THE GENRE FESTIVALS FRONTING AUSTRALIA'S CINEMA RE-EMERGENCE

Australian cinemas are only just starting to re-emerge from pandemic lockdown (Victorian exhibitors have shuttered again as a second viral outbreak takes hold). With distributors tiptoeing around release commitments, a roster of genre festivals unfurling in the final months of 2020 will be amongst the first wave of specialised programming and fresh content.

This unique situation - brought about by a combination of reworked dates, relaunched brands, reconsidered formats - represents both a huge challenge and wonderful opportunity to these science-fiction/horror/fantasy events...           

SCIFI FILM FESTIVAL
When: August 28-30
Where: Event Cinemas George Street, Sydney
What we know: As the major capital city festivals succumbed to COVID-19 conditions, organisers for the SciFi Film Festival bided their time, while admitting that options such as shifting online, postponement and cancellation were discussed. This week, with the backing of their venue partner Event Cinemas, the 8th annual program was announced, with tickets to go on sale in the days ahead. Programmers have secured some high-profile festival hits (Arati Kadav’s Cargo (pictured, right); Jeremy LaLonde’s James vs His Future Self; Erin Berry’s M.A.J.I.C.) and will be counting on savvy audiences keen to see big-screen sci-fi to turn out in support. 

MONSTER FEST 2020
When: October 1-9, Melbourne; October 29 - November 1, Sydney / Perth / Adelaide / Brisbane  / Canberra.
Where: Cinema Nova, Melbourne; Event Cinemas - Myer Centre (Qld.), Innaloo (W.A.), George Street (N.S.W.); G.U. Film House, Adelaide; Capital Cinemas, Manuka (A.C.T.)
What we know: The only truly national genre event, Monster Fest has a two-tiered roll-out schedule - early October in its hometown of Melbourne; Halloween weekend in other capitals - that has made dealing with the pandemic doubly challenging. Having committed to a presence at the recent Marche du Film virtual marketplace (where Monster Fest reps are sought out by global sales agents, eager to secure the brand’s credibility), organisers are now faced with the second coronavirus wave in Victoria. The lockdown did not mean 'shut down' for Monster Fest bosses; in recent weeks, it was announced that Monster Pictures will partner with Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) in the genre funding initiative, ISOLATION. (Pictured, right; Monster Pictures General Manager Grant Hardie, left, and the Monster team).

SYDNEY SCIENCE FICTION FILM FESTIVAL
When: November 19-21
Where: Actors Centre Australia, Leichhardt
What we know: While very much the new kid on the block, the Sydney Science Fiction Film Festival has ambitious plans for their inaugural event in November. With an eight film-strong core screening schedule, it will also feature a broader sci-fi community commitment; planned are script-reads, art exhibitions and filmmaker presentations. Patron Alex Proyas (The Crow; Dark City; Knowing; I, Robot) will present a masterclass at the Actors Centre Australia campus, a state-of-the-art facility that has itself recently undergone extensive refurbishment and upgrading. Submissions are still being received via their FilmFreeway site.    

A NIGHT OF HORROR FILM FESTIVAL
When: TBD
Where: TBD
What we know: Few festival organisers have felt the sting of the pandemic like the team behind the re-energised A Night of Horror event. Originally slated for May and with a leading inner-city venue on board, coronavirus conditions saw the finalised program mothballed (which boasts Dean Yurke's Stay Out Stay Alive, Josh Reed’s We're Not Here to F**k Spiders and Sam Curtain’s The Slaughterhouse Killers) and the exhibitor back out of the deal. Determined to bring the brand back to all its glory (the once high-profile event has been on a two-year hiatus), A Night of Horror is moving forward but treading softly-softly; organisers assure it is coming in 2020, though details are being closely guarded.  

REVELATION PERTH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL  
When: December 2-13
Where: Luna Cinemas, Leederville, Perth.
What we know: Renowned for its progressive, proactive approach to festival presentation, Perth’s Revelation event became the nation’s first ‘hybrid festival’ experience. To hold strong to their third-quarter dates in defiance of COVID-19’s impact, they launched their ‘Couched’ online screening roster; come December, the physical event will move forward at their spiritual home, Leederville’s Luna Cinema. A classic case of ‘making lemonade out of lemons’, the Revelations team have strengthened their online presence while still standing by their regular patrons.

FOOTNOTE: One of the most popular genre film gatherings, the annual Sydney Underground Film Festival, was not able to reconcile its 2020 schedule with pandemic conditions and had to cancel its physical event. The organisers will be presenting a series of virtual sessions, including the TAKE48 Film Challenge, Inhuman Screens Academic Conference and SUFF Online, a collection of short films. Donations can be made to the festival's Australian Cultural Fund campaign here.

SCREEN-SPACE editor Simon Foster is involved with the organisation of SciFi Film Festival, Monster Fest and Sydney Science Fiction Film Festival.