The first weekend of Imagine is already nearly over, with yesterday marking a new peak: Guest of Honour Ben Wheatley’s Career Talk! Read a report on it here.
And we’re far from done. In our must-sees and must-dos for today: Dutch shorts, body horror classic Tetsuo, and tips from our programmers. And scroll all the way down for an update on our audience award!
Today’s menu
Nieuw Nederlands Peil
Today at 14:15 in LAB111, with Q&As
Domestic genre feature films are on the rise; this year, for example, we had the psychological horror of Kind, the all-out gore of Vleesdag, and the tomfoolery of HalloWiebe. But it always starts with shorts. Nieuw Nederlands Peil (NNP), a fixed part of Imagine for years, features three blocks of five genre shorts from the Netherlands and Belgium this year. Tomorrow at 14:15 you can still catch up on NNP1, NNP2 premieres today, and NNP 3 will be shown on 6 and 7 November. Be there and discover the big names of tomorrow!
Ben Wheatley presents: Tetsuo
Today at 12:15 in de Filmhallen
When you think of body horror, you think of David Cronenberg. But don’t forget Tetsuo (1989) by Japanese director Shin’ya Sukamoto, in which a simple office worker mutates into a metal monster. Schokkend Nieuws wrote: ‘Tetsuo is about fear and especially anger, initially suppressed, but eventually uncontrollable, like a force of nature.’ Guest of Honour Ben Wheatley immediately named this cult classic when we asked him for his favourites, and he’ll explain why today.
Films of the day
Re-Animator (today at 12:00 in LAB111 and again on 5 November), Stuart Gordon’s forty-year-old debut, is perhaps the best Lovecraft adaptation ever, and therefore could not be missing from our theme programme A Tentacular Touch. Producer Brian Yuzna tacked on a handful of jolly sequels, but they never quite matched that first time, with the severed head menacing scream queen Barbara Crampton.
With Adam’s Apples, Danish director Anders Thomas Jensen won Imagine’s Silver Scream Award in 2007, when it was still called AFFF. After Men & Chicken and Riders of Justice, he’s back this year with The Last Viking, a black comedy crime drama about two brothers in an identity crisis. Drenched in Jensen’s characteristic absurdism. Today at 16:25 in the Filmhallen, and again on 8 November.
1000 Women in Horror. The title says it all; horror is not just for the boys. Director Alexandra Heller-Nicholas adapted her book of the same name and gives a platform to a host of feisty female genre filmmakers: ‘We don’t have to earn our place at the table. We were already at the table when it was invented.’ In LAB111, at 16:35. And again on 6 November!
Our team tips for today and tomorrow
Expanded: Rites of Passage
Stanislaw, VR Programmer: ‘Don’t choose — experience them all. This year’s VR section spans multiplayer kink exploration, meditative introspection, Spinvis-scored psychological descent, Icelandic underworld mythology, and musical laboratory madness. Each work offers distinct immersive brilliance. Make time for the complete journey; these aren’t supplementary experiences — they’re essential festival highlights that deserve your full attention.’
Every day in Hal West
Flush
Chris, General Director: ‘Potty humour, who’s waiting for that? And can anything ever equal that toilet scene from Trainspotting? Flush comes pretty close in terms of dirtyness, but thankfully also manages to get you giggling. A nice short film (70′), but still quite intense. Wash your hands afterwards.’
2 and 5 November
Shorts 3 – On Land, at Sea, in Space
Elina, Shorts Programmer: ‘The short film compilations are always amazing, but this year, we’re especially blessed with Fantastic animations ranging from flashy to silly to gothic. This shorts programme has two animations that really stand out: The Voyage of the Red Rabbit, and Solipsiae. They’re dear to me because of the outlandish atmospheric universes they take you to.’
3 and 7 November
