Fantafestival (Italian: Mostra Internazionale del Film di Fantascienza e del Fantastico: English International Science Fiction and Fantasy Film Show) is a film festival devoted to science fiction, fantasy and horror film that is held annually in Italy since 1981.
Fantafestival takes place every year in the first part of summer in Rome. In the past years, while maintaining its headquarters in Rome, some editions were held in contemporary in different Italian cities like Milan, Naples, Genoa, Verona, Parma and Ravenna.
It was established in 1981 by Alberto Ravaglioli, supported since 1983 by Adriano Pintaldi; now they are co-directors of the festival. For more than 30 years, Fantafestival has been one of the leading Italian events specialized in fantastic films and one of the most important international events of this kind. It has presented and launched in Italy many filmmakers who later would become among the most popular in the fantastic film world. The list of guests of honor includes all the biggest names in the genre, from actors such as Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, John Carradine, Rutger Hauer, Robert Englund, to directors and producers like Roger Corman, Freddie Francis, George A. Romero, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Sam Raimi, Peter Jackson, and among Italians, Lucio Fulci, Riccardo Freda, Dario Argento and Lamberto Bava.
The festival is a founding and affiliated member of the European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation.
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