When the curtain opens Friday on the 41st annual Boston Science Fiction Film Festival and Marathon, producer and curator Garen Daly will see more than a few familiar faces. “I know people who’ve been to every one. Some met here, got married, and are now bringing their kids,’’ he says.
The two-part program, nicknamed The Fest and The ’Thon, runs through Feb. 15 at the Somerville Theatre in Davis Square. It’s said to be the oldest genre film festival in the country, and it may be even older than we thought. Daly claims that the festival actually started in 1972, making it (unofficially) 44 years old. He discovered its origins while researching his in-progress documentary about the Orson Welles Cinema in Cambridge, where Daly worked. “It was called the Festival of Horror and Science Fiction, but there was an administration change [at the Orson Welles] and they changed the name so there’s some lost history about how it developed,’’ he says.
In any case, the purpose of the festival has always been the same: to showcase science fiction films by directors with distinct visions from around the globe. The 24-hour marathon, which ends the event, has long provided sci-fi fans with the chance to revel in classic and new films with 750 like-minded friends. “It’s the original binge viewing,’’ says Daly.
This year’s Fest opens with the New England premiere of “The Survivalist,’’ dubbed “Mad Max in the countryside’’ by IndieWire. It takes place in a post-apocalyptic world, where a loner is befriended by two women. Directed by Stephen Fingleton, it has won numerous awards including the BAFTA Douglas Hickox Award and best new narrative at the Tribeca Film Festival. Also screening on Friday is the world premiere of “Native,’’ a British film about two scientists seeking a new life form. It stars Rupert Graves (“Sherlock’’) and Ellie Kendrick (“Game of Thrones’’). Director Daniel Fitzsimmons will engage in a post-screening conversation with the audience.
Other highlights of the Fest are the short films from around the world; this year’s edition boasts nearly 40 shorts, says Daly. Features include the Boston premiere of “400 Days,’’ about astronauts being tested for a long space flight who find out how badly things may turn out, and the US premiere of “Mafia: Survival Game,’’ a big-budget Russian film based on the popular game in which contestants must find the mole or die. From France comes Jonathan Helpert’s “House of Time,’’ about a professor who invites people to his home to show off his latest invention, which travels back in time to when the Nazis occupied France. There will also be a classic double-feature, screened in 35mm: “Attack of the 50 Foot Woman’’ (1958) and “The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms’’ (1953). Computer games director Kieth Arem (“Call of Duty’’) will attend with his debut feature film, “The Phoenix Incident,’’ which, according to Daly, reinvents the found-footage format in its story of alien abduction. Arem will also unveil a new immersive app during his appearance at the Fest.
Among the highlights of the marathon are “Himmelskibet’’ ( “A Trip to Mars’’), a 1918 “space opera’’ from Denmark, and “High Treason,’’ a 1929 film long thought to be silent. The ’Thon presents a recently discovered sound version remastered by the British Film Institute and Library of Congress that will be shown in 35mm. Also screening are several modern classics including Don Siegel’s “Invasion of the Body Snatchers’’ (1956); a 70mm print of “Starman’’ (1984), starring Jeff Bridges; and Nicolas Roeg’s “The Man Who Fell to Earth’’ (1976), starring David Bowie.
For a complete schedule and more information go to http://bostonscifi.com/festival-films/
Loren King can be reached at loren.king@comcast.net.
