17th October 2008.

Just so you all know, I haven’t been lazy. My last blog was censored by all three of my FrightFest partners. What got their Primark knickers in a twist? It was basically about our application for UK Lottery funding, why we didn’t get it and who did. The others thought it would ruffle too many industry feathers. My view was that it didn’t matter anyway as we were never going to get any money to expand our film education strands because horror fantasy is still not viewed as politically correct or worthy of support. I’d better stop now or I’ll be banned again.

Strangely enough I found myself paraphrasing my blog at the recent Sitges Fantasy Festival. Where I picked up a major award, but more of that later. The European Fantasy Film Festivals Federation called a general assembly to discuss issues that had come to the fore since our last Cannes meeting. Representatives from most festivals were there because Sitges hosted the Melies D’Or Award for Best European Fantasy Film this year (LET THE RIGHT ONE IN won).

FrightFest is an EFFFF adherent, not an affiliate like the Brussels/Sitges/Fantasporto big guns. We don’t participate in the Melies celebrations where each affiliate chooses a European fantasy film from their programme as their Melies D’Argent contender. MARTYRS was chosen by Sitges this year as the first of the new 2008 batch which will now join other selections for main prize consideration.

The Melies D’Or awards ceremonies are expensive to mount. Sitges gets Catalan government funding so it’s quite easy for them to absorb the cost. Smaller festivals have to rely on money from the EU Media fund, which has virtually dried up over the past few years leaving some EFFFF members in the red. Just like the Eurovision Song Contest, because EU borders have expanded, and the Baltic States have started up many film festivals, Media money has been spread ever thinner and the core affiliates have been virtually forgotten.

The main general assembly question: Was it worth going through all the hoops, endless paperwork and hassle to probably end up with nothing. An example of the criteria having to be met before any financial consideration would be forthcoming was proving a Melies selection did impact on the profile and release in Europe and getting all territory distributors to acknowledge that fact. Most thought yes, because even the slimmest chance was better than not trying at all. The deadline of a year has been set to accrue all relevant information, which in my view was another year wasted, based on our UK Lottery attempt. But then FrightFest is only an adherent, so our opinion doesn’t really count in the main affiliate scheme.

But where I did score points was in the vote to carry on with the EFFFF despite the challenges facing us all in the current credit crunch climate. One of the ironies about being at Sitges this year was the financial news getting worse by the minute and everyone repeatedly saying in such depressing times we needed fantasy cinema more than ever on a daily basis. The movie business is changing so rapidly at the moment, it will be completely transformed over the next five years. With studios downsizing and spending more on advertising in all new media, niche movies are going to need more support than ever in such an over-hyped, crowded market place just to register on some level. And that’s why every member of the EFFFF is so well placed and why our network of contacts, information swapping and flagging up of crucial titles must continue. Everyone agreed.

As for Sitges in general, I loved EMBODIMENT OF EVIL, the Coffin Joe trilogy ending far better than another trilogy conclusion I could mention. NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD, the Ozploitation documentary was fantastically funny and informative. TRICK ‘R TREAT was terrific, and I can only add my voice to the calls for it to be taken off the shelf. PONYO ON THE CLIFF BY THE SEA was a delight. THE GOOD THE BAD, THE WEIRD was spectacular despite having no plot whatsoever. VINYAN was interesting. SEKYKILLER should have been camper. HOME MOVIE so-so. Didn’t like SANTOS, PRIME TIME, DEADGIRL, LEFT BANK, THE LONG WEEKEND remake or YOUR NAME HERE. Hung out with Pascal Laugier, J. A. Bayona, Fabrice de Welz, Eric Red, Paco Plaza and Jaume Balaguero ([REC]2 starts filming at the end of November), Larry Fessenden and James Watkins. James had to leave before the closing ceremony where EDEN LAKE won a Special Jury Award. I’d jokingly said I’d accept the ‘Maria’ for him if he did win anything and so found myself on stage giving thanks on his behalf. The paparazzi snapped away, the translator I wasn’t sure put over the essence of my speech, and everyone kept congratulating me. I’m convinced most of that audience now think I am James Watkins and have the press photos to prove it! Onwards and upwards it is.

Until next time…