Imagine Film Festival

Imagine started out as the "Weekend of Terror". After several years, this weekend turned into a full-blown festival in 1991, titled the Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival (AFFF[1]). It showed a wide array of international genre films, not just horror but also sci-fi, fantasy, martial arts and anime.

In 2004 the AFFF hosted the Golden Méliès Gala (best European fantastic long and short films).

In 2009, the festival got a new name: Imagine Film Festival. With the name change, the organization wanted to emphasize that the festival had become more focused on films that cannot be strictly defined as fantasy, horror or science fiction over the years.[1]

In 2013, after many years based at the Kriterion, the festival chose the EYE Film Institute as its home base. During the years at Eye, the festival started adding VR experiences as well as games, under the flag of "Imagine Expanded", and extended its science programme.

In 2022, both the timing and the venues were changed: to the end of October instead of mid-April, and at two new base venues.

Imagine takes place at the end of October, at LAB11 and de Filmhallen, both in the western part of Amsterdam.

The festival aims to acquaint both film lovers and the general public with a selection of new and classic films from genres such as fantasy, horror and science fiction. A large part of the program consists of genre films, exploitation films, cult films and obscure films, though the offerings have become increasingly diverse over the years.

The event is organized by the Foundation AFFF for no profit and receives subsidies from the Film Fund and the City of Amsterdam.

Prizes awarded at the festival include:

• Lifetime / Career Achievement Award
• Silver Scream Award
• Méliès (Silver and Gold)
• The Black Tulip Award
• Imagine Time Capsule
• VR Award

• Official website