International Fantasy Film Festival 2011 in Sitges

The 2011 International Fantasy Film Festival of Catalonia will take place in less than three months. This festival has been taken place in Sitges, Spain, since 1968. It was born as the 1st International Week of Fantastic and Horror Cinema. The Sitges Film Festival is the first fantasy film festival in the world and it is well-known worldwide. Along with the Cannes Film Festival it is one of the best film festivals in Europe. Millions of people are now waiting for such a yearned date. It is a must appointment for those who love fantasy films and look for the latest trends and new technologies in the cinema and audiovisual production. What is more, the Sitges Film Festival is the meeting point of both film buffs and producers. It is here where new fantasy films are exhibited and promoted and also where lovers of this genre can exchange their thoughts and learn more about their passion.

The Sitges Film Festival, which is being held from 6th to 16th October, starts with the Catalan film called "Eva". This film is the debut of the director Kike Maillo and it is starred by the Catalan actress Marta Etura and the German actor Daniel Brul, both young promises in contemporary cinema. The film is set in the future and talks about a female robot called Eva. This film is perfect to open the festival as it shows the great quality of Catalan fantasy films and deals with the theme of the festival.

The 2011 Sitges Film Festival wants to pay homage to the film A.I. Artificial Intelligence by Steven Spielberg. It has been 10 years since this great success could be seen in all screens around the world. Do you remember the story? David was a child robot who lived in a world where humans and robots lived together. Evil robots were sought by the police and destroyed. David was accused of being evil but her mum helped him to escape. The young robot wanted to see her mum again and looked for the Blue Fairy to make his wish come true. So, it is a story which mixes science fiction and futurism with human feelings and tenderness. The story of a young robot who looks for his mum and carries a teddy bear with him all the time. Doesn't it remind you of an Anime series about a boy and his monkey?

The posters of the film festival show two robots created in Japan by Professor Hiroshi, which look as if they were alive.

Angel Sala, the director of the festival, recalls the big success of A.I. Artificial Intelligence and mentions the excellent time that the fantasy genre is living now. In the festival we can see films and short films from Catalonia and other parts of Spain as well as films made abroad. "Mientras duermes" (while you're sleeping) by Jaume Balaguero James and "La mujer del Eternauta" by Adan Aliaga are other two examples of the excellent quality of Catalan fantasy films production.

There are other interesting proposals like contests and workshops. But, undoubtedly, the best is the Zombie Walk. On 14th October, Sitges will become a kind of Zombie land as hundreds of zombies will be walking the streets of Sitges. You can become one of them and join the parade. Wear your best rags and make your face and body up. The film "Juan de los muertos" (John of the Dead), which shows an ironic view of the political reality in Cuba, can be seen that day, too.

Would you like to go to the Sitges Fantasy Film Festival? Look at Sitges Film Festival for further information.

Harriet Freeman,

Tourist specialist and general interest in Northern Spain and Madrid. Have a look at the website of Sitges apartments for more information about Sitges.

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Game Of Thrones: TV Fantasy for Grown Ups

The series starts off in a wintery forest north of a huge wall that separates the untamed north from the "civilised" land known as the seven kingdoms. The Wall was built to keep out the creatures that are supposed to emerge from the northern forests during particularly hard, decade long, winters. But they have not been seen in a thousand years and most people think of them as being just legends. However, in the first scene we see they are not. Undead creatures with a hatred for all living things. The first few minutes shows dismembered bodies of men, women and children and then one of the undead beheading a ranger from south of the wall on a scouting mission. Harry Potter this ain't.

Most of the series concerns three families. The dour but noble Starks headed by Sean Bean (Surely he must be a dab hand at the swordplay at this stage.) The Lannisters headed by Lena Headley. She is queen to Robert Baratheon, a once proud warrior and friend of Ned Stark (Bean) who is now gone to seed. He has no interest in his royal duties or his marriage-of-convenience wife Cersie. She also despises her husband and is having an affair with her twin brother..... yep, you read that right. The other family is a brother and sister: Dany and Viserys Targaryen. They are the last of their family. Their father was the previous king. He and all the rest of the family were killed when Robert assumed the throne. They fled to another country across the sea deep to the south. Viserys is dying to get his throne back and marries his sister to a local tribal chieftain in exchange for use of his large tribe in regaining the crown.

The fantasy elements are kept to a minimum. The creatures behind the wall are only briefly seen throughout the season, magic is mentioned but is never seen and seems only to be the appliance of science and medicine. There once were dragons but they are now thought to be extinct.

Instead season one concerns the rivalry between the Starks and the Lannisters and the scheming of Viserys.

The big draw (and criticism) of the series is the reliance of sex and violence. Initially it almost became a parody of itself. All of the adults seem to get naked at some stage in the show (Prompting critics to nickname it "Game Of Bones") and the violence in it can be extreme for a TV show.

The other big draw of the series of books (And, as the viewers of the series are finding out) is that you genuinely do not know what is going to happen next. Alliences are formed and betrayed almost weekly and nobody is safe.

HERE BE SPOILERS!

Sean Bean's character Ned Stark is the obvious main character of the series. Noble to a fault and trying to keep up with the scheming of the Lannisters and their cronies. The story seems to revolve around him. His illegitimate son goes to join the guards on The Wall, he is despised by Viserys for helping Robert usurp his father. Cersie Lannister distrusts his honesty and tries to tempt him to the dark side. All the promotion of the series surrounded Sean Bean's character. From the posters to the re-released book covers focused on a brooding and troubled Ned Stark......... Which made his death in the second last episode extremely surprising. To say the least! One was always assuming that, given Sean Bean's high profile as an actor and all the promotion surrounding his character that he was going to be the main "good guy". Internet reaction was extreme with everyone now wondering who is next.

Sky TV must be commended on this magnificent production. There is far to much dross on the Television at present and series like this must be encouraged going froward. I've read all the books so far and let me tell you, if they keep this up, you ain't seen NOTHING yet!!!!!

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Women In Science Fiction And Fantasy Break The Mold

Women in science fiction and fantasy films are free from stereotypical restraints often slapped on other female characters. In traditional sitcoms especially, women seem to be thrust into unoriginal character molds, either quirkily manic, the lovable hot girl whom all guys want or a passive aggressive, mean middle-aged mother.

Most female characters seen in science fiction tend to be more complex than that. They usually have complicated romantic storylines, just as in other dramas, and yes, they're often pretty hot, too. However, sci-fi writers tend to give women more credit for their intelligence, empathy and kick-ass abilities than writers of other series do.

The great thing about women in science fiction is the range of personalities that are represented. These women are often operating in outer space, such as the much praised Star Trek heroines Seven of Nine from Star Trek: Voyager and Nyota Uhura, a character that made waves for being part of the first interracial kiss on television.

Storylines set in outer space actually provide a fantastical and fascinating place for a plot to unfold, especially as it relates to women. In addition to the romantic storylines that inevitably come up, living in a limited space such as a space ship and dealing with the unpredictable natures of intergalactic enemies will bring out multiple facets of a character's personality. This gives writers an opportunity to develop interesting, dynamic female roles that go beyond slapstick humor or trivialities.

Of course, there are plenty of sci-fi heroines who have made their mark by kicking butt back on Earth as well.

Sarah Connor, mother to the all-important John Connor in the "Terminator" series, is probably one of the most memorable take-no-prisoner's women in sci-fi history, at least as she appears in "Terminator 2: Judgement Day." Her dedication to keeping her son safe and trying to save the world transform her from a scared damsel in distress into a hardcore femme fatale.

Let's not forget Agent Scully, the "X-Files" heroine who was the ultimate strong woman of the 1990s. As the rational scientist throughout most of the show, who based her beliefs on evidence rather than faith, Scully was a departure from the stereotype that men are rational while women believe solely in what they feel. Gillian Anderson's portrayal of the smart, tough character left a lasting impression on viewers for years to come.

Going further back we have Jaime Sommers, the main character in "The Bionic Woman." Sommers becomes superhuman when she is saved from a skydiving accident by receiving bionic implants. She becomes a CIA operative in exchange for the life-saving implants, an agreement arranged by her boyfriend, "Six Million Dollar Man" Steve Austin. Sommers is an example of the survivor character, who is alive against the odds and now not only has to come to grips with the way her body and entire life has changed, but also has to fend for herself during dangerous undercover operations. She is a complex, interesting character whose storyline and personality traits enhance the show dramatically.

These are but a few of the fascinating female characters with which science fiction shows are populated. The genre continues to push the limits with storytelling and character development, which no doubt means there are more exciting, memorable heroines the world has yet to meet.

Matthew DiConti
Author
Moorpark, CA
http://www.matthewdiconti.com/

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