1st December 2009.

So it was ciao tutti to the Science+Fiction Festival in Trieste for another year on Sunday. I absolutely adore this Italian event for its great seaside location, wonderful hospitality, and the chance to meet the many people who couldn’t make Sitges or FrightFest. Okay, the weather wasn’t good – cloudy and rainy, but un-seasonally warm nevertheless. Because of some medical convention occurring at exactly the same time (November 22 –28) meaning accommodation problems, everyone was scattered around the city in various hotels and residences rather than being in one central place. However everyone usually got to the daily press conferences at the Caffe Tommaseo, the oldest (1830) seafront restaurant, by 11.30 a.m. to arrange eating and greeting plans so it eventually worked out.

Science+Fiction this year upped its status from European Federation of Fantastic Film Festivals adherent member (like FrightFest) to affiliate, meaning they now have to include Silver Melies Award duties in their prize-giving ceremonies. And with two mega guests of honour – producer/director Roger Corman and star Sir Christopher Lee – the international profile of the festival increased enormously. That change in atmosphere and importance was a bit like FrightFest’s first move from the Prince Charles cinema to the Odeon West End. Alongside the Edgar Allan Poe/Vincent Price movie tribute to Corman, plus a rare chance to see the silent 1928 THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER with accompanying live soundtrack by the rock band Massimo Volume, was a Lee retrospective, including THE WICKER MAN and THE LORD OF THE RINGS, plus the latest entry in his tireless acting career, TRIAGE. Both genre legends gave packed out Master Class Q&A sessions that really gave Science+Fiction a sense of real importance and value this year. Lee had arrived at the festival direct from filming a day on Robin Hardy’s THE WICKER TREE sequel too, which seemed entirely appropriate.

Then there was the official Italian launch of Federico Zampaglione’s SHADOW. To say Federico, an enormous star in his homeland, was an emotional wreck before, during and after the premiere screening is an understatement. It clearly meant a great deal to him that the audience responded well. In fact the Q&A session after SHADOW was probably one of the longest as people showed their love for the Tiromancino lead singer, who wants to pursue an alternative career in the genre he loves. Another running festival joke was referring to Federico as Zombielione after the Rob Zombie career comparison At the dinner afterwards I was delighted to meet actor/dancer Nuot Arquint, Mortis himself, who had made the journey from Switzerland to see SHADOW for the first time. I joined Federico for his press conference the next day because he went to amazing lengths to name check FrightFest making sure all journalists knew how important we were to his movie and how much he appreciated our support.

The ‘Marx Attacks’ strand focused on Eastern European sci-fi over the past 50 years. From IKARIE XB1, that Corman bowdlerised into VOYAGE TO THE END OF THE UNIVERSE (1963), to the Serbian ZONE OF THE DEAD (2009). Milan Todorovic, co-director of the latter zzzzombie movie, was a terrific guy and a great sport when I told him how much I hated it. My insults about his movie became a running gag throughout the festival. Metrodome release this Ken Foree starrer early next year as APOCALYPSE OF THE DEAD. It was great to meet INFESTATION actor/director Kyle Rankin too. He travelled to Trieste from LA via London and told me he took a wistful trip to the Empire Cinema to see what he had missed out on in August. Kyle is about to direct a short horror movie and has promised to send it for our next major event. Alex and David Pastor arrived from New York to launch their co-directed CARRIERS in Italy and were full of praise for the FrightFest forum comments after our Halloween all-nighter. Proof yet again that the talent involved in all FrightFest selections do want to know what you really think of their movies.

Tom Shankland turned up for THE CHILDREN, which went down a storm, especially as he tried out his shaky Italian on the very appreciative sold-out audience. Hearty congratulations must also go to to Tom because THE CHILDREN actually won the Silver Melies Award meaning it will now qualify with the new round of affiliate festival choices for the Gold chosen next October in Sitges. Because Tom had to leave before the awards ceremony took place I collected his prize presented by INGLORIOUS BASTARDS director Enzo G. Castellari. What a thrill! Especially as Enzo started telling me all about his new film, CARRIBEAN BASTARDS, at the closing night party at the Café Rossetti.  Sadly director Lawrence Gough couldn’t present SALVAGE in person – Julian Richards (SUMMER SCARS) stood in for him. And at the last minute Nicolas Winding-Refn couldn’t intro VALHALLA RISING either. Harrison Ford had demanded his presence in Hollywood to discuss their new project together, THE DYING OF THE LIGHT, based on a Paul Schrader script about a cop suffering from Alzheimer’s. I stepped in to put Nicolas’ Viking picture in its sci-fi context.

It was fantastic to meet up again with my two new best friends, Helene Cattet and Bruno Forzani, the AMER co-director couple. Their stunning giallo tribute remains my favourite film of the moment – the boldest and most artistic horror vision since MARTYRS. While both filmmakers, and its irrepressible producer Francois Cognard (of MALEFIQUE fame), know it divides opinion, happily it won over many new fans in the home of the giallo picture, including Castellari, Shankland and Rankin. Tom actually frogmarched me to the local DVD store to help him pick out some choice giallo titles for him to watch back in London to completely attune to what both Helene and Bruno homage in AMER. So I made him buy THE BLOODSTAINED BUTTERLY and WHY ARE THOSE STRANGE DROPS OF BLOOD ON THE BODY OF JENNIFER among many others.

Other movies showing included Jac Schaeffer’s time-shifting rom com TIMER that won the Audience Favourite prize, 2033, THE CLONE RETURNS HOME, THE AGE OF STUPID and that current festival phenomenon MOON. Main prize was won by the anime FIRST SQUAD – THE MOMENT OF TRUTH with the animated METROPIA getting a special consolation mention. My thanks as always must go to Daniele Terzoli, Lorenzo Bertuzzi, Chiara Barbo, Giovanni Barbo and all at La Cappella Undergound for their continuing support allowing FrightFest to be a small part of their diverse programme.

Until next time.

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