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In 2005 '''Sci-Fi-London''' took it's feature films, short films and all-nighters '''On Tour''', to Edinburgh, Liverpool, York and Exeter, in February and March of that year.
In 2005 '''Sci-Fi-London''' took it's feature films, short films and all-nighters '''On Tour''', to Edinburgh, Liverpool, York and Exeter, in February and March of that year.


In late 2008 '''Sci-Fi-London''' will host it's very first '''Oktoberfest''': a one day festival featuring new films and all-nighters, held at it's regular London venue.
In late 2008 '''Sci-Fi-London''' will host its very first '''Oktoberfest''': a one day festival featuring new films and all-nighters, held at its regular London venue.


==The Website==
==The Website==

Revision as of 16:49, 3 October 2008

SCI-FI-LONDON
File:2008OktoberfestSCI-FI-LONDON.jpg
Oktoberfest Poster 2008
LocationLondon, England
Founded2002
AwardsThe Arthur C. Clarke Award / Best Feature Film / Best Short Film / Audience Award
LanguageInternational
Websitehttp://www.sci-fi-london.com/

Starting life in 2002, The London International Festival Of Science Fiction And Fantastic Film (SCI-FI-LONDON) is the UK’s only dedicated science fiction and fantasy film festival.[citation needed]


About The Festival

Designed to be a festival that “takes a serious look at sci-fi and fantasy, bringing new, classic and rare movies from around the world to the UK”, Sci-Fi-London (SFL) has since screened World and UK Premieres, seminal Cult Classics, as well as Documentaries, Debates and Talks.

Short films have also been an important part of the festival programme, either screening together, or in front of each movie shown. Over it's history Sci-Fi-London has held a number of Short Film competitions, and in 2008 launched its very first 48hr Film Challange, in order to encourage filmmakers to create sci-fi short films over a very short space of time.

In 2006 the festival also became the home of The Arthur C. Clarke Award, the most prestigious award for science fiction literature in Britain, and recognised as one of the most prestigious science fiction awards in the world.

Over the years, Sci-Fi-London has also given out its own awards for Best Feature Film and Best Short Film screened as part of the festival programme. Since 2003, an Audience Award For Best Short Film, has also been awarded, voted for by members of the festival audience.

Sci-Fi-London also plays host to the annual Douglas Adams Memorial Debate, which, much in the spirit of the illustrious author, gathers together leading scientists, writers and thinkers to discuss a specific topic relating to the science fiction genre and its relationship (or not) to the wider world.

The Sci-Fi-London Film Festival has also been one of the few places in the UK to screen All-Nighters – film marathons which run throughout the night. These in the past have been known to focus on anime, horror, alien, and Matrix films as well as episodes of the cult TV series; Mystery Science Theatre 3000.

Festival Dates And Location

Originally, in its first four years (2002-2005), residing at the Curzon Soho Cinema on Shaftsbury Avenue (Central London), the festival has since moved to the Apollo West End on Lower Regent Street, for its fifth year onwards (2006-present)

In recent years, the festival has also moved from screenings in late January/early February, to a slot in late April/early May on the calendar.

In 2008 a second festival is planned for October, called Oktoberfest. This is a one day event (- plus all-nighters) scheduled for Friday October 3rd.

The Arthur C. Clarke Award

The Arthur C. Clarke Award is awarded every year to the best science fiction novel which received its first British publication during the previous calendar year. The Award is chosen by Jury.

The Award was set up in 1986 and the first winner was announced in 1987. In 2006 Sci-Fi-London hosted the Awards ceremony for the first time.

Festival Awards

As well as the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the Sci-Fi-London Film Festival also selects is own recipients for the Best Feature Film and Best Short Film Awards, selected from the films screened as part of the festival programme.

Since 2003, Sci-Fi-London has also introduced an Audience Award for Best Short Film which, as the name suggests, is voted for by the festival audience.

Best Feature Film
2002 Avalon - Dir: Mamoru Oshii
2003 Ever Since The World Ended – Dirs: Calum Grant and Josh Litle
2004 Robot Stories – Dir: Greg Pak
2005 Primer – Dir: Shane Carruth
2006 Subject Two – Dir: Philip Chidel
2007 (Not Awarded)
2008 (Not Awarded)
Best Short Film
2002 Inferno – Dir: Paul Kousoulides
2003 The Town Of The One-Handed People – Dir: Heli Ellis
2004 Chaingangs – Dir: Scott Mann
2005 La Vie d’un Chien – Dir: John Harden
2006 X – Dir: Raphael Wahl
2007 The Angel - Dir: Paul Hough
2008 Ascension - Dir: Stephen Irwin
Audience Award for Best Short Film
2002 (Not Held)
2003 The Cat With Hands – Dir: Robert Morgan
2004 Annie & Boo – Dir: Johannes Weiland
2005 Netherbeast Of Berm-Tech Industries – Dir: Dean Ronalds
2006 Plastic – Dir: Mark Davis
2007 Coming To Town - Dir: Carles Torrens
2008 Final Journey - Dir: Lars Zimmermann

The Douglas Adams Memorial Debate

In tribute to a master storyteller and man of great vision and imagination, the Sci-Fi-London Film Festival hosts the annual Douglas Adams Memorial Debate. This is a lively panel discussion, made up of critics, authors, experts and academics, debating questions raised where science fiction meets science fact.

Debate Topics
2002 Why is the book always better than the movie? Is it?
2003 Does science fiction predict the future?
2004 How much does sex drive technology?
2005 (Not Held)
2006 The battle for the future: who controls the future controls the present?
2007 From Star Wars to the Battle of Ideas, Is science fiction good for public debate?
2008 (Not Held)

48hr Film Challenge

With the aim of promoting Film-making, as well as Film-watching, in 2008 SCI-FI-LONDON held its very first 48 Hour Film Challenge.

Registered Teams were given a random Title, Prop/Action, and a line of Dialogue, and two days (a weekend) in which to produce a 3 to 5 minute Short Film.

In 2008 there were 137 registrants, 87 teams taking part, 70 films returned, with over 1200 people involved. All approved entries received a free screening at the cinema, for cast and crew to attend, with the overall winner shown in front of the Closing Night film. The winners were judged by Jury, which in 2008, included filmmaking legend John Landis.

48hr Film Challenge Winner
2008 Title: Factory Farmed - Team Name: Rebel Alliance

All-Nighters

The Sci-Fi-London Film Festival is also one of the few locations in the UK to screen All-Nighters – movie marathons, which run throughout the night (with the aid of ice-cream and caffeine drinks!).

Past All-Nighter Line-ups
2002 Alien Alien, Aliens, Alien 3, Alien Resurrection
John Carpenter They Live, The Thing, Escape from New York, Dark Star
Mixed Bag Akira, Bad Taste, Jin Roh, Electric Dragon 80k Volts
2003 Anime 1 Akira, Armitage: Dual Matrix, Patlabor 2, Macross Plus
Anime 2 Spriggan, Perfect Blue, Wings Of Honnaemise, Armitage: Dual Matrix
2004 Anime Nadesico: The Motion Picture, Ghost in the Shell, Kai Doh Maru, Voices From A Distant Star, Patlabor 1
Aliens ‘n’ Predators Event Horizon, Pitch Black, The Thing, Resident Evil
Sushi Royale With Cheese Full Metal Yakuza, Goke – Bodysnatcher From Hell, Battle Heater, The Spiral
2005 Shaw Brothers The Super Inframan, Oily Maniac, The Mighty Peking Man, The Monkey Goes West
Anime Parasite Dolls, Sky Blue, Lady Death, RahXephon: The Movie
Matrix The Matrix, The Animatrix, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions
2006 MST3K The Brain That Wouldn't Die, Prince Of Space, Space Mutiny, Time Chasers
Anime Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, Karas: The Prophecy, Final Fantasy VII Advent Children, The Place Promised In Our Early Days
Tears Before Bedtime Innocent Blood, Nightwatch, Prince Of Darkness, Cronos
2007 Anime Ghost in the Shell: Solid State Society, Paprika, Le Chevalier D'Eon, Highlander: Search For Vengeance, Full Metal Alchemist: Conqueror Of Shamballa
MST3K Overdrawn At The Memory Bank, The Atomic Brain, Hobgoblins, Manos: The Hands of Fate, The Undead
Hammer Horror Stolen Face, X, The Unknown, Four-Sided Triangle, Spaceways
2008 SCI-FI-LONDON 7
Dead Space Alien – Director's Cut, Pitch Black, Solaris (2002), The Thing
Anime Appleseed Ex Machina, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006), Tekkon Kinkreet, Vexille
MST3K Battlefield Earth (RiffTrax), Merlin's Mystical Shop Of Wonders, The Creeping Terror, Santa Claus Conquers The Martians
OKTOBERFEST
Anime Dead Space: Downfall, Hellsing Ultimate IV, Strait Jacket, Sword Of The Stranger
Zombie Colin, Chanbara Beauty, Zombies! Zombies! Zombies!, Tokyo Zombie
MST3K Plan 9 From Outer Space (RiffTrax), Indestructable Man, Danger Diabolik, Puma Man

Other Events

On occasion Sci-Fi-London has hosted other events, either outside of London, or at other times of the year.

In 2005 Sci-Fi-London took it's feature films, short films and all-nighters On Tour, to Edinburgh, Liverpool, York and Exeter, in February and March of that year.

In late 2008 Sci-Fi-London will host its very first Oktoberfest: a one day festival featuring new films and all-nighters, held at its regular London venue.

The Website

Not only acting as a first point of reference for the Film Festival itself, the Sci-Fi-London website also provides year round News, Interviews, Reviews, Podcasts and Competitions, on a similar range of topics to that of the festival.

The website also features information on past festivals, as well as a Mailing List and Message Board/Forum.

SCI-FI-LONDON.COM also recently added a free 'webTV' service at SCI-FI-LONDON.TV, featuring films and shorts previously submitted or screened at past festivals.