History
Festival 2006 History/Event Highlights and Winners:
Opening Night Panel Discussion
The Fest kicked off with a panel discussion featuring guest
appearances from Fantasy and Science fiction genre authors, actors and
film makers. Panelists included authors Karl Schroeder, Julie
Czerneda and Terence M Green; film directors Hoku Uchiyama and Sibel
Guvenc; actor Perry Mucci and producer Michael Sparaga. The
discussion was colorful and interactive with topics ranging from
panelists' current projects to deep and heavy fantasy and science
fiction theories. www.fantasyworldwide.com /seminar.htm
Gala Parties
Opening and closing night receptions were held at a standing room only
L'Espresso lounge with industry special guests and fantasy genre fans.
An awards ceremony was held on Sunday, October 29th paying homage to
the 44 MAGNIFICENT films from AROUND THE WORLD that were screened over
the weekend of the festival. The FANTASY WORLDWIDE award-winning films
are as follows:
Best Feature Film:
SHORT ORDER- Ireland / UK / Germany / 2005
Director: Anthony Byrne
Producer: Brian Willis
www.shortorderthemovie.com
Best Family Film:
THE TILLAMOOK TREASURE - USA / 2006
Director: Jane Beaumont Hall
Producer: Richard Doyon, Jane Beaumont Hall
www.tillamooktreasure.com
Best Documentary:
THE GATHERING – RETURN OF THE WHALE DREAMERS - Australia / 2006
Director: Kim Kindersley
Producers: Julian Lennon, Kim Kindersley
www.whaledreamers.com
Best Short Film:
ROSE - USA / 2006
Director: Hoku Uchiyama
www.rosethemovie.com
Best Animation:
DELIVERY - Germany / 2005
Director: Till Nowak
Producer: Till Nowak
www.framebox.de
Special Recognition for a Canadian Filmmaker:
MICHAEL SPARAGA - producer/writer for "SIDEKICK" - Canada / 2005
Director: Blake Van De Graaf
Producer: Michael Sparaga
www.sidekickmovie.com
Supported by great MEDIA COVERAGE, including Space TV, Omni TV,
Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, NOW magazine and many others – this year
FANTASY WOLRDWIDE's success has proven to us (again) how important it
is to give a showcase to the fantasy and science fiction films, which
do not have a substantial niche at many other film festivals.
Key highlights of the Festival 2005
included films and the attendance of filmmakers from around the world. Among the celebrated films was Lord of the Brush , Canada – a visually outstanding biography of the Canadian artist, John Howe, the illustrator of J.R.R. Tolkien's world and Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings Trilogy. The Gala Parties were held at trendy clubs in downtown Toronto, and generated a lot of additional exposure for the festival and its Sponsors.
Major news coverage from the most prominent media included:
- Television: Space: The Imagination Station, City TV, Breakfast TV, Rogers Cable, Omni Polish TV, Omni Turkish TV.
- Radio: CBC arts online, CFNY, CIUT, CHUM FM/AM.
- Dailies: Toronto Star, National Post, Globe and Mail, Toronto Sun
- Filmmaking professional media: Internet Movie Database, Film London
- Communities/Ethnic: The Ryerson Eye Opener, NOW (listings), East York Mirror, Annex Guardian, Correo Canadiense, Polish Goniec, Bizim Anadolu (Turkish), Shahrvand (Persian), Brand New Planet (Toronto Star), Varsity – U of T Newspaper, Asian Wave magazine .
