SFL_2018_A5_PROGRAMME

18 

1 – 7 MAY 2018 SCI-FI-LONDON.COM

WELCOME TO 

SCI-FI-LONDON 2018 

The festival comes of age this 

year, our 18th edition no less. 

I am delighted to once again 

bring a selection of fantastic 

films to the UK. Each year we 

are amazed by the quality and 

breadth of international science 

fiction film, the ideas keep rolling 

in. 

This festival we wanted to 

celebrate the fact that 200 

years ago, Mary Wollstonecraft 

Shelley’s Frankenstein, or 

the Modern Prometheus was 

published. For me, it is really the 

first ‘proper’ science fiction novel 

and it is amazing that we are still 

enchanted by its characters and 

moral questions. Our opening 

night film, CHIMERA, is by no 

means a version of Shelley’s 

work but, it does ask one of the 

questions she posited: do you 

want to live forever? We bring 

again to the big screen a film 

we first showed over 12 years 

ago, SUBJECT TWO. It finds 

the subject and the scientist 

in the wilderness dealing with 

rejuvenation and longevity, again 

– who wants to live forever!? 

Virtual reality seems to be a 

very currrent topic right now 

and, of course, we have films 

that question the morality of 

being able to do what you want 

in a VR world. As a counter to 

Spielberg’s recent blockbuster, 

Ready Player One, we have the 

UK premiere of a brutal Russian 

film called CENSOR – it puts 

characters in a VR world and 

asks them to perform the most 

amoral things they can think of, 

so the programmers can code 

them out, after all it’s just pixels... 

and no one really got murdered 

did they? 

Thanks for coming to our 18th, 

see you at the bar. 

Louis 

Louis Savy 

Founder and 

Festival Director 

“OF WHAT A STRANGE NATURE IS KNOWLEDGE! IT CLINGS 

TO A MIND WHEN IT HAS ONCE SEIZED ON IT LIKE A LICHEN 

ON A ROCK.” 

MARY WOLLSTONECRAFT SHELLEY

OPENING 

NIGHT FILM 

CHIMERA 

TUE 1 MAY 

8.00PM 

STRATFORD 

PICTUREHOUSE 

Dir: Maurice Haaems 

Year: 2018 

Language: English 

Runtime: 80 

Country: USA 

Our opening night film stars Henry 

Ian Cusick (Lost, The 100). 

A brilliant but disturbed scientist’s 

children are in cryogenic suspension, 

while he races to cure their deadly 

disease by decoding the DNA of the 

immortal Turritopsis jellyfish. To 

progress he needs lots of stem cells. 

A manipulative millionaire can help 

but she has her own agenda, 

Inspired by the director’s real life as 

his loved ones struggled with genetic 

disease, Chimera asks the existential 

question “do you want to live forever? “ 

Screens with the UK premiere of 

Nguyen-Anh Nguyen’s short film 

HYPERLIGHT. 

Our gala evening also has a prescreening 

introduction by Dr 

Charlotte Mykura (microbiologist 

and geneticist) who will try to 

separate the science from the 

fiction, and highlight the themes, 

the exaggerations, and the 

sometimes stranger-than-fiction 

realities of nature.” 

In association with 

UK 

PREMIERE 

DIRECTOR 

Q&A 

2 

THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 1 — 7 MAY 2018

DIVISION 19 

CLOSING 

NIGHT FILM 

Reality television has done it all 

hasn’t it? Our news is impartial, 

right? Goverment works for us? 

In 2039 rather than selecting people 

for ‘reality freak shows’ we now use 

prisons as the latest opiate for the 

masses. Viewers get to choose what 

the prisoners eat, what they wear, 

the entertainment they can access – 

even who they must fight. 

So successful has this been that 

the TV company now wants to 

extend beyond the prison walls and 

broadcast the surrounding town’s 

population. Who will stop them? 

If the Truman Show could be any 

darker, then DIVISION 19 takes the 

extra step and questions who we 

are and why, for centuries, we have 

loved watching the misfortune and 

gladiatorial behaviour of others. 

Written and directed by Suzie 

Halewood and a smash hit at Boston 

SciFi Film Festival we are delighted 

to have the London Premiere of this 

cautionary tale. 

SUN 6 MAY 

7.30PM 

STRATFORD 

PICTUREHOUSE 

Dir:S.A. Halewood 

Year: 2017 


Runtime: 93 

Country: UK 

LONDON 

PREMIERE 

DIRECTOR 

Q&A 

THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 1 — 7 MAY 2018 3

KATRINA’S DREAM 

FRI 4 MAY 

9.00PM 

STRATFORD 

PICTUREHOUSE 

Dir: Mirko 

Bischofberger, Dario 

Bichofberger 


Language: French/ 

German/Italian. 

English Subtitles 

Runtime: 84 

Country: Switzerland 

Katrina wants a child but her 

boyfriend Louis doesn’t. 

He is a an older man, a hedonist and 

doesn’t want to spoil the life he has. 

They split up and Katrina must look 

elsewhere, eventually pairing up 

with Louis’ friend Ron, who becomes 

the man of her life and they talk of 

raising a family, with Louis’ blessing. 

One night, in a drunken state, Ron 

and Louis leave a 50th birthday party 

and the two friends are involved in 

a car accident. Ron suffers severe 

injuries to his head, Louis his body. 

A nearby sanatorium helps recover 

the bodies and a new technique 

offers Katrina some hope; they can 

perform a head transplant; Louis’ 

head on Ron’s body. But what if both 

men survive, merge into one person? 

What will Katrina make of this new 

situation? 

A gentle and beautifully shot black 

comedy, Mary Shelley would have 

loved this! 

We are delighted to hold the world 

premiere of the film. 

WORLD 

PREMIERE 

DIRECTOR 

Q&A 

4 


THE OUTER WILD 

The apocalypse came and went, the 

survivors are few and far between. 

Where some have banded together 

they still battle for power and use 

slavery to ‘better’ their lot. In one 

group, that forces young women to 

be breeders, Laura decides to escape 

her high-tech prison, but a bounty 

hunter, Cole, is sent after her. 

When she meets Cole, things change 

for them both and they must now 

face new threats together. They head 

across the wilderness to find a fabled 

sanctuary that can either save or 

destroy what’s left of humanity. 

Action packed, witty and surreal 

at times, this is the second feature 

by Philip, who had the brilliant 

Frankensteinesque SUBJECT TWO 

in the festival many years ago, which 

we screen as part of our Frankenstein 

Alldayer. 

This is the world premiere of THE 

OUTER WILD and Philip will join us 

to present the film. 

Love Mad Max, The 100, The 

Handmaid’s Tale? This is a fresh, 

succinct mash-up of all your 

favourite PA films. 

SAT 5 MAY 

4.50PM 

STRATFORD 

PICTUREHOUSE 

Dir: Philip Chidel 



Runtime: 84 

Country: USA 

WORLD 

PREMIERE 

DIRECTOR 

Q&A 


CENSOR 

SAT 5 MAY 

9.00PM 

STRATFORD 

PICTUREHOUSE 

Dir: Konstantin 

Shelepov 

Year: 2017 

Language: Russian/ 

English subtitles 

Runtime: 133 

Country: Russia 

UK 

PREMIERE 

Virtual reality, so real it’s 

indistinguishable from real life. 

Zombies, Nazis, Knights in armour - 

the game has it all. 

After some real-world violent crimes 

are linked to gamers, the Ministry 

of Internal Affairs creates a new 

department, “C”, whose agents are 

censors. They must play the games 

and try to exceed the permitted level 

of violence. But two of them become 

rivals and the lines between the real 

and game worlds blur. 

This dark cyberpunk story is as much 

about the fear that computers will 

do our thinking for us as the dangers 

posed by the people who develop 

and control them. 

Censor’s director says, “As we 

develop this tech, should censorship 

become more important? Sci-fi is not 

about tomorrow. It is about today” 

Censor makes Hardcore Henry 

look like a Disney film and slams its 

message down your throat! 

You Ready Player One? 

6 


CYGNUS 

Fabián, is an astronomer on a 

quest to discover the nature of an 

unknown object near the Cygnus 

constellation 30,000 light years from 

Earth. One night, a strange signal 

gives him hope that he might be close 

to solving the mystery of Cygnus. 

His colleagues say he is wasting 

his time, but he thinks the signal 

is targeted at Earth rather than a 

random discovery. 

His superior’s attitude changes and 

Fabián becomes fearful that they will 

steal his discovery. 

He becomes more paranoid and 

strange things begin to take place in 

the observatory. 

Did he really find something or was 

the signal waiting to be found? 

Amazing landscapes and great 

performances make this a solid sci-fi 

tale. 

WED 2 MAY 

9.00PM 

STRATFORD 

PICTUREHOUSE 

Dir: Hugo Félix 

Mercado 

Year: 2017 

Language: Spanish/ 


Runtime: 87 

Country: Mexico 

UK 

PREMIERE 


BLOGGERS 

FRI 4 MAY 

11.00PM 

STRATFORD 

PICTUREHOUSE 

Dir: Angel M. Chivite, 

Alberto Estévezr 

Year: 2017 

Language: Spanish/ 


Runtime: 73 

Country: Spain 

The year is 2078 and the Earth’s 

energy sources are exhausted. 

Nuclear and renewables can’t cope 

with demand. 

Meanwhile, a new power source, 

‘Coltan’ has been discovered on 

Mercury and mining has started, run 

by a multinational conglomerate. 

Helena is the Captain of a ship 

returning from the mines, it should 

be routine but things on-board are 

not what they seem. 

This Spanish film swims in the 

memories of many a great ‘space’ 

movie. At times gory and chilling, 

the modesty of the budget is 

impossible to detect, and the set 

design is really cool. 

We love a good space slasher and 

this is a very solid example. 

UK 

PREMIERE 

8 


PRECOGNITION 

Ripe technologies are a pseudogovernmental 

organisation which 

appear to be trying to create a safer 

and fairer world with new implant 

technology. Negative thought and 

memories have been removed, 

people are given careers and 

relationships they ‘deserve’ based 

on an in-app Karma rating system. 

This world in which every citizen 

lives connected to Ripe’s system 

seems almost perfect, at least on the 

surface. But the digital utopia is not 

without its ghosts. Soon the reality 

with which the characters surround 

themselves starts to unravel, as the 

true nature of the world surfaces. 

Samantha, who secretly works for 

Ripe and manipulates memories, 

discovers her husband James 

beginning to experience visions of a 

woman he doesn’t recognise. 

Unable to correct James’ visions, 

Samantha puts her life on the line. 

Solid scifi story that shows what 

low-budgets can achieve. 

SUN 6 MAY 

2.50PM 

STRATFORD 

PICTUREHOUSE 

Dir: Luke Tedder 



Runtime: 107 

Country: UK 

UK 

PREMIERE 

DIRECTOR 

Q&A 


DEFECTIVE 

TUE 1 MAY 

5.00PM 

STRATFORD 

PICTUREHOUSE 

Dir: Reese 

Eveneshen 

Year: 2017 


Runtime: 101 

Country: Canada 

UK 

PREMIERE 

A new corporation, the S.E.A. have 

been set up to trial a new type of 

police in North America. Uniformed, 

anonymous Preservers of Peace 

investigate, judge, and sentence 

people for even the smallest of 

crimes. 

Rhett, a disillusioned, middle-aged 

man, witnesses first-hand this 

newest law-enforcement mandate, 

which decrees citizens as “defective.” 

The punishment? Instant public 

execution at the hands of ruthless 

enforcers. Rhett, has a run-in with 

the Preservers and has to flee across 

state borders to escape them. 

But, after a surprise visit from 

Jean, his estranged sister, Rhett 

reluctantly now has his sister in tow, 

with the state in close pursuit. 

Dredd?, Robocop? How long before 

we see this kind of ‘protection’ on 

our streets? 

DIRECTOR 

Q&A 

10 


HIDDEN RESERVES 

The corporation sells ‘death 

insurance’. Those who don’t have 

it are forced to remain alive (in 

body only) as repositories of other 

people’s consciousnesses until any 

‘life debt’ they had is repaid. 

Vincent, a top insurance salesmen, 

firmly on the way up the corporate 

ladder, is secure in his work, sleeping 

with his boss, and able to afford an 

extravagent lifestyle, a life that many 

Wall Street brokers would envy. 

One day he meets Lisa, part of an 

activist group that wants an end to 

the storage facilites and the release 

of the human data machines. 

After Vincent fails to secure a rich 

client and is demoted, his one chance 

of regaining his former status is to 

infiltrate this resistance via Lisa. 

Of course, Vincent is drawn to her, 

and questions his own values and his 

drive for power. 

A very slick dystopian noir. 

THU 3 MAY 

7.15PM 

STRATFORD 

PICTUREHOUSE 

Dir: Valentin Hitz 

Year: 2016 

Language: German/ 

Russian/English 

subtitles 

Runtime: 96 

Country: Austria 

UK 

PREMIERE 


HOSTILE 

FRI 4 MAY 

5.15PM 

STRATFORD 

PICTUREHOUSE 

Dir: Mathieu Turi 

Year: 2017 


Runtime: 83 

Country: France 

A global disaster and epidemic has 

left a barren world with strange 

creatures that hunt at night. 

Juliette is one of the few survivors 

left and part of a small organised 

group. She spends her days looking 

for supplies in the dry wastelands, 

using a van that has seen better days. 

Her two-way battery powered radio 

keeps her in contact with home base. 

One day, as she travels back to base, 

an incident causes her to crash. She 

radios base but they can’t get to her 

for hours and darkness is closing in. 

As she tries to get through the night 

she remembers the life she had 

before. 

By turns both romantic and 

terrifying, HOSTILE is an emotional 

roller coaster. It’s perfect for 

cuddling up with a loved one. 

If you like scary movies, you’ll love half 

this film. If you like love stories, you’ll 

enjoy the other half... If you cherish a 

good story, then you’ll love the whole 

thing. AintItCoolNews 

UK 

PREMIERE 

12 


NOTHING REALLY HAPPENS 

You’re having having a conversation 

with someone... and neither of you 

cares... know that feeling? 

Dave Stimple, an unfocused mattress 

store owner, is having issues 

connecting with everyone around 

him. 

He arrives at the shop one morning 

to find the local health and safety 

people have shut him down. Bugs, 

huge bed bugs and lots of complaints 

are cited as the reason. 

Dave is really confused and his 

relationships with his wife, friends, 

and his own humanity seem to 

be devolving and increasingly 

distracting anomalies begin to take 

over his reality. But his issues may 

not be as internal as they seem. 

This is a proper WTF movie that you 

will enjoy unravelling. Sometimes, 

modern life makes us all feel like 

mattress sellers at times. 

WED 2 MAY 

7.10PM 

STRATFORD 

PICTUREHOUSE 

Dir: Justin Petty 

Year: 2017 


Runtime: 101 

Country: USA 

UK 

PREMIERE 


PEACHES 

SAT 5 MAY 

2.50PM 

STRATFORD 

PICTUREHOUSE 

Dir: Héctor M. Valdez 

Year: 2016 


Runtime: 80 

Country: Dominican 

Republic 

FESTIVAL 

PREMIERE 

If time is truly linear and we can’t 

go back, don’t we just have to 

remember the good times? 

Diego loves his girlfriend but after 

a disastrous anniversary trip, she 

declares she’s had enough of him and 

wants to split up. 

He tries to explain why he’s changed 

and reminds her of the ‘good times’ 

they had. t’s not enough! 

Diego has a time machine and vows 

to amend or fix what has happened, 

even if it means competing with 

different versions of himself when 

travelling through time. 

This is a fun-filled play on time-travel 

paradoxes and has some fabulous 

future tech - we love the anti-grav 

Mini. 

Loosley inspired by an Australian 

movie called THE INFINITE MAN 

which we screened in association 

with the London Comedy Film 

Festival. 

14 


THE GATEWAY 

Jane is a particle physicist working 

on the fringe, trying to create a 

teleportation device “you know, like 

in Star Trek” as she says. But the 

machine they’ve built opens a route 

to a parallel dimension. 

The excitement about this is cut 

short however, as Jane receives an 

odd call from her husband saying he 

loves her before hanging up. Later 

she discovers him dead. 

Like ANOTHER EARTH or RANDOM 

QUEST, The Gateway takes us 

through to another universe in 

search of Jane’s husband - perhaps 

he still lives there. 

In the parallel world she finds him 

again, bringing him across to our 

world, but no one guessed there 

would be dire consequences for her 

and her family. 

With a great cast and beautifully 

shot, The Gateway is the kind of 

grown-up sci-fi we love. 

SUN 6 MAY 

5.15PM 

STRATFORD 

PICTUREHOUSE 

Dir: John V. Soto 

Year: 2017 


Runtime: 90 

Country: Australia 

UK 

PREMIERE 

DIRECTOR 

Q&A 


THE ASTRONAUTS’ BODIES 

SAT 5 MAY 

1.00PM 

STRATFORD 

PICTUREHOUSE 

Dir: Alisa Berger 

Year: 2017 

Language: German/ 


Runtime: 74 

Country: Germany 

They say twins can sometimes 

experience each other’s emotions 

and in a dysfunctional family this 

surely can’t be a good thing. 

Anton and Linda are 19 year old 

twins who decide to flee the nest., 

leaving behind, Michael, their single 

alcoholic father and their younger 

sister. Michael stops taking care of 

himself in protest. 

Anton wants to go to space and joins 

a research project, while his sister 

Linda is in search first love is drawn 

to a young man who seems to have 

similar problems to her father. 

Enigmatic and serene, this film is a 

poetic story about the progression 

of thought, dreams of space and the 

organic beauty of the human body, 

its desires and longings. A stunning 

debut. 

UK 

PREMIERE 

16 


VIOLENTIA 

Adam Anderson is a nano-tech 

engineer who has found a way to 

interact with our memories. 

Following his daughter’s death in 

a high school shootout, Anderson 

wants to use his tech to scan through 

the criminal’s memories in an 

obsessive quest to understand why 

he did it and find a cure for violence. 

Enlisted into a government program 

he’s given access to a psychopath’s 

memories as testing ground, leading 

him down a dark path where the 

lines between reality and memory 

begin to blur. 

A very smart and eerie film with 

some great ideas, Violentia takes us 

one step nearer to the potential of 

mind control and its consequences. 

We are delighted to hold the 

international premiere of the film 

and have the director with us for a 

Q&A. 

THU 3 MAY 

9.00PM 

STRATFORD 

PICTUREHOUSE 

Dir: Ray Raghavan 

Year: 2017 


Runtime: 83 

Country: USA 

UK 

PREMIERE 


CLOSER THAN WE THINK 

FRI 4 MAY 

7.10PM 

STRATFORD 

PICTUREHOUSE 

Dir: Brett Ryan 

Bonowicz 

Year: 2017 


Runtime: 85 

Country: USA 

DIRECTOR 

Q&A 

Predicting the future is very 

difficult. We might be able to 

forecast how a trend will develop, 

but individual products? Much 

harder. This is why the work of 

Arthur Radebaugh is so amazing. 

Closer Than We Think is about the 

mid–20th-century comic strip and its 

creator, Arthur Radebaugh. 

The film provides important 

insight into what made the comic a 

foundation for other popular science 

fiction endeavors. More importantly, 

it shows how the strip directly 

encouraged nascent engineers and 

scientists to actualize the future 

described therein. 

The film also contains interviews 

with the legendary Syd Mead (TRON, 

BLADE RUNNER). 

A must-see for everyone, but 

certainly for those into futurism, 

tech, design, advertising or a 

nostalgic view of the future. 

UK 

PREMIERE 

documentary programme 

18 


WORD FROM A GAMER 

Have you played Dungeons and 

Dragons, Catan, Magic The 

Gathering or any of the myriad 

other tabletop games? If the answer 

is yes you’ll love the warmth and 

testimony in this film. If you are 

new to these kind of games, you’ll 

probably rush out after and grab 

some dice and a few books! 

Word From a Gamer is a heart-felt 

love letter of a documentary, that 

explores the tabletop gaming world, 

the people who make the games, and 

the people who play them. 

Interviews with D&D creators, TSR, 

with the editors of Dragon magazine, 

and numerous conventions goers 

and players of all types, make this a 

documentary designed to get you 

lost in a game world! 

To help you along, our friends at 

EXP, the gaming bar, will be playing 

games in the foyer - don’t be shy, 

come play something! 

In association with 

SUN 6 MAY 

1.00PM 

STRATFORD 

PICTUREHOUSE 

Dir: Steve Wollett 

Year: 2017 


Runtime: 92 

Country: USA 

documentary programme 

UK 

PREMIERE 


PROGRAMME 

SCI-FI-LONDON 2018 

TITLE VENUE DATE TIME 

SHORTS 1 SPH TUE 1 MAY 1.00PM 

SHORTS 2 SPH TUE 1 MAY 3.00PM 

DEFECTIVE SPH TUE 1 MAY 5.00PM 

CHIMERA SPH TUE 1 MAY 8.00PM 

SHORTS 1 SPH WED 2 MAY 3.10PM 

SHORTS 2 SPH WED 2 MAY 5.00PM 

NOTHING REALLY HAPPENS SPH WED 2 MAY 7.10PM 

48HOUR CHALLENGE AWARDS SPH WED 2 MAY 8.45PM 

CYGNUS SPH WED 2 MAY 9.00PM 

SHORTS 3 SPH THU 3 MAY 1.00PM 





SFL PUB QUIZ & COMEDY NIGHT PITCH THU 3 MAY 7.00PM 

HIDDEN RESERVES SPH THU 3 MAY 7.15PM 

VIOLENTIA SPH THU 3 MAY 9.00PM 

#HACKSTOCK: L00PSPACE EVENT SPH FRI 4 MAY 1.00PM 

SHORTS 3 SPH FRI 4 MAY 1.00PM 

SHORT FILM AT PITCH PITCH FRI 4 MAY 2.00PM 

SHORTS 4 SPH FRI 4 MAY 3.00PM 

HOSTILE SPH FRI 4 MAY 5.15PM 

CLOSER THAN WE THINK SPH FRI 4 MAY 7.10PM 

KATRINA’S DREAM SPH FRI 4 MAY 9.00PM 

BLOGGERS SPH FRI 4 MAY 11.00PM 

SHORTS 5 SPH SAT 5 MAY 11.00AM 

THE ASTRONAUTS’ BODIES SPH SAT 5 MAY 1.00PM 

SHORT FILM AT PITCH PITCH SAT 5 MAY 2.00PM 

PEACHES SPH SAT 5 MAY 2.50PM 

SCI-FIDO COSPLAY FOR DOGS SPH SAT 5 MAY 3.00PM 

THE OUTER WILD SPH SAT 5 MAY 4.50PM 

20 


THE MADS - LIVE RIFF SHOW SPH SAT 5 MAY 7.00PM 

CENSOR SPH SAT 5 MAY 9.00PM 

MST3K SCREENING SPH SAT 5 MAY 11.10PM 

WORD FROM A GAMER SPH SUN 6 MAY 1.00PM 

PRECOGNITION SPH SUN 6 MAY 2.50PM 

THE GATEWAY SPH SUN 6 MAY 5.15PM 

DIVISION 19 SPH SUN 6 MAY 7.30PM 

FRANKENSTEIN ALLDAYER SPH MON 7 MAY 1.00PM 

For those of you who want to stay out a bit later, festival visitors are welcome to use the bar at Moxy Stratford until 1.00am 

each night - it’s just across the road from the cinema! 

HOW TO GET TO STRATFORD: 

OUR VENUES: 

STRATFORD PICTUREHOUSE (SPH) 

Salway Rd, London E15 1BX 

0871 902 5740 

www.picturehouses.com 

@SEPicturehouse 

PITCH STRATFORD (P) 

2 Bridge Terrace, London E15 3FF 

www.pitchstratford.com 

@PitchStratford 

MOXY HOTEL: STRATFORD 

86 Great Eastern Road E15 1GR 

020-3608 9864 

#ATTHEMOXY 

Ticket prices vary – see relevant pages for links or online at sci-fi-london.com 


M 

ODERN 

PROMETHEUS 

FRANKENSTEIN ALLDAYER 

200 years ago, the gothic science fiction 

novel, Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus, 

was written by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. 

There have been many portrayals of ‘the 

monster’ in film, the most recognisable being 

Karloff’s. Join us for a day that celebrates the 

author, the book and the monster. 

The line-up includes: 

• YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN 

• ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN 

• SUBJECT TWO 

• BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN 

• THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURESHOW 

MON 7 MAY £15.00 

1.00 - 10.00PM 

TICKETS FROM: 

sfl.to/frank 

22 

KARLOFF’S FACE MASK? 

FRANK N. FURTER’S STOCKINGS? 

COME DRESSED UP 

PRIZES FOR THE BEST!!! 


LIVE MOVIE RIFFING! 

Before Beavis & Butthead did it, 

talking over crappy video, or riffing 

as it is known, was pioneered by 

an American comedy show called 

Mystery Science Theater 3000 

(MST3K). 

The movies are bad, but the riffs 

are brilliant and will make you cry 

laughing! 

We are delighted that two of the 

original MST3K cast, Frank Conniff 

and Trace Beaulieu, are coming from 

the USA to ‘riff’ live over one of Ed 

Wood’s terrible films; GLEN OR 

GLENDA. Ed made the classic Plan 

9 from Outer Space before he made 

Glen. 

It is his statement on cross-dressing 

- it’s a corker with a message and 

features some surreal moments 

with horror legend Bela Lugosi. 

This is a one-off UK appearance 

by The Mads, and a night not to 

be missed. 

Tickets from: 

sfl.to/mads 

SAT 5 MAY 

7.00PM 

TICKETS FROM 

SFL.TO/MADS 

in association with 


discovering 

creating 

evolving 

proud to support 

@fatcontman 

FatContManagementLtd 

@fatcontman 

www.fb.com/fatcontman

BLINK OF AN EYE 

SHORT FILM PROGRAMME 

SCI-FI-LONDON loves short film! We think short film is perfect for science fiction, it 

gives filmmakers the chance to play with ideas and high concepts without having to 

add drama for the sake of filling ninety minutes. We’ve watched hundreds of films and 

selected our favourites! We hope you can make it one of our shorts programmes at 

Stratford Picturehouse - see them on the big screen! 

THE REPLACEMENT 

BEST SHORT FILM 2018 

THE REPLACEMENT (SHORTS 1) 

(Dir. Sean Miller. 17mins, 2017, United States.) 

Some days, don’t you think that in a parallel universe there must 

be a better version of you? Well, in this smart film, your clones 

can be better than you! On election night 2036, a janitor feels 

cheated out of a life he might have lived when his own clone 

becomes President. We loved this film. 

SHORT FILM TIMETABLE 

SHORTS 1 

SHORTS 2 

1 MAY 1.00PM 1 MAY 3.00PM 

2 MAY 3.10PM 2 MAY 5.00PM 

3 MAY 3.10PM 3 MAY 5.10PM 

SHORTS 3 

2 MAY 1.00PM 

3 MAY 1.00PM 

4 MAY 1.00PM 

SHORTS 4 

2 MAY 1.10PM 

3 MAY 1.10PM 

4 MAY 3.00PM 

SHORTS 5 

2 MAY 3.00PM 

3 MAY 3.00PM 

5 MAY 11.00AM 

We also have selected shorts from the selection playing all day 

Friday and Saturday on the outdoor screen at Pitch. 

LOOK OUT FOR HEADSETS AROUND THE FESTIVAL SHOWING OUR VR SHORTS 

THE TRAIN HAMASEN 7DS THE ARGOS FILE TOXIC AVENGER DREAMS OF BLUE 

THE TRAIN HAMASEN. Kuan Yuan LAI (8mins, 2017, Taiwan) 

People waiting for a train to start a journey through time and space. 

7DS. Axel Bonnot (4.5mins, 2017, France) 

Which deadly sin are you guilty of? 

THE ARGOS FILE. Josema Roig (3.5mins, 2017, USA) 

In 2029, 5.6 billion people have the Argos Mnemo Chip implanted. 

THE TOXIC AVENGER : HEART OF FARTNESS. Lloyd Kaufman (15mins, 2017, USA) 

Toxie has a major mid-life crisis and must travel to a mythical land. 

DREAMS OF BLUE. Valentina Paggiarin (12mins, 2017, Italy) 

What happens inside the “mind” of an Artificial Intelligence. 




ATTACK OF THE CYBER OCTOPUSES 

SHORTS 1 

ATTACK OF THE CYBER OCTOPUSES 

(Dir. Nicola Piovesan. 20mins, 2017, Estonia.) 

Neo-Berlin, 2079. A dark city run by mega corporations - where the only way 

to enjoy life is in cyberspace. Ready player one? 

BRIDE OF FRANKIE 

M.A.M.O.N 

OUTPOST 

REFUGE 

ROGUE TROOPER 

THE BOOGEYS 

THE ENDLESS 


BRIDE OF FRANKIE 

(Dir. Devi Snively. 19mins, 2017, United States.) 

A feminist nod to Shelley’s FRANKENSTEIN, a not-so-mad scientist builds a 

mate for her mentor’s lonely creation with electrifying results. 

M.A.M.O.N. (MONITOR AGAINST MEXICANS OVER 

NATIONWIDE) 

(Dir. Alejandro Damiani. 6mins, 2016, Uruguay.) 

Mexico and the USA are divided by an enormous wall, war breaks out 

between a Trump-like mecha robot and the stereotyped Mexicans. 

OUTPOST 

(Dir. Justin Giddings, Ryan Welsh. 17mins, 2018, United States.) 

In the furthest outpost in space the astronaut is forced to protect his 

humanity. 

REFUGE 

(Dir. Simon Bishopp. 4mins, 2017, United Kingdom.) 

A woman seeks retribution after being displaced by the arrival of refugees 

from a future civilisation. 

ROGUE TROOPER: THE QUARTZ MASSACRE 

(Dir. Adam Kirley. 7mins, 2018, United Kingdom.) 

Based on the Rebellion Comic character, Rogue Trooper once again faces 

impossible odds in another alien war. 

THE BOOGEYS 

(Dir. Sanjay François Sharma. 15mins, 2017, Canada.) 

Earth is now a ghetto run by alien overlords. Dawkins, an ex-cop must track 

down a missing child about to be sold to the ‘Boogeys’. 

THE ENDLESS 

(Dir. Edouard Calemard. 4mins, 2017, France.) 

At the top of a tower high above the clouds, a technician is drawn towards a 

mysterious phenomenon in the sky. 


(Dir. Sean Miller. 17mins, 2017, United States.) 

On election night 2036, a janitor feels cheated out of a life he might have 

lived when his own clone becomes President. 

THE VERY NEAR FUTURE 

(Dir. Sebastian Egert. 4mins, 2017, Germany.) 

In the very near Future a man tries to order a pizza online. 

THE VERY NEAR FUTURE 

26 




SHORTS 2 

CAPTURE 

(Dir. Alex Igbanoi. 10mins, 2017, United Kingdom.) 

A women steals the world’s most advanced breakthrough in technology. Her 

attempt to control it accidentally puts the lives of others at risk. 

CARONTE 

(Dir. Luis Tinoco Pineda. 15mins, 2017, Spain.) 

A space fighter pilot tries to survive a huge space battle while a girl lies in 

hospital in another time and place. 

CELL 

(Dir. Paul Holbrook. 10mins, 2017, United Kingdom.) 

At the height of WW2, a deserter awakens in a Nazi prison alongside a 

female prisoner. Unwitting test subjects in a cruel experiment. 

COSMIC DENTAL ASSOCIATES OF CLIFTON, NJ 

(Dir. J.P. Chan. 3mins, 2017, United States.) 

Cosmic Dental Associates of Clifton, NJ is the leading astro-dentistry 

practice in the tri-state area. 

DOCTOR OF MONSTER 

(Dir. Gustavo Teixeira. 11mins, 2017, Brazil.) 

Young Dudu has already chosen his future profession, he will face his fears to 

become a Doctor for Monsters. 

GHOSTCODE 

(Dir. Patrick Defasten/Audint. 9mins, 2017, Germany.) 

Advancements in sonic warfare lead to a net-born artificial intelligence. 

GLITCH 

(Dir. Richard Bodsworth. 10mins, 2017, United Kingdom.) 

A desperate wife must take extreme measures to save her husband while 

overcoming the challenge of a technology bent on thwarting her efforts. 

THE COSMONAUT 

(Dir. Nina Parker Noon. 5mins, 2017, United Kingdom.) 

A tale of stupidity winning over intelligence. Using an unsual 2-D cut out 

animation on real stop-motion sets. 

THE JUMP 

(Dir. Andy Sowerby. 9mins, 2017, United Kingdom.) 

An astronaut braves a pioneering solo mission into deep space, leaving 

behind her loving husband. 

THE SUPER RECOGNISER 

(Dir. Jennifer Sheridan. 11mins, 2017, United Kingdom.) 

Scott, a seemingly normal young man with a very special talent of 90% facial 

recognition, is recruited to work in a secret government initiative. 

THE WATER PHOENIX 

(Dir. Bola Ogun. 10mins, 2017, United States.) 

Mermaid Anya held captive in an aquarium falls out of love with her 

caretaker. 

CAPTURE 

THEY WILL ALL DIE IN SPACE 

CELL 

COSMIC DENTAL ASSOCIATES 

DOCTOR OF MONSTER 

GHOSTCODE 

GLITCH 

THE WATER PHOENIX 

THE COSMONAUT 

THE JUMP 

THE SUPER RECOGNISER 




CHRONOCEPTION 

CORPUCIA 

E.RO.SION, NOUN 

GOOD LIFE 

I AM THE DOORWAY 

STRINGS 

THE LAST DANCE 

SHORTS 3 

CHRONOCEPTION 

(Dir. Nik Perleros. 12mins, 2017, United States.) 

If time travellers told you that your firstborn son would be the next Hitler, 

would you still have sex? 

CORPUCIA 

(Dir. Drew V. Marke. 13mins, 2018, United Kingdom.) 

A couple is interrogated by agents who are looking for aliens. One knows 

nothing. One is lying. But which one? 

E.RO.SION, NOUN 

(Dir. Catriona Rubenis-Stevens. 15mins, 2018, United States.) 

A woman checks into the “Goodbye Clinic” to have her life deleted. 

GOOD LIFE 

(Dir. Shoshana Rae Stark. 12mins, 2017, Austria.) 

A cautionary tale about water and big corporate interests. 

I AM THE DOORWAY 

(Dir. Simon Pearce. 20mins, 2018, United Kingdom.) 

Based on the short story by Stephen King. Astronaut Arthur returns home 

and believes alien eyes are forcing their way through the skin of his hands. 

STRINGS 

(Dir. Ruini Shi. 5mins, 2017, United Kingdom.) 

A virtual affair in an obsolete futuristic game. 

THE LAST DANCE 

(Dir. Chris Keller. 8mins, 2017, United Kingdom.) 

Old Hugo is making something… Something great... Something to reunite him 

with his wife. 

THE PASSING 

(Dir. Ankur Kapoor. 10mins, 2017, India.) 

The humans of the future have embraced an AI controlled utopia. ‘The 

Passing’ is a short documentary from that time. 

THE TOLLS 

(Dir. Liz Anderson. 20mins, 2017, United States.) 

It’s WWII and secret SS technology can send you to an alternative Nazi 

occupied San Francisco. 

THE PASSING 

THE TOLLS 

VISAGE 

28 




SHORTS 4 

BE MY GUEST 

(Dir. David Jermyn. 12mins, 2017, Canada.) 

Tim and Claire hope to fix their money problems using mind-transfer 

technology that allows Tim to rent out his body. 

ECHO AND SOLOMON 

(Dir. Jem Garrard. 11mins, 2017, Canada.) 

Two women struggle to survive in a world dominated by Artificial 

Intelligence. 

EYE CONTACT 

(Dir. Stuart Mannion. 9mins, 2017, Australia.) 

In the future you’ll still be able to meet someone in a bar, but will you be able 

to connect? 

HOMUNCULUS - CLOCKWORK A.I. 

(Dir. Andrew Woodward. 6mins, 2017, United Kingdom.) 

An inventor in a dystopian city has a plan to save the world. Featuring 

Andrew Woodward’s clockwork metal head sculptures. 

MOTHER, A SCI-FI FAIRY TALE 

(Dir. Barry J Gibb. 10mins, 2017, United States.) 

Jill’s maternal drive is unbearable, she hears of new tech that can ensure the 

next man she encounters will become the father of her child. 

BE MY GUEST 

VOYAGER 

ECHO AND SOLOMON 

EYE CONTACT 

HOMUNCULUS - COLCKWORK A.I 

OVUM 

(Dir. Cidney Hue. 8mins, 2018, United States.) 

Rosalyn must make a hard choice after a mind bending procedure. 

PLANET 

Dir. Bill Sebastian. 10mins, 2017, United States.) 

A husband buys his wife a planet for their anniversary. Five years later, they 

find the national space agency at their door. 

PULSAR 

(Dir. Aurora Fearnley. 17mins, 2018, United Kingdom.) 

A Peacemaker, is on his final mission when a solar storm hits his ship. - A 

modern retelling of the story of Jonah in the Belly of the Whale. 

THE RIGHT CHOICE 

(Dir. Tomisin Adepeju. 10mins, 2017, United Kingdom.) 

With the help of The Adviser, a husband and wife must answer three 

seemingly harmless questions to create their perfect designer baby. 

VISAGE 

(Dir. Blake Hodges, Jackson Tobiska. 10mins, 2017, United States.) 

It’s a hot topic, the limited minority representation in Hollywood, one actor 

will try to change things. 

VOYAGER 

(Dir. Kjersti Helen Rasmussen. 8mins, 2017, Norway.) 

Something has landed on the arctic island of Svalbard where the Global Seed 

Vault gets an unexpected visit. 

MOTHER, A SCI-FI FAIRY TALE 

OVUM 

PLANET 

PULSAR 

THE RIGHT CHOICE 




ANOTHER GAME 

RABBITS 

CONTRACTOR 014352 

EXO 

HALEY 

BENEFITS 

MEMORIAL TO THE FUTURE 

ONCE UPON A PLANET 

PRENATAL 

SHORTS 5 

ANOTHER GAME 

(Dir. Riyad Barmania. 9mins, 2017, United Kingdom.) 

A group has signed up to a mysterious lottery with disturbingly high stakes, 

where their thirst for dominance blinds them to the risk they take. 

CONTRACTOR 014352 

(Dir. SIMON RYNINKS. 14mins, 2017, United Kingdom.) 

Real and imaginary worlds collide when a lonely data entry clerk reaches 

through his computer screen, in search of a genuine connection. 

EXO 

(Dir. Hiroki Yokoyama. 9mins, 2018, Japan.) 

A future London where new criminal laws for ex-offenders are enacted. 

HALEY 

(Dir. Corey Sevier. 20mins, 2017, United States.) 

After an alien invasion leaves the world in chaos, a young father treks across 

the dying planet in a final act of humanity. 

MEMORIAL TO THE FUTURE 

(Dir. Patricia McInroy. 7mins, 2017, United States.) 

Riverside, Iowa may be one of the few places famous for an event that has 

not yet happened. People come there from around the world to celebrate 

the future birth of Captain James T. Kirk. 

ONCE UPON A PLANET 

(Dir. Peter J.S. Regan. 7mins, 2017, United States.) 

A young astronomer finds her calls to the stars answered with unexpected 

results. 

RABBITS 

(Dir. Alex Alexandrou. 12mins, 2017, United Kingdom.) 

Brothers Richmond and Arthur think they are the last survivors in a postapocalyptic 

London until there is a knock on their door. 

PRENATAL 

(Dir. Bears Fonte. 11mins, 2017, United States.) 

Mysteriously eight months pregnant overnight, Katie believes the Angels 

responsible, but her sister thinks differently. 

THALAMOS 

(Dir. Scott Robson, Andrew Jaksch. 23mins, 2017, Australia.) 

After a successful mission to the ZRS, a research station orbiting Mars, 

astronaut Commander Charlie Shaw finds himself alone on the red planet. 

BENEFITS 

(Dir. Edward Lomas. 3mins, 2017, United Kingdom.) 

England 2028; Adeel, needs his benefit cheque for the month. The welfare 

state is crumbling and the public sector is now fully automated. 

THALAMOS

369 high street, 

stratford, 

london, 

e15 4qz 

@zapspaceldn 

@pitchstratford 


Bunny Galore, our fabulous Dog Show compère 

FREE EVENT 

ALL WELCOME! 

SCI-FIDO 

DOG SHOW 

It’s not all serious 

dystopias and paranoia 

at the festival, DOGSTAR 

PHOTOS present our 

cosplay for dogs! In aid of 

the amazing charity, 

ALL DOGS MATTER. 

Got a four-legged friend who 

likes to dress up as a sci-fi or 

fantasy character? Or a pooch 

that looks like Leia? Bring 

them along to our ‘dressed-up 

dog’ photo session. 

Hosted by the glamorous 

Bunny Galore, parade your 

dogs outside Stratford 

Picturehouse on SAT 5 MAY 

at 3.00PM, 

Have your dog professionally 

photographed for free and the 

best dressed dogs will 

win goody bags and 

a framed print of their photo! 

Sign up at sfl.to/dogstar 

SCI-FI-LONDON 

PUB QUIZ 

Think you know your 

Alphas from your Zardoz? 

Louis Savy and Tom Hunter 

invite you to the toughest 

SF quiz in the galactic 

spiral arm. Put a team 

together and come take the 

challenge! 

Your ticket gets you: 

a cocktail on arrival and 

post quiz comedy show 

comedy’ show “EVIL 

CYBORG SEA MONSTERS” by 

Michael Capozzola. 

It’s part stand up comedy/ 

part PowerPoint, ready 

made for Sci-Fi & Comic 

book fans... like us! 

Sign up at sfl.to/pubquiz 

SCI-FI-LONDON PUB QUIZ 

takes place at PITCH on 

Thurs 3 MAY AT 7PM. 

Tickets cost £10 per 

head and proceeds go to 

Clarke’s chosen charity, 

REBUILDING SRI LANKA. 


THE SCI-FI-LONDON 

48 HOUR FILM CHALLENGE and 

FLASH FICTION CHALLENGE 

It’s simple: make a 5 minute short film or 

write 2000 words in two days! 

Back in 2008 when Gareth Edwards 

(GODZILLA, STAR WARS: ROGUE ONE) 

won, we had around 50 teams take part 

in the film challenge. This year over 300 

teams entered! 

Each year we have incredible films and 

mind-bending stories submitted, it just 

goes to show that you really don’t need 

huge budgets and special effects to 

make a good sci-fi. 

The 2018 film challenge is our 10th 

anniversary and we are delighted to 

have our first winner, Gareth, on the 

jury. We are also pleased to offer some 

great prizes to the winners, including kit 

from Adobe and Black Magic Design. 

Look out for the films online at 

sfl.to/48hour. 

We also had over 500 people 

worldwide writing for the Flash 

Fiction challenge in association with 

UrbanFantasist.com - tasking people 

to write 2000 words in a weekend. 

The winners of this year’s challenges 

are announced WED 2 MAY, 2018. 

A big thank you to all those who took 

part and to our incredible jury panels: 

FILM JURY 

Michele Fazekas 

Tara Butters 

Gareth Edwards 

Ben Roberts 

Glyn Dillon 

Garen Daly 

WRITING JURY 

Dr Una McCormack 

Marie O’Regan 

Jonathan Pinnock 

Charles Christian (Chair) 

top down: Michele Fazekas, Tara Butters, Gareth Edwards, Garen Daly, Glyn Dillon, Ben Roberts, Una McCormack, Marie O’Regan, Jonathan Pinnock 

34 


#HACKSTOCK: MAY THE FOURTH 

SCI-FI-LONDON, DOUBLEME, 

PSYCHFI & RAVENSBOURNE PRESENT 

THE MIXED REALITY EXPERIENCE 

PLAYGROUND 

Join us for the HoloLens world premiere of 

LoopSpace, a free social holographic mixed reality 

experience platform. 

You can play with VR, meet some telerobots and 

we’ll even have realtime cosplay holoportation 

between the Ravensbourne HoloPortal and Stratford 

Picturehouse. 

We’ll be questioning everything with a pop up 

TALKAOKE special, come play with the mixed 

reality kit and be ready for the future. 

“Tech can be a gateway to empowerment and 

information, but a lack of accountability can see its 

potential turn sour. Brexit and the rise of Donald 

Trump show just how powerful the spread of 

unaccountable information can be. More than ever, 

authenticity is key in earning the trust of users. 

The ethical burden of developing powerful online 

mediums should weigh heavy on the shoulders of the 

technology giants” 

James E. Marks, Youth Marketing Strategy 2017 

“In the corner of a UK research center is a 

rather unassuming blue room. It’s in this 

room, however, where the future of virtual, 

augmented & mixed reality content creation 

lies – & it’s called HoloPortal.” 

MSN News 

Supported by 

HACKSTOCK: MAY THE FOURTH 

4 MAY 2018, 12.30 – 11.00PM 

STRATFORD PICTUREHOUSE & 

RAVENSBOURNE. FREE EVENT 


SCI-FI-LONDON 

CREDITS AND THANKS 

Festival Producer 

Social Media Jedi: 

Web Developer: 

Staff Wrangler: 

App developer: 

Festival PR: 

Print Traffic: 

Hackstock Curator: 

Marta Calderón Quiñones 

Georgie Knight 

Shazad Ahmed 

Ali Hall 

Ketan Majmudar 

Frazer Nash Communications & PR 

Dean Monahan, Media Servicing 

James Marks 

As is typical in the printed festival programme, we would like to thank 

our friends and supporters for helping the festival this year. In no order, 

but deserving of a special mention are: 

David Lally 

Alex Fitch for those excellent Q&As 

Vince, Matt and the team at EXP. 

Thomas Atherton 

The staff at Picturehouse Stratford 

Concatenation.org 

Glam Sci 

The challenge jurors 

Charles Christian 

Ian Morrison 

Suzanne Gorman 

Tom Hunter 

Lorraine Savy 

Amanda Roberts 

Tony Watts 

Robert Grant 

All the people who pushed their 

films our way. 

Our lovely sponsors and partners 

And all the festival volunteers – 

couldn’t do it without them. 

Sure we have stupidly forgotten a 

few and of course there are those 

who, quite rightly, wish to remain 

anonymous – we thank you all! 

[ FESTIVAL APP ] 

Put the festival in your pocket 

with our 2018 app. It’s got the full 

festival programme, access to news, 

short films, special offers and an 

audio library of old time SF. 

It’s free and available for 

iOS and Android. sfl.to/app 

Errors and omissions? Probably. 

Sorry if we made a few typos etc.

moxy 

PLAY ON 

MOXY LONDON 

STRATFORD 

ALL SPECIES PLAY ON AT MOXY LONDON STRATFORD. 

A PLACE TO GO VIRAL NEAR SCI-FI LONDON 

86 GREAT EASTERN ROAD LONDON I +44-20-3608 9864 

www.moxylondonstratford.com I crew.lonof@moxylonof.com 

#ATTHEMOXY I @MOXYHOTELS I MOXYHOTELS.COM

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SCI-FI AND FANTASY MAGAZINE 

IN PRINT AND ON 

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