Yes! Tonight is our opening night. We’re looking forward to 10 days of genre fun with fans, experienced creators, young directors, speakers, storytellers, VR experiences – and film, of course. Starting tomorrow, the screening rooms in Filmhallen and LAB111 will be opened for you to enjoy the best and latest in horror, sci-fi, fantasy and more. Get your tickets online if you haven’t already, or at one of our festival locations.
Opening night: Mr. K with special guests
Imagine Fantastic Film Festival 2024’s opening film is Mr. K, which will have its Dutch première tonight with director Tallulah H. Schwab in attendance. And that’s not all, because actor Crispin Glover will also be coming to Amsterdam! Glover had his acting breakthrough in 1985 – one year after Imagine started! – with his wonderful turn as Marty’s dad in Back to the Future. He’s also known for his work in David Lynch’s Wild at Heart, Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland and Oliver Stone’s The Doors. We’re super happy to welcome him to our festival.
In preparation for your festival visit, here’s some more highlights per region, language and genre. You can find more tips in this blog, and this one.
Fantastic Asian cinema
Looking for some Fantastic Asian titles to watch this Halloween season? At Imagine we’ve had the Asian movie bug for years and it will not leave us soon with this year’s interesting line-up. Our programme contains 17 titles from the continent, from countries such as China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Türkiye and the United Arab Emirates. From stories about mythical creatures to animated robots, and from from ghosts to psychological terror: we’ve got it all. Visit our Instagram channel for an overview.
Fantastic anime
Besides Asian cinema in general, Imagine also specialises in anime and other animation. This year we proudly present an extensive animated film programme, all from the Far East. With anime like Kizumonogatari: Koyomi Vamp, interactive VR film Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom, the long-awaited remastered version of Mamoru Oshii’s classic Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, and two more animated features, Exorcism Chronicles: The Beginning from South Korea and The Umbrella Fairy from China. We have stuff to please the casual animation fans, otaku’s, gunpla nerds and yes, even the weebs.
Spanish-language films at Imagine
Imagine always showcases a bunch of films from around the globe, and of course the Spanish-speaking world has lots of weird and wonderful titles to offer. Check out this Instagram post with all the beautiful, horrific and fantastic Spanish spoken films at Imagine, like the Chilean stop motion fairytale Los hiperbóreos (The Hyperboreans) or the amazing Mi bestia. Get those tickets soon, corre porque se acaban!
French-language films at Imagine
French-speaking filmmakers have always had a weird side and have embraced genre throughout the years (from the New French Extremists to Coralie Fargeat’s splatter fest The Substance). And it’s another an très magnifique when it comes to French movies at Imagine 2024. We’re screening a total of six French-spoken films, from a quirky Star Wars parody set in Normandy to sci-fi thriller/comedy She Loved Blossoms More. Check them all out here.
And…it’s Godzilla’s birthday!
Imagine is turning 40 this year, but that’s not the only birthday. Because 70 years ago, Ishiro Honda’s masterpiece Godzilla was released in Japan. Now known as the film that popularised the Kaiju in both the West and Japan, 1954’s Godzilla originally started out as a symbol of the threat of nuclear war. After this, the King of Monsters has had many different faces: from a goofy monster fighting other goofy monsters, to an ally of humankind and even back to the worst villain in Japanese history (in Godzilla Minus One). In this post, 70 years of Godzilla are celebrated both in lore and in accomplishments. Happy birthday Kaiju!
