Today the SCI-FI-LONDON FILM FESTIVAL 2023 launches its cosmic 23rd annual programme, which will run from Wednesday 31st May until Tuesday 6th June with seven days of fantastic film. It will showcase a fabulous line-up with 2 World Premieres, 10 UK Premieres, 6 World Short Premieres and 13 UK Short Premieres. Alongside the festival is also doing a classic screening of Peter Watkins’ THE WAR GAME with a live score!
Opening this year’s festival on 31 May is the UK premiere of the exciting Swedish blockbuster, UFO SWEDEN by Victor Danell.
It’s 1996, and a group of misfits in Norrköping spend their time investigating UFO sightings in Sweden. They debunk 99 per cent of the claims, but the remaining one per cent fuels their passion.
Denise, a rebellious teenager whose father founded the group – and was supposedly abducted by aliens in the 80s – seeks their help to uncover the truth about her father’s disappearance. Discovering her father’s secret archives sheds new light on the mystery but there are forces that want to keep the information very hidden.
UFO SWEDEN has a great script, impressive effects, and a brilliantly realised ’90s blockbuster feel; the lovechild of THE X-FILES and STRANGER THINGS.
The festival’s Closing Night on Tuesday 6th June at Rich Mix in Shoreditch, is the UK Premiere of THE BYSTANDERS, directed by Gabriel Foster Prior.
Ever wondered why shit happens to you despite your best efforts? Well, it might just be The Bystanders, screwing with your life because they are bored. Bystanders are invisible immortals supposed to act like guardian angels. Each Bystander is tasked with watching a human, but they have been recruited from the human world and are mostly bitter people with no friends; a bunch of misfits and loners.
Into this comes new recruit Pete. He is being shown the ropes by his world-weary tutor Frank, who is mostly irritated by their subjects, and for fun suggests they swap their charges.
Starring comic Seann Walsh, and a brilliant cast of upcoming comedians and actors, including Scott Haran & Georgia Mabel Clarke. This is a superb sci-fi satire of modern life. Imagine THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU as an Ealing comedy.
