Here's another Euro-AICN Special Report straight from the continent to Father Geek at our Geek World Headquarters in Austin, Texas. There's loads of cooooool stuff happening East of the Atlantic geeks and when you find out about it send it to our lads in Paris at the Euro-AICN Offices.
The 16th Festival of the Fantastic Film Amsterdam (FFF), the Netherlands has been going on for four days now. Since the festival is so small, the only news story of the first four days is the confirmation that The Convent 2 will be made.
After the screening of The Convent, Chaton Anderson, writer & producer of the film was interviewed about the movie in the auditorium. She said a lot of things including the movie was based on her own experiences, since Mike Mendez, the director and her both went to Catholic schools and they both absolutely hated it.
She has a small role (credited as Chaton Itae) in the film as one of the first victims, where she gets over fifty gallons of fake blood over her in a shower scene, which she experienced as "a dream coming true".
Anderson insisted that they should get Adrienne Barbeau in the film. In fact the role of the Adult Christine was written by Anderson with Barbeau already in mind. Therefore she was somewhat disappointed when Louise Fletcher was first supposed to get the part. Fortunately Barbeau eventually agreed to do the movie: she actually was pretty happy to do it, since she was finally able again to kick some demonic ass.
Finally Anderson talked about the "success" of The Convent. Although it hasn't been released in theatres yet, the film has already been sold to enough countries to safeguard a sequel. In fact she had just signed the actual deal to start writing the sequel and she's hoping Coolio would be willing to be in it again.
Some other films screened in the first four days have been Ring 2 the Japanese horror film by Hideo Nakata, From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter, Lighthouse, The Ninth Gate and American Psycho.
For more information about the full programme just visit the official website (note: the site is in Dutch). The URL is listed below.
Director Wes Craven will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at the end of the festival. Some of the other guests walking around the festival are: Shaky González and Thomas Stegler (ANGEL OF THE NIGHT / NATTENS ENGEL), Bernard Rose (CANDYMAN), Nachos Cerda (GENESIS, AFTERMATH), Simon Hunter and Pat Kelman (Lighthouse), Udo Kier (POSSESSED / BESAT).
Lloyd Kaufman will introduce his film TERROR FIRMER today. He's been walking around the festival for three days now, watching films (mostly Spanish horror films) and talking to his fans and many festival visitors.
Well this sorts of concludes the midway report on the FFF Amsterdam. However, I do have to mention some general information from the European Fantasy Film Festivals Federation. This year, four new festivals have joined the European Fantasy Film Festivals Federation, which really helps the FFF festivals in Europe, since they no longer now have to "compete" with one another, as they have all become part of one big family.
To make is easy I've listed all the FFF festival part of the Federation and their current official websites:
-Fantasporto, Oporto International Film Festival, Portugal www.caleida.pt/fantasporto (24 February - 3 March 2001)
-BIFFF, Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film, Belgium www.bifff.org (9-25 March 2001)
-Cinenygma Luxembourg International Film Festival, Luxembourg www.cinenygma.lu (23 March - 1 April 2001)
-Fantafestival, Rome International Fantastic Film Festival, Italy (1-8 June 2000 / June 2001)
-Espoo Cine International Film Festival, Finland (22-27 August 2000 / 21-26 August 2001)
-Sitges, International Film Festival Catalonia, Spain www.sitges.com/cinema (5-14 October 2000 / 4-13 October 2001)
-Amsterdam Fantasy Film Festival, the Netherlands www.fff2000.nl (5-12 April 2001)
-The Fantastic Film Festival Lund, Sweden www.fff.se (20-29 September 2000 / 19-23 September 2001)
-San Sebastian Horror & Fantasy Film Festival, Spain www.donostiakultura.com/terror (27 October - 4 November 2000 / 26 October - 3 November 2001)
The European Fantasy Film Festivals Federation would also like to announce to all European moviegoers that Lighthouse won the Méliès d'Argent at the Cinenygma Luxembourg International Film Festival this year.
At the Brussels Festival the winners were as followed. Public's Choice Award: 1) Galaxy Quest 2) The Convent 3) Pitch Black
Winners of the Melies d' Argent: 1) Possessed / Besat 2) Galaxy Quest 3) Eye of the Beholder
More news at the end of the Amsterdam Festival...
Amsterdam-Pat
