9th January 2007.

Phew! My feet aren’t touching the ground these days. Christmas was cancelled because I had so much to do and I literally worked through it. Great to be busy of course but sometimes I wish things didn’t all happen at once. Ah the freelance life. First there were set visits to Iain Softley’s Inkheart, the first of New Line Cinema’s trilogy based on the books by Cornelia Funke, and Sean Ellis’ The Broken starring Lena Heady. Note that’s The Broken not Broken as in Simon Boyes and Adam Mason’s FrightFest 2006 entry.

I also had to catch up with actor Cristian Solimeno, who is starring as Inspector Enzo Marchi in Dario Argento’s The Third Mother. We’re old acquaintances – he starred with Severance’s Andy Nyman in Dead Babies – but I kept missing him on location in Turin. I arrived just as he left, then I came back to London as he returned. And I had to have quotes from him for my set reports. As well as get his agreement that he’ll be in attendance at the proposed August FrightFest premiere Cristian is also starring as The Guardian villain in Highlander: The Source and has just directed the relationship drama This Is What It Is. He’s a terrific guy and is a fun interview.

I also have been working in conjunction with the BFI and Tartan Films regarding the upcoming Alejandro Jodorowsky retrospective in April at the NFT. All the new prints of El Topo, The Holy Mountain and Fando y Lis currently touring the world festival circuit will be screened with the man of the cult moment in attendance. As I said during my Cannes time with Jodorowsky now is the time to see him as I don’t think he’s going to travel too much in the future.

All this plus the mass of screenings to wade through – loathed Venus, Arthur and the Invisibles, loved Letters from Iwo Jima and Scott Walker – 30 Century Man. Don’t get me started on Night at the Museum, Eragon, The Good German… There’s also a new magazine venture I’m involved in that must stay under wraps for a little while longer yet.

You’ll notice too that Greg Day is now the fourth part of the FrightFest team. Greg’s astounding PR abilities over the years have not only made him one of the most respected in the industry but through his tireless campaigning on our behalf he has given FrightFest an enviable identity and high profile. We couldn’t be happier to have him on board in an official capacity. It was also his birthday on Saturday and the surprise party he was given turned out to be a rather starry event as many people wanted to show their love and support.

Wish him well.

Until the next time.

© London FrightFest Ltd. 2000-2007