The days are getting shorter, daylight is becoming scarcer… yep, Imagine is on its way! From 29 October to 8 November, we’ll be setting up shop once again at the Filmhallen, LAB111 and Hal West in the heart of Amsterdam for the 42nd edition of our festival. The full programme is now online, including no fewer than 72 feature films (ranging from brand-new releases to cult classics), 55 short films, a substantial line-up of intense immersive experiences, talks, specials, a VHS cellar and more. You’ll stack your watchlist in no time!
Ticket sales for Imagine begin on 6 October. Below, we’ve highlighted a selection of the programme for you.
Fantastic Start: Hot Spot
In the spirit of our themed programme Ghost in the Feed, we are opening Imagine this year on Thursday 29 October with the techno-thriller Hot Spot by Polish director Agnieszka Smoczyńska (The Lure). During his investigation into a murder in a refugee camp, private detective Djonny (Andrzej Konopka) joins forces with a rebellious cyber witch (played by Noomi Rapace). Hot Spot is both politically relevant and playful science fiction about AI, which here is not merely a technological development but a force capable of reshaping reality itself. It’s sure to spark some great conversations at the opening drinks reception.
Even before the official opening night, the festivities are already underway, with the Imagine Film Quiz at Boom Chicago on Sunday 25 October, and Cinema Literair: War of the Worlds at the OBA on Tuesday 27 October.
Guest of Honour Kiyoshi Kurosawa and other special guests
We are absolutely delighted to welcome this year’s Guest of Honour: the acclaimed Japanese director Kiyoshi Kurosawa, who has mastered every genre – from J-horror to yakuza thrillers to historical drama. On the afternoon of Sunday 1 November, Kurosawa will be joining us for a Career Talk about his work, during which he will receive a Career Achievement Award from us. His new film, The Samurai and the Prisoner, is on the programme, as are three of his earlier works (Pulse, Cure and Creepy) and his film of choice, The Boston Strangler. Kurosawa will be present at many of the screenings.
And there are even more great names from the world of film visiting us this year. Our Special Guest is none other than Her Majesty Julie Corman, who – to mark the centenary of her late husband Roger’s birth – will also be joining us on 1 November to talk about their life as the B-movie king and queen – and how to make films on a shoestring. We’ll of course also be screening a few Corman classics (Death Race 2000, X and The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre). You’ll also get to meet audio wizards Darkfield; George Mihalka (My Bloody Valentine 4K); Andrea Corsini (Ferine); Cristian Ponce (Family Fears Another Night of Terror); Zach Lipovsky (Freaks Part II); the Adams family (The Glorious Dead); Nadim Tabet (In This Darkness I See You) and others. We’ve also formed some great partnerships with Straight to Video, Club VHS, Kaboom and the Roze Filmdagen.
Fantastic Films
This year, 72 feature films are screening at Imagine – a record! Thijs Meuwese’s home-grown cyber-thriller, PH1SHed_, is having its world premiere at the festival, and the new fairy tale by Cristóbal León and Joaquín Cociña, Dutch co-production Donkey Princess , is – like many other titles at Imagine – being shown in cinemas here for the first time. Get ready, too, for highly anticipated international titles such as Na Hong-jin’s smash hit Hope, Sweden’s Oscar entry Adult Supervision and Joko Anwar’s hilarious Ghost in the Cell. Take a trip back in time with the long-awaited definitive cut of Ken Russell’s The Devils, the remastered, uncensored version of My Bloody Valentine and the 25th anniversary screening of Donnie Darko. And make sure you leave some room for unadulterated fun films such as Species (tiny monsters!), Victorian Psycho (Halloween outfit inspo!) and Mum, I’m Alien Pregnant (best title award!), or surprising genre discoveries from countries including Kazakhstan (Turgaud, Qaitadan) and Serbia (Frost).
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! Don’t forget to give the Boom Chicago Film Quiz, our annual Halloween karaoke party, the hilarious Duke Mitchell Film Party and the Return of De Nacht van de Wansmaak (yay? nay?) a go? And why not check out the next generation of genre filmmakers during Nieuw Nederlands Peil or our International Shorts programmes? It’s a shame you can’t clone yourself (yet), isn’t it?
Fantastische Thema’s
This year’s main theme, Ghost in the Feed, which explores the fears and desires evoked by new media technologies, runs through the entire programme. The programme focuses on five ‘frequencies of fear’: the rise of TV, the VHS era, the birth of the internet, the constant online stream and our current immersive times (as part of our extensive VR programme, Imagine Expanded – The New Flesh ). Immerse yourself in the feed with films such as Videodrome, Red Rooms and We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, our analogue VHS/DVD pop-up, the digital horror event The Lost Internet, the work of Australian audio wizards DARKFIELD, and much, much more. Simply tick the theme filter in the programme schedule and lose yourself.
Finally, this year’s Myths of the World programme focuses on magical realism in Latin American cinema. Through the films of directors such as Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth) and Jayro Bustamante (La Llorona), we see how genre elements are used to explore the continent’s traumatic past. We’ll also be screening the magical realist classic Macario (1960) – considered by many to be the best Mexican film ever made – in collaboration with the Mexican Embassy, and in the panel discussion The Rough Guide to Magical Realism, we’ll be exploring the deeper meaning of magical realism in the work of four young Dutch filmmakers from diverse backgrounds.
So there you have it – a not-so-small glimpse behind the scenes. There’s much more to discover. Have a look at the programme and set your alarm for 6 October. See you at the festival, wonderful weirdos!
