Boston Science Fiction Film Festival

The Boston Science-Fiction Film Festival will be entering its 46th year in 2021, making it the oldest independent genre film festival in the US. The festival runs a total of 10-days, showcasing over 100 science fiction features and short films, from all over the world. It culminates with a 24-hour movie marathon of classic, new and schlock films. The 24-hour marathon (known as The ‘Thon) starts at noon on the Sunday of President's Holiday weekend and runs, non-stop until noon the following day. This annual event occurs every February in the Greater Boston area and draws a dedicated crowd every year.

History

Beginnings

The ‘Thon began back in 1976 at the Orson Welles Cinema in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was designed to complement the Boskone, the Boston Science Fiction Convention, playing in Boston that same weekend. Sunday February 15, 1976 was the inaugural program. It featured "This Island Earth," "The Day the Earth Stood Still," "The War of the Worlds," "Things to Come," "The Thing from Another World," "Them!," and "Zardoz." Tickets for the 14 feature film event cost $4.75 with a complimentary champagne toast at the conclusion.[1]

The following year featured a sneak preview of a then unknown "Star Wars." Collectible posters were given out to attendees who paid the $4.95 admission price. By 1978, the event was given a tagline of SF3, connoting its third year. The last digit increases with each following year. 2021, it will be SF46. In a controversial decision, The ‘Thon’s 10th anniversary was a 36-hour endurance event.

End of the OWC era

A few months after SF11, the Orson Welles Cinema was destroyed by fire. The Marathon found a new home at the Somerville Theatre located in Davis Square, Somerville, Massachusetts which was under the operations of former Welles Manager, Garen Daly. Over the next few years, the event expanded to include more days, changed its official name to The Boston Science Fiction Film Festival and became peripatetic. Iterations of the festival took place at the Coolidge Corner Theatre, The West Newton Cinema, and the Dedham Community Theatre. Then for the SF30, the Festival returned to the Somerville Theatre where it has remained ever since.[2]

Growth and evolution

With the advent of VHS and DVD, the Festival faced changing tastes. To address these, it began to add more days, newer films and more shorts reaching its current festival structure of ten days. The first nine days are devoted to showcasing new works from around the world. Judges rotate every year and are gleaned from the attendees, local personalities and the occasional 'special' judge. Awards are presented every year for Best Feature and Best Short. In 2012, a new category was added, Steampunk Awards for this category also included Best Feature and Best Short.

The Gort

The best overall film is awarded The Gort, a specially designed award named after the robot from the classic film The Day the Earth Stood Still. Quiet Earth exclaimed it is "probably the coolest looking award ever." It was designed by Boston sculptor Casey Riley after one of the first films in the inaugural program.[3] The 2012 winner of the Gort was the film "Dimensions: A Line, A Loop, A Tangle of Threads."[4]

A new award was created in 2016 to recognize the best of the short films of the 220 + films annually submitted for review. The "thoners" are invited to vote for the best short film during the festival. The winner is announced and awarded The Short Gort during the 24 hour Marathon held on the Sunday preceding Presidents day each year.

Upcoming festival

SF46, the 2021 version of The Boston Sci Fi Film Festival will again be at the Somerville Theater, or (as it is become affectionately known) “The Starship Somerville.” Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, the festival will be integrating online participation into its classic structure. The festival will run from February 5–15, 2021, culminating with the ‘Thon a 24-hour science fiction movie marathon, beginning at noon on Sunday Feb. 14th and ending at noon on President's Day Feb. 15th.[5] Festival submissions start in August and run through the beginning of January. The Festival uses WithoutABox as its submission agent. More information on submitting a film and the competition categories are available on the Festival’s website.

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References
  1. "Official Site About Page". Archived from the original on 2013-01-04. Retrieved 2013-01-28.
  2. Science fiction movie madness to take over Somerville Theatre. Wicked Local Somerville’s Article on SF37 with Brief History]
  3. Lewis Wallace (March 11, 2010). Gort Awards Draw From Sci-Fi’s Past, Future. Wired.
  4. The Quiet Earth on the Gort and SF37’s winner, “Dimensions”
  5. Boston Science Fiction Film Festival official site
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