We like to think that DukeFest is educational as well as fun, so here’s the Top 5 things we learned this year!
1) Hamma Horra taught us that there’s only one person to call if you’ve got legal trouble: Mark Jones!
2) 23 Wolves taught us how to tell if our kids are involved in a Satanic Cult!
3) Deeper Understanding taught us the one most vital question to ask when dealing with those pesky Evolutionsists! “Excuse me Mr. Scientist, where you there?”
4) Grimy Ghost help us answer the question: “Are there animals in Heaven?”
5) And finally Rem Lazar filled us in on how to get street smart with the help of Kareen Abdul-Jabbar!
So with DukeFest over we’re now looking at what other film chaos we can unleash this Summer, here’s a breakdown of what else we’ve got coming up for you in the next few months:
Monday 27 July – 8th Birthday Blow Out Film Party!
Yes we turn 8 this year and we’re celebrating a month early due to the Camden Fringe Festival taking over The Phoenix all through August. Come and join us for a night of the unknown as we guide you into the most outer reaches of film weirdness with an evening of shorts, trailers, clips, found footage, oddities, giveaways and more.
Friday 7 August – Sunday 9 August – Nine Worlds Geekfest
We’re really pleased to be heading back to the amazing Nine Worlds Geekfest for 3 days of film fun starting with us going super late night on the Friday with an 11PM to 3AM show, they won’t know what’s hit ‘em! The Saturday we’ll be running a board game slot in the afternoon before hosting a Sci-Fi shorts section that we’ve programmed in the evening. Rounding off the Sunday, Night Of The Trailers will be hitting the audience with a Best Of Trailers & Found Footage show.
Saturday 29 August – FrightFest
We’re back at FrightFest with a killer double bill! Join us at 8.30PM for the UK premiere of the amazing Turkish cult film documentary Remake, Remix, Rip Off which lifts the lid on all those wild Turkish action films and remakes that we love so much. Then at 10.45PM join us for the Duke @ FrightFest Late Night Party, where we’ll have as many special guests from the festival as possible joining us on stage to show you their favourite trailers, clips, scenes or anything else they want to bring along!
Monday 21 September
We’re back at the Phoenix and slightly earlier this month simply due to both of us heading off to Austin for FantasticFest. We’ve not decided the theme for the night yet, but we’ll let you know as soon as we’ve got it all set up.
On Sunday 28th June at Prince Charles Cinema we’ll press start on Dukefest 2015 – a year-long labour of love!
And as we are on the precipice of the exciting moment, I wanted to stand up and invite those who are still not committed:
Dukefest is an intense labour of love: it is hours of works, millions of email, thousands of movies, hundreds of debates – every single inch of this festival is born out of us – no corporate sponsors, no assistants, no helpers, no volunteers. But there’s one element without which it would not work: you!
This is a chance for you to come join us in what we think is the best and weirdest and strangest and shocking and entertaining material out there – to find out what other film clubs around the world have sent for Found Footage Worldwide, to discover New York’s best unknown cable talent show, to experience Eleganza and of course to bathe in the sleaze of Private Spy. This is a chance to support independent cinema and exhibition in London, to show that there IS room out there for more variety, more exploration and more wonder!
There’s nothing out there like The Duke and Dukefest – come and find out why for yourself!
The Duke Mitchell Film Club 