| Boston Fantastic Film Festival |
| Tuesday, September 23, 2003 For Immediate Release: Brattle Film Foundation Launches New Genre Film Festival: The Brattle Film Foundation in association with Steven Jay Schneider - an authority on world horror cinema, curator of horror film programs, and editor of the books "Fear Without Frontiers: Horror Cinema Across The Globe," "Horror International," and "Dark Thoughts" - have teamed up to produce the first annual BOSTON FANTASTIC FILM FESTIVAL (BFFF). Each year, the BFFF will feature screenings of the best horror, science fiction, fantasy, and cult films from across the country and around the world (as well as the occasional high-quality thriller, action epic, or dark comedy). In our inaugural year, the festival will run for one week, from October 17-23, 2003. In subsequent years, we will build partnerships and expand the Festival to a two-week event that includes panels, readings, and visiting film artists. While most major film festivals in the U.S. include a midnight or cult film sidebar, there are very few festivals that exclusively feature genre films. In Europe, Asia, and Canada successful and internationally known festivals are devoted to pulling together the best and brightest from all genres. Modeled on these outstanding festivals, the BFFF will offer an important showcase in the States for films that have both artistic and commercial value but may otherwise be overlooked as B-movie fare. As a venue for this festival, the Brattle Theatre is a wonderful asset. Located in the heart of busy and eclectic Harvard Square, the Brattle boasts a dedicated audience of movie-lovers, an audience that takes chances and sets trends. From the Humphrey Bogart "cult" of the 1950s to the auteur directors of the 60s and 70s to the Hong Kong Action and Anime crazes of the 90s, the Brattle has led the way in introducing essential and innovative films to Boston and the country. Now under the guidance of the non-profit Brattle Film Foundation, whose mission is to celebrate film as a popular and fine art, the theater's programming promises to be as forward-looking as ever in the years to come. Using this historic cinema as a foundation, the BFFF intends to found a new East Coast outpost for fans of cult film and innovative cinema. We are in the preliminary stages of planning for this year's Festival and are extremely excited about the developing line-up. The festival will feature U.S., regional, and Boston premieres of some of the most fascinating films of the past few years as well as special screenings of some genre classics. As the roster of films is established, more releases will be issued. The schedule and full list of films will be available to the public on Friday, October 3rd at the Brattle Theatre and other locations around Boston. |
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