By Sofia Lambis, Deputy Editor
Launched in 2022, Forbidden Worlds Film Festival is Bristol’s leading genre film festival dedicated to screening repertory fantasy, action, science-fiction and horror films from around the world, and celebrating the people that made them.
This year's theme is myths and legends, and the festival promises four days of heroic warriors, fantastical realms and ferocious beasts.
Highlights include a 45th anniversary screening of Clash of the Titans, samurai adventure The Legend of the 8 Samurai. and the new 4K restoration of Arthurian classic Excalibur.
'It’s clear that the fantasy genre has never been bigger,' says Forbidden Worlds co-director Timon Singh. 'However when it comes to film festivals, it is very rarely represented, with genre programmers often tending to favour sci-fi or horror. That is why this year, we’re all out with a wide range of classic and cult films featuring swords and sorcery.'
Renowned armourer Terry English, who created costumes and swords for classic films, including Gladiator, Excalibur and Aliens, is this year's special guest. Festivalgoers will even get to examine hand-made armour and props from some of his films.
The festival's venue is almost as intriguing as its line-up, held bi-annually at the Bristol Aquarium. No, the building's giant curved wing isn’t home to sharks. It houses the second largest screen in the South West, an IMAX cinema hidden in plain sight.
For a decade it went unused, and largely faded from public memory, before being revived by Bristol’s film-loving community. Renamed Bristol Megascreen, the 300-seater now hosts a variety of screenings throughout the year, including Forbidden Worlds.
The festival line-ups are often selected from the archives of 20th Century Flicks, Bristol's very own DVD rental store. Its owner, Dave Taylor, co-directs Forbidden Worlds alongside cinephile Timon Singh.
Feature image: Sofia Lambis | EpigramFor the full line-up, visit www.forbiddenworldsfilmfestival.co.uk
