VII EDITION

In its seventh edition, the Elche International Fantastic Film Festival – FANTAELX celebrated the fortieth anniversary of Alien, the film directed by Ridley Scott. The illustrator Joan Martín Giménez designed the poster inspired by one of the most important cinematographic works of science-fiction and horror, which was screened during the festival.

The festival was held from November 14 to 16, 2019, and among its activities took place the II International Congress of Fantastic Genre, Audiovisuals and New Technologies, whose main theme line was science-fiction in the cosmological context. Short films were also screened again, with recognized works of science fiction, horror and fantasy.

The seventh edition of the festival was organized by the Black Unicorn Association, the Art Department of the UMH, and the Massiva Research Group, and had the support of the Department of Culture of the City of Elche, Visit Elche, the Congress Center “Ciutat d’Elx”, Miguel Hernández University, the Vicerectorate of Culture and University Extension, the Odeon Cinemas, the Aljub Shopping Center, or the cinema merchandise shop Cinema Paradiso.

All festival activities were free access until full capacity, without prior reservation of invitation.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2019 – MORNING – AUDITORIUM OF THE CONGRESS CENTER “CIUTAT D’ELX” (see map)

9:30h-13:10h: FIRST SESSION OF THE II INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF FANTASTIC GENDER, AUDIOVISUALS AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES.

The objective of the congress is the diffusion of research studies within the different thematic lines of the Fantastic Genre, covering all its possible variants and platforms: cinema, television, theater, literature, comics, videogames, virtual reality, etc.

9:30h. Welcome and inauguration.
9:40h. Dystopian narratives in the video game and reader immersion: from androids to lunar creatures. Rocío Serna-Rodrigo (University of Alicante).
10:00h. The production of space from the interdimensional realities of Rick and Morty. Diana Mitzi González Fonseca (Complutense University of Madrid).
10:20h. Democracy, totalitarianism and globalization: when dystopia illustrates political and economic concepts in science fiction. Michelle Lucy Copmans (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium).
10:40h. Do readers dream of flying ships? Reading and Education of the future. Dr. José Rovira-Collado (University of Alicante).
11:00h. Break.
11:30h. Literature, photography and social commitment: Apocalipsis de Solentiname, by Julio Cortázar. Laura Ros Cases (University of Murcia).
11:50h. The male imagination of the disaster: the sexual predator of outer space in audiovisual science fiction. Dr. Lluís Anyó (Ramon Llull University, Barcelona).
12:10h. The Bobby Fuller Four, an animated project between documentary and fantasy. Arly Jones, Sami Natsheh and Rudy Mercado (Miguel Hernández University of Elche).
12:30h. They follow: experiments in formal distribution of contemporary horror films. Dr. Antoni Roig, Dr. Judith Clares-Gavilan and Dr. Jordi Sánchez-Navarro (UOC – Open University of Catalonia, Barcelona).
12:50h. Love, Death & Philosophy: A philosophical itinerary through science fiction stories. Deborah Rodríguez Rodríguez (University of Navarra).
13:10h. Closing of the first day.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2019 – AFTERNOON – ODEON CINEMAS (ROOM B) (see map)

20:30h: SCREENING OF THE FEATURE FILM “ALIEN” (1979), BY RIDLEY SCOTT (VOSE).

The Fox classic, directed by Ridley Scott and starring Sigourney Weaver, is considered one of the most important cinematographic works of Science-Fiction. In commemoration of its 40th anniversary, it will be enjoyed again on the big screen during the festival. The screening of the feature film will be on Thursday, November 14 in Room B of the Odeon Cinemas at 8:30 p.m., with free access until full capacity is reached.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2019 – MORNING – AUDITORIUM OF THE CONGRESS CENTER “CIUTAT D’ELX”

9:30h-13:10h: SECOND SESSION OF THE II INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF FANTASTIC GENDER, AUDIOVISUALS AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES.

9:30h. Welcome.
9:40h. A gap in the universe. The Space Odyssey of Twin Peaks: The Return. Daniel Pérez-Pamies (Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona).
10:00h. Star Wars: A Universe of References. Miguel Herrero Herrero (Cinestesia / UNED Madrid).
10:20h. Digital replicants in science fiction cinema as an embodiment of nostalgia. Daniel López Izquierdo (ESCAC – Catalonia Film School).
10:40h. Ad Astra: to the stars, looking for a personal cosmogony. Dr. Kolovou Panagioula (Julie) and Guidi Benoit Jean-Louis (University of Aix-Marsella, France). In English.
11:00h. Break.
11:30h. Southern Border: Representation of narcoculture in visual and interactive media. Daniel Francisco Rodríguez Gordillo (Barreira Art + Design – Official Center for Higher Studies, Valencia).
11:50h. Spectres of insurrection in Bong Joon-ho’s cinema. Dr. Raphaël Jaudon (Lumière Lyon 2 University, France). In English.
12:10h. Loop horror: from the monster-frame to the procedural-monster. Mario Barranco Navea (Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona).
12:30h. The film adaptation of the characters of Harry Potter throughout the saga. Ana Belén Jara (University of Sevilla).
12:50h. The ships of Arrival. When Science Fiction talks about us and not about space. Celia Cuenca García (Barreira Art + Design – Official Center for Higher Studies, Valencia).
13:10h. Closing of the second day.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2019 – AFTERNOON – AUDITORIUM OF THE CONGRESS CENTER “CIUTAT D’ELX”

16:30h-18:30h: SCREENING OF SHORT FILMS.

– Camino al Monte, by Santiago Fabrizio (Argentina). Dur: 11 min.
(Winner of 1000 Gritos Festival 2019, with direct access to FANTAELX)
– Güestía, by Laura Toledo (Spain). Dur: 14:18 min.
– Limbo, by Dani Viqueira (Spain). Dur: 15:10 min.
– Sonrisas, by Javier Chavanel (Spain). Dur: 13:24 min.
– Atto di Carità, by Michelangelo Di Pierro (Italy). Dur: 11:00 min.
– La Fiévre, by José María Flores Miranda (Spain). Dur: 20:00 min.
– Jupiter, by Benjamin Pfohl (Germany). Dur: 14:00 min.
– Hopes, by Raúl Monge (Spain). Dur: 10:00 min.
– The Narrator, by Julia Trofimova (USA). Dur: 10:38 min.

Break from 18:30h to 19:00h.

19:00h-21:00h: SCREENING OF SHORT FILMS.

– Equals, by Javier Yañez (Spain). Dur: 20:00 min.
– A Little Taste, by Victor Català (Spain). Dur: 5:12 min.
– Ipdentical, by Marco Huertas (Alicante). Dur: 9:26 min.
– Them, by Robin Lochmann (Germany). Dur: 15:00 min.
– Maldita, by Suso Imbernón and Juanjo Moscardó (Spain). Dur: 20:00 min.
– On the other side, by Zulma Rouge (France). Dur: 12:00 min.
– Horrorscope, by Pol Diggler (Spain). Dur: 4:30 min.
– Tomorrow Might Be The Day, by Joséfa Celestin (UK). Dur: 18:47 min.
– Las aventuras de Sancho, by Hugo de la Riva (Spain). Dur: 13:04 min.
– La Noria, by Carlos Baena (Spain). Dur: 12:23 min.

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 16, 2019 – AFTERNOON – AUDITORIUM OF THE CONGRESS CENTER “CIUTAT D’ELX”

16:30h-18:30h: SCREENING OF SHORT FILMS.

– Birds with no legs, by Pavlos Stamatis (UK). Dur: 18:47 min.
– El Fin de Todas las Cosas, by Norma Vila (Spain). Dur: 15:03 min.
– No me olvides, by Sandra Sánchez, Diana Camacho, Sofía Blasco and Daniel Baldó (Micro short film winner of the subject of Semiotics of Mass Communication, of the University of Alicante). Dur: 1:15 min.
– The Last, by Inés Berna, Carolina Valle, Verónica González and Juan Fernández (Micro short finalist of the subject of Semiotics of Mass Communication, of the University of Alicante). Dur: 1:15 min.
– Mi nombre es Koji, by David Muñoz (Spain). Dur: 7:38 min.
– Tu último día en la Tierra, by Marc Martínez Jordán (Spain). Dur: 12:40 min.
– Ascensión, by Jose Larrosa (Alicante). Dur: 9:12 min.
– La Guarida, by Iago de Soto (Spain). Dur: 16:08 min.
– Miss Mbulu, by Ben Fernández (Alicante). Dur: 13:00 min.
– Avarya, by Gökalp Gönen (Turkey). Dur: 20:00 min.

Break from 18:30h to 19:00h.

19:00h-21:00h: SCREENING OF SHORT FILMS.

– Y ahí él abre los ojos, by Sergey Vasiliev (Russia). Dur: 12:00 min.
– Casa, by Alberto Evangelio (Alicante). Dur: 8:50 min.
– Mejor Actriz, by Sadrak Zmork (Spain). Dur: 8:18 min.
– La Silla Eléctrica, by Joan Martín Giménez (Spain, out of competition). Dur: 17:00 min.
– Almofada de Penas, by Joseph Specker Nys (Brazil). Dur: 12:17 min.
– Boustifaille (Grub), by Pierre Mazingarbe (France). Dur: 18:26 min.
– Bug, by Cedric Prevost (France). Dur: 19:07.
– Slice of Life, by Luka Hrgovic and Dino Julius (Croatia). Dur: 20:00 min.

21:00h-21:30h: CLOSING.

Conducted by Nacho Marco Galán. Composer, actor trained at the Juan Carlos Corazza acting school, leader of the musical group Ro Margalan, and creator of the electronic music group Be-Phoenix.

Award ceremony for the three categories:

– Best Short Film from Alicante (Spain): gift + direct access to the festival Navidades Sangrientas – Weekend Horror Awards from Alicante.
– Best National Short Film (Spain): gift + direct access to Festival de Cortometrajes de Terror y Fantástico 1000 Gritos from Buenos Aires (Argentina).
– Best International Short Film (outside Spain): gift + direct access to Festival Internacional de Cine de Terror de Valparaíso (Chile).

* Short film screenings are not recommended for children under 18 years of age.

* All festival activities are free access until full capacity, without prior reservation of invitation.

* You can download the hand program in PDF from this link (in Spanish).

* You can access the photo gallery from this link.