09/04/2010

Spring marks the merry return of fans of blood, badly-sharpened machetes and other mind tricks. For their delight, the Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film opened its doors yesterday evening.

Over the next 13 days, audiences will have some 68 opportunities to tremble, shudder, and even suppress groans of fear. With four competitions, a plethora of avant-premieres, and almost 70 films programmed, the BIFFF is set to entertain fans of the genre.

In the spotlight last year, Scandinavian films are back. The Norwegians seem to be in the grip of a gore wave which sweeps up everything in its path, from promising young big-screen talents (including Kristoffer Joner in Hidden [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Pal Oie, who attracted attention in 2007 with his terrifying Dark Woods) to the most sinister news stories (like Severin Eskeland’s Detour).

Denmark is represented by three films: Ole Bornedal’s Deliver Us From Evil [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Nicolas Winding Refn’s Valhalla Rising [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Nicolas Winding Refn
film profile] and Tarik Saleh’s intriguing animated film Metropia [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], which was presented in Critics’ Week at Venice.

On the Belgian side, three features will vie for honours. Christopher Roth by Max Sender (aka Maxime Alexandre, director of recent film Holy Money [+see also:
film review
film profile]), will screen in international competition.

Christopher Roth writes complex horror novels. In search of fresh inspiration, he goes on a lone trip to Italy, in order to find the peace and quiet needed for his creative endeavours. He obviously wasn’t expecting to discover that one of his biggest fans is swiftly trying to reproduce his macabre literary works in real life.

Take some virtuoso pianists, a music-loving robot, a hobbit and Gérard Depardieu, mix well, and you get Marc Goldstein’s debut feature Glenn 3948, a curious film straight from Flanders.

Finally, in the 7th Parallel competition, Vincent Lannoo will present Vampires, with fake Draculas and a real TV crew, or the other way round…

The prize-winners will be announced on April 20.

(Translated from French)