The Imagine Film Festival, formerly Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival (AFFF), also known as Imagine Fantastic Film Festival or simply Imagine, is an annual film festival in Amsterdam, Netherlands.^[1] The festival was created in 1991 as the Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival, with a focus mainly on fantasy and horror films,^{[2][3][4][5][6]} before changing its name in 2009.^[7]

Imagine started out as the "Weekend of Terror". After several years, this weekend turned into a full-blown festival in 1991, titled the Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival (AFFF^[8]). It showed a wide array of international genre films, not just horror but also sci-fi, fantasy, martial arts and anime.

In 2004, the AFFF hosted the Golden Méliès Gala (best European fantastic long and short films).

In 2009, the festival got a new name: Imagine Film Festival. With the name change, the organization wanted to emphasize that the festival had become more focused on films that cannot be strictly defined as fantasy, horror or science fiction over the years.^[8]

In 2013, after many years based at the Kriterion, the festival chose the EYE Film Institute as its home base. During the years at Eye, the festival started adding VR experiences as well as games, under the flag of "Imagine Expanded", and extended its science programme.

In 2022, both the timing and the venues were changed: to the end of October instead of mid-April, and at two new base venues.^[9]

Imagine takes place at the end of October, at LAB111 and de Filmhallen.^[10]

The festival aims to acquaint both film lovers and the general public with a selection of new and classic films from genres such as fantasy, horror and science fiction. A large part of the program consists of genre films, exploitation films, cult films and obscure films, though the offerings have become increasingly diverse over the years.

The event is organised by the Foundation AFFF for no profit and receives subsidies from the Film Fund and the City of Amsterdam.

The Imagine Time Capsule was awarded between 2010 and 2015. Other former awards include the Black Tulip Award, the VR Award, and the Lifetime / Career Achievement Award.

As of 2024, the prizes awarded at the festival are:^[11][12]

• Sea Devil Award, for best fantastic feature film
• Silver Méliès, for best fantastic European film; one for features and one for shorts
• Silver Scream Award, voted by the audience, all feature films (except classics) eligible

Formerly Black Tulip Award. In 2006, the jury prize was awarded in three categories but afterwards only in the category of best feature:

The Méliès Awards are an initiative of the Méliès International Festivals Federation (formerly European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation, or EFFFF), of which Imagine has been a member since 1996. Affiliated festivals each year grant two Silver Méliès Award during their festival, one for best fantastic feature, and one for best fantastic short. The winners then join the Méliès d'Or Award ceremony.

Amsterdam Méliès-winners:

The Silver Scream Award is voted by the audience of the festival.

In 2018, the inaugural VR Award was awarded to an eight-channel video Australian work called The Summation of Force, by filmmaker Matthew Bate and photographers Narelle Autio and Trent Parke.^[17][18]

The Lifetime/Career Achievement Award has been awarded to the following people:

• 2024 - Phil Tippett (Career Achievement Award)
• 2014 - Alejandro Jodorowsky (Career Achievement Award)
• 2013 - Neil Jordan
• 2012 - Stan Lee
• 2011 - Rutger Hauer
• 2010 - Dick Maas
• 2008 - Tim Burton (Career Achievement Award)
• 2007 - Terry Gilliam (Career Achievement Award)
• 2006 - Roger Corman
• 2005 - Ray Harryhausen
• 2005 - Paul Naschy
• 2004 - not awarded
• 2003 - Lloyd Kaufman
• 2002 - Paul Verhoeven
• 2001 - Dario Argento
• 2000 - Wes Craven

This prize was awarded for online entries between 2010 and 2015:

• Official website