbridge Road, E8 3AS MONDAY 2 MAY, TALK 7:30PM, FILM 8PM
In a year when every mainstream blockbuster was desperate to be dark, Marvel’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY bucked the trend and stormed the box office, becoming the most popular superhero movie of the year. A group of intergalactic criminals are forced to work together to stop a fanatic taking over the universe in this witty, joyous adventure that showed rules are meant to be broken. BFI IMAX TUESDAY 26 APRIL 8.45PM
EVENTS E G N I R F N 2016 O D N O L SCI-FI
THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 27 APRIL– 6 MAY 2016
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TS N E V E E FRING 2016 N O D N SCI-FI-LO
HOUT B T I W S T IVE AR S R E M M OCK – I T S K C A #H TURN ON, BOOT UP, JACK IN VR SHORT film programme DEAD HEAD (Scott Riehs, USA)
A unique perspective of the zombie apocalypse... Will Hank and Julie make it out of the barn alive?
FLYSPY (Dan Smith, UK)
Young genius, Greg has made a wirelessly controlled drone in the form of a fly with a camera in its head.
RUST GOLEM (Nicholas DiMichele, USA)
Guide your protagonists as they try to escape the dungeon – a fun, spooky adventure that begs to be played again and again!
SONAR (Dominik Stockhausen, Germany) A drone discovers an unknown asteroid. On its journey over the rocky surface it receives a strange signal.
60s psychedelic guru, Timothy Leary, updated the infamous phrase ‘turn on, tune in, drop out’, at the turn of the internet age into ‘turn on, boot up, jack in’ to reflect the power of technology to give us out of-thisworld, mind-tripping experiences. Get ready to leave the real world behind... faaar behind... and jack in to the virtual space of #HACKSTOCK. A collaboration between SCI-FI-LONDON and PSYCHFI, #HACKSTOCK is giving us just that by making science fiction a reality. Holograms, virtual reality, mind control… sounds like creations of Matrix and Star Wars proportions… but they exist. #HACKSTOCK is bringing these mind-blowing sensory stimulating experiences to you first hand.
Live is coming! Launching at #HACKSTOCK - a new competition. Create a science-fact experience for untethered VR devices like Gear or Cardboard. Deadline 5 August.
42
THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 27 APRIL– 6 MAY 2016
RIES A D N U O B
Supported by So what is #HACKSTOCK? #HACKSTOCK is the cyberdelic brain child of Alt. state pioneers, tech dreamers, creators, and hackers transcending the limitations of perception and reality. Does all of this sound new to you? You’re not alone, but it’s as easy as pressing a button or putting on a VR headset, and letting your mind explore. Inside the virtual realm, you lose complete contact with the real world, like entering inside a video game within a seemingly endless space where anything is possible. But we’re talking about so much more than just VR: holograms, augmented reality, 360 social video and live
experiential, Time Run (role play), haptic technology (wearable tech), drawing within a virtual space…. there will also be workshops, panels, popup hacker experiences, and Talkaoke, a spontaneous pop-up talk show and participant-led discussion around the ‘UFO’ of chat…. all under one roof for four days. All hackers, geeks, creatives, tech enthusiasts, aliens, alternate reality seekers… anyone intrigued by this new wave of powerful technology… Come find the others, experience the future and bring your own gear to share. #hackstock #sfl16 full details at SCI-FI-LONDON/HACKSTOCK
CREATIVE MAPPING
CONNECTING CREATIVES
RUNS FOUR DAYS OF THE FESTIVAL 29 APRIL – 2 MAY 2016 The Trampery, 239 Old Street London EC1V 9EY FRIDAY 29 APRIL 2.00 – 10.00PM THEREAFTER 12 – 6.00PM #hackstock #sfl16
THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 27 APRIL– 6 MAY 2016
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THE SCI-FI-LONDON 48 HOUR FILM CHALLENGE and FLASH FICTION CHALLENGE
Back in 2008 we launched our 48HR FILM CHALLENGE – to make a 5 min short in two days. The first winner was Gareth Edwards, who went on to direct GODZILLA and is now working on ROGUE ONE, a spin off Star Wars movie. Since then we have had over 1200 new sci-fi films made and some amazing work achieved. It just goes to show that you really don’t need huge budgets and special effects to make a good sci-fi film. Three years ago we also started a 48HR FLASH FICTION CHALLENGE in association with UrbanFantasist.com tasking people to write around 1500 words in a weekend, the same weekend as the films are being made.
You can read the stories and see the films on our website and watchscifi.com. We hope you take part next year... The winners of this year’s challenges are announced on WEDNESDAY 4 MAY, 2016. A big thank you to all those who took part and especially to our juries: FILM JURY Frank Spotnitz Pat Cadigan David Sheldon-Hicks Laura Adams Mitch Davis
Supported by:
WRITING JURY Gareth Powell Robert Grant Pat Kane
top row: Frank Spotnitz, Pat Cadigan, David Sheldon-Hicks, Laura Adams bottom row: Mitch Davis, Gareth Powell, Robert Grant, Pat Kane
THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 27 APRIL– 6 MAY 2016
45
SCI-FI-LONDON curated films for you to watch on demand...
...where WHAT IF meets WTF WATCHSCIFI.COM
DON N O L I F SCI ANKS H T D N A CREDITS Social Media Jedi:
Georgie Knight
Web Developer:
Shazad Ahmed
Staff Wrangler:
Ali Hall
App developer:
Ketan Majmudar
Festival PR:
Frazer Nash Communications
Print Traffic:
Dean Monahan, Media Servicing Ltd
Hackstock Curator: James Marks Festival assistants:
Raven Kingsley, Eliza Lagoudi
Literary Editor:
Robert Grant
Podcast & Q&As:
Alex Fitch
Main festival image: Nick Savy - mediabrolly.com
As is typical in the printed festival programme, we would like to thank our friends and supporters for helping the festival this year. In no order, but deserving of a special mention are: David Lally Emma at The Trampery Starbucks Mile End – great staff! Thomas Atherton The staff and teams at Rio, Picturehouse, Genesis, Rich Mix and Trampery. Mikey at Let The People Speak The challenge jurors Charles Christian Ian Morrison Suzanne Gorman Simon Ings Tom Hunter
Attic Storage Lorraine Savy Tony Watts Viking Helen Moules Denise Hicks and all at LOCO Graham Ainsley, the Space Merchant Altitude, Vertigo, Devilworks and all the people who pushed their films our way. And all the festival volunteers – couldn’t do it without them. Sure we have stupidly forgotten a few and of course there are those who wish to remain anonymous – we thank you all!
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