Fantastic Fest 2010 Day Five: Madame Curie and the Feud

I was rather shocked to find that even without a VIP badge, I had a low ticket number for the In the Attic screening today.  When talking to Alamo co-founder Karrie League on Sunday and asking what her favorite films were, she mentioned In the Attic as one she's been trying to program for a long time (two years to be precise).  Jette and I got tickets, then Debbie turned in her Secret Screening #2 ticket on a whim. It turns out she made the day of a first-time Fantastic Fest badgeholder who hadn't been to any screenings yet. I think some of the people in attendance were there reluctantly, but I hope they were as pleasantly surprised as I was.

This animated tale of cast-offs in the attics may be considered a "family" film, but is accessible for a more mature audience.  The easiest way to describe it is Toy Story marries A Town Called Panic and lives a post-Glasnost fairy tale. In the Attic pretty much turns the contents of an attic into a magical land populated by living toys and a mischievous cat, with a wide range of animation media. Pictured above is the character "Madame Curie," held by Alamo programmer Caitlin Stevens as Karrie League and director Jirí Barta field questions in the background. At the bottom of this post I have another picture showing more detail.

I love the fact that this sort of film is included in the Fantastic Fest lineup, and not just because it's a welcome relief from gore and violence. "Fantastic" is a very broad term and Fantastic Fest is great at embracing a broad spectrum of films that fit the definition, as well as include such a treat as seeing up close and personal such an integral part of the filmmaking process.

My first film of the day was A Somewhat Gentle Man, one of the Norwegian films highlighted during the fest, and starring Sweden's Stellan Skarsgård (father of last year's Metropia star and hit of the Highball, Alexander Skarsgård). I wasn't able to see it on Friday, and I read lots of positive tweeting about it, although I thought the "Stellan Skarsgård was wonderful" comments were redundant -- when isn't he an outstanding actor? But he does in fact exceed his own excellence by embodying a subdued man. Ulrik is a recent parolee, estranged from his family with nowhere to go without the help of his old crew. Ulrik has become a stranger in his own life and watching the normally commanding Skarsgård walk hunched as if he's afraid to leave a footprint was mesmerizing. With an outstanding cast, this often absurd and cuttingly observant film deserves a bigger audience.

Next up was We Are What We Are (Somos lo que hay), written and directed by Jorge Michel Grau. Grau had to miss Fantastic Fest because of a family emergency  -- no details, but apparently everything is OK now. This gritty family drama meets "Fantastic" standards because the family just happens to eat human flesh.  It's a dark slow burn with a brilliant ending.  Hopefully my interview with Grau gets rescheduled, because he's a filmmaker to watch out for.

In the Attic, as you already know, played opposite Secret Screening #2. Secret screenings are especially secret this year although some of us were able to make educated guesses. Secret Screening #2 was Never Let Me Go, a beautifully shot and acted science-fiction tale starring Carrie Mulligan and Andrew Garfield (Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus). Director Mark Romanek was on hand to talk about the film, based on the Kazuo Ishiguro novel and adapted for the screen by Alex Garland (28 Days Later, The Beach). There's already Oscar buzz on this one, and response to the film has been very positive.

My next film was Rubber, which had a great response on Friday. Rubber is one of those films better seen before explained, but I will tell you this: it's about a tire that just happens to come to life. It also features Wings Hauser, who utters what just might be another Fantastic catch phrase ("I want my movie").

I ended up passing on the midnight shows to write this up and get a little more sleep. That means I also missed Fantastic Feud. But you can see one of the brains behind the Feud in the picture above -- Mr. Scott Weinberg himself, second from left, being manhandled by Qrank trivia's Max Pozderac. Also pictured are Tiffany Sullivan, Mom of last year's Chaos Reigns baby, and vetern Fantastic Fest VIP Mike Saulters. The Fantastic Feud has been a tradition for a few years now, and is always a sold-out event -- this year, even ticket holders were hard pressed to get seats. 

I'm crashing, but before I do, let me share with you the awards winners, including the one our own Debbie Cerda got to present as a juror. And she can tell you more about the Fantastic Fest Awards, and all the exciting guests and even the surprise for Tim League during the awards.

AUDIENCE AWARD
Bedevilled (Jang Cheol-so)
Runners Up: Golden Slumber, Rubber, Ip Man 2

AMD & DELL “NEXT WAVE” SPOTLIGHT COMPETITION
Best Picture: We Are What We Are
Best Director: Thomas Cappelen Malling  (Norwegian Ninja)
Best Screenplay: Jorge Michel Grau (We Are What We Are)
Best Actor: Mads Ousdal (Norwegian Ninja)
Best Actress: Ji Sung-won (Bedevilled)

HORROR FEATURES
Best Picture: Kidnapped
Best Director: Miguel Ángel Vivas (Kidnapped)
Best Screenplay: Simon Barrett (A Horrible Way to Die)
Best Actor: A J Bowen (A Horrible Way to Die)
Best Actress: Amy Seimetz (A Horrible Way to Die)

FANTASTIC FEATURES
Best Picture: Sound of Noise
Best Director: Pablo Trapero (Carancho)
Best Screenplay: Shion Sono and Yoshiki Takahashi (Cold Fish)
Best Actor: Stellan Skarsgård (Somewhat Gentle Man)
Best Actress: Martina Gusman (Carancho)

HORROR SHORTS
Best Horror Short: Legend of Beaver Dam (Jerome Sable)
Honorable Mention - Best Potential: Deus Irae (Pedro Cristiani)

FANTASTIC SHORTS
Best Fantastic Short: Sorry...I Love You (Leticia Dolera)

ANIMATED SHORTS
Best Animated Short: Teclópolis (Javier Mrad)

I can personally recommend Drones, Agnosia and Rammbock. For me it's going to be a very hard choice. I have heard that Ip Man 2 is great, and I'm trying to get into Kidnapped (4-5 shots for the whole film? Wow), Corridor or Cold Fish or... who am I kidding, it's hard to pick.  What films left to screen are must-see for you? I'm going to sleep on it, but in the meantime, as promised, a closer look at Madame Curie from In the Attic.