Festival Review: Forbidden Worlds Film Festival, Bristol Aquarium
Two years ago I didn’t even know that Bristol had an IMAX cinema. Then Forbidden Worlds Film Festival came along in 2022, utilising the enormous 19 metre x 15 metre screen that had laid dormant for over a decade for their new classic genre film festival and I’ve never been happier that this amazing city has an IMAX!
Since then there has been five Forbidden Worlds Film Festivals, showcasing such films as Poltergeist, The Dark Crystal, Arachnophobia and Mad Max 2.
City Girl Rating: ★★★★★
Location: Bristol Aquarium, Anchor Rd, Bristol BS1 5TT
Ticketing Options: Weekend passes, day passes, and individual screenings.
Average Price: Starting from £5.00 for individual screenings, £35.00 for day passes and £100 for weekend passes. Prices vary depending on the length of the festival and expected popularity of the films.
Bonus points: The festival has some local vendors including Bristol Brewery who brew themed beers and ales for the festival, DVD and merchandise stands and Jim’ll Paint It is usually in attendance selling themed t-shirts and posters.
Perfect for: Film lovers, self-proclaimed nerds and those who are seeking new experiences.
The Festivities
The theme for this Forbidden Worlds Film Festival was ‘Killer Queens, Outer Worlds, and a Genre Cinema Icon’. It included films with powerful female leads such as Pam Grier and Jamie Lee Curtis, cult sci-fi’s such as The Last Starfighter and Stargate, and a trio of films from the genre filmmaker Peter Hyams who the festival has dubbed as a “forbidden worlds legend”.
Additionally, the May 2024 festival also had its first Genre Filmmakers of the Future: Short Film Showcase. Filmmakers were able to submit their short films and twelve were chosen to be screened on the large IMAX screen. They were a mix of action, horror, sci-fi and the straight-up bizarre, and then audience-goers were able to vote for their favourite at the festival!
The Details
The festival itself always has a pretty easy-to-follow process for enjoying yourself. The website is incredibly informative with a list of all the films on offer and the dates and times they will be shown, an extensive FAQ section, and buying tickets is very simple.
Forbidden Worlds Film Festival happens twice a year, once with more general films set around a specific theme and then another around Halloween which has a more spooky vibe. It is definitely a film festival for adults. They do sometimes show some family friendly films earlier in the day, but more often than not, the films being shown have adult themes, lots of action, gory practical effects and…swearing! Gasp!
Once you arrive at the IMAX, you are given your festival pass or your individual screening tickets will be scanned, you can peruse the vendor stalls, grab yourself a drink or snack, and then find yourself a seat ready for the film to begin.
There are breaks between films, usually between 15-30 minutes and then longer breaks for lunch and dinner. The location of the IMAX makes it very easy to pop to the beautiful Bristol harbourside and enjoy one of its many cafes and bars, or sit out in the sunshine with a packed lunch! Additionally, the location is just a short walk to taxi ranks near the Hippodrome and many local bus routes for getting to and from the festival.
And then you just watch and repeat!
The Experience
I have attended every Forbidden Worlds Festival and I think this one was my favourite! I chose the films that I went to see more carefully as I would normally try to see everything and then exhaust myself (sitting down and watching films is surprisingly tiring!), and the Short Films Showcase was such a great addition to the festival. The audiences were great, always laughing and clapping at key moments in the films, and the creators of the festival were always readily available to answer questions and have conversations with which was fantastic!
Furthermore, the festival has been so successful since starting in 2022 that they have previously managed to get recorded messages from many of the films directors, producers and actors to be played on the big screen before the start of most of the films. This festival was no exception as we were treated to video messages from Jan De Bont (director of Speed which was shown at the festival and Twister), Lance Guest and Catherine Mary Stewart (stars of The Last Starfighter), Renny Harlin (director of The Long Kiss Goodnight which was shown at the festival, Cliffhanger and Deep Blue Sea) and SAMUEL L. JACKSON (star of The Long Kiss Goodnight and well, everything)! Every message was such a delight, a very welcome surprise and a real highlight.
As I already mentioned, the Short Film showcase was a brilliant and inspired addition to the festival and might have ended up being my favourite part! The films were so varied, beautifully crafted, and it was really fun to see who everyone voted for. I truly hope they bring that back for the next one in October and we get an array of horror shorts as that is my favourite genre.
Overall, this is a fantastic experience and I couldn’t recommend it enough. If you are a film fanatic like me, or if you just want to dip your toe into the weird and wonderful world of film, this is the festival for you! You can see a little or see it all, attend alone or with a big group of friends, but however you choose to experience Forbidden Worlds Film Festival, I guarantee that you will have a great time and see some amazing films that will stick with you beyond the rolling of the credits.
Top Three Feature Films I saw
Blue Steel (1990, Dir. Kathryn Bigelow, starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Ron Silver)
The Last Starfighter (1984, Dir. Nick Castle, starring Lance Guest and Catherine Mary Stewart)
Foxy Brown (1974, Dir. Jack Hill, starring Pam Grier and Kathryn Loder)
Top Three Short Films I saw
Kin (Dir. James Waterhouse) Winner of Best Action Short 2024)
Lost in the Sky (Dir. Simon Oster, Winner of Forbidden Worlds Short of the Year 2024, Best Sci-Fi / Fantasy Short 2024, and the Audience Choice Award 2024)
Echoes of Fantasy: The Passcode Paradox (Dir. Jericho Rock-Archer)
Keep an eye for when tickets go on the sale for The Big Scream
Reviewed by Amy Evans
Disclaimer: I was gifted my festival pass for an honest review. All photos were taken by me.