Page 237 - Alternative Europe Eurotrash and Exploitation Cinema Since 1945

The audience of the Festival of Fantasy Film, apart from the fact that it could be considered as
an interpretive community an sich (defined by a common interest, fascination even, for the fantastic)
houses more groups and rival subcultures than one might assume at first sight. That leaves us no
choice as to take a more detailed look at the festival public.

Dr Butcher: The patient's screaming disturbing me, performed removal of vocal chords.
- Zombi Holocaust, 1979

Who are those daredevils, those fearless men and women who dare to boldly go in search of places
where they have never been before? The figures presented are based on a survey the Festival conducts
every year among a representative sample of its audience.
The profile of the public is steady: three quarters are active and those who do not work are almost
all students. More than half of those active are employees and the level of education is high (70 per
cent higher and university studies). In recent years the Festival seems to have attracted more and more
women (based on a comparison between 1986 and 2000). One reason could be an evolution in the
films that are programmed: there is definitely less gore and the selection of films is broader than the
gteat amount of horror that was programmed in the 1980s. Being around for 22 years now could also
have helped in reducing some tenacious stereotypes about fantastic films. Before, the relation between
the sexes was around three males for one female. Now, it is two to one. The fantastic still remains
mainly masculine, but the feminine aspect gains ground.
Does the Festival audience get older? Not really, because more than half the audience falls into
the category younger than 30. However, due to the loyalty of the public (a good 70 per cent of our
audience in 2000 had participated at previous events) which does attend year after year, it is only
logical that the number of Festival 'veterans' increases. More than half the visitors (57.5 per cent)
make a careful selection of the films (between 1 and 10 films) they want to see. The other 42.5 per
cent takes a substantial dose (between 11 and 25 films) or are heavy addicts (more than 25 films and
up to 50).
This last category deserves a special mention. For 660 Euro the Festival offers to a limited number
of subscribers (178 to be specific) a special pass that gives access to all the screenings. Those passes are
in demand, and there is a waiting list for future applicants. All those subscribers are inventoried. The
Festival knows by way of surveys that these persons are, outside the Festival period, big consumers of
a large number of fiction films on a range of picture mediums. Far from being couch potatoes, they
are regular cinemagoers and at home they watch a lot of films on video. It often occurs that they have
seen the same film several times. Nearly all display a need to collect, mostly films on tape or D V D , but
also comic strips and books. Above all, they appreciate films that 'make them dream', that create an
imaginary universe. Gore and on-screen 'fictionalised' violence make them laugh, but many of them
have more difficulties putting up with real or realistic violence as in documentaries or news magazines.
They become more scared when it becomes more real, so it seems. Nearly all are looking for shivers
and thrills, a fear they can control, a 'controllable uncertainty'.

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