At every screening, audience members get a card and are asked to rate the film upon exiting the venue. Ratings range from "hopeless" to "very good" and the festival computes a number to those votes. And this is one election where your vote does count! The numbers 9, 8 and 7 in this list had scores SO close to each other, that one or two audience members could already have made the difference. The same goes for the numbers 6 and 5...
So what DID the Imagine audiences vote to the top?
Here is a gallery of the top-10 in reverse order. Click on the edge of the pictures to scroll through them (or click on the thumbnails above this picture)..
10: The Coffee Table (8.2 out of 10)
A couple who have recently become parents buy a weird-looking coffee table, after which they, ehm... go through some things. That synopsis may not sound like much for what's described as a Spanish dark comedy horror, but check out the trailer to get a taste of how bad it gets. And that sure is one tacky-looking table.
9: UFO Sweden (8.4 out of 10)
A young woman's father goes missing in a UFO incident and she teams up with a group of nerds, geeks and enthusiasts to get to the truth.
According to our J. Hurtado, "The result is a propulsive film that is less about aliens than it is about self discovery and realizing that no matter how crazy the cosmos is, it's nothing when compared to what happens when your heroes fail you."
8: Concrete Utopia (8.4 out of 10)
When a massive earthquake flattens Seoul, survivors are drawn to a sole untouched high-rise complex. At first people help each other, inhabitants and new arrivals both. But as time progresses and resources dwindle, the inhabitants become increasingly hostile to the newcomers, leading to a bitter fight between the two groups.
This is South Korea's entry for the Oscars this year, and it's doing big business at all the festivals it plays at.
7: The Wait (8.4 out of 10)
F. Javier Gutierrez' newest film is a beautifully shot rural thriller, in which a man living in the Spanish countryside tries to do battle with the dark supernatural force that is ruining him.
Our Olga Artemyeva liked the film a lot and says the following in her review: "Appropriately titled, The Wait is definitely a slow burner, but once the story ventures into solidly surrealistic territory, the tension and the thrills pick up. The authors obviously have a lot of fun with practical effects, including a scene that outright verges on body horror."
6: Birth/Rebirth (8.5 out of 10)
What do you do when a loved one dies and you discover Frankenstein is actually bringing the corpse to life again? What if the procedure is not quite finished and Frankenstein needs your help? Horror and science fiction have always been great genres to examine morals and ethical conundrums, and director Laura Moss boldly goes straight for the edge, putting her protagonists Rose and Celie through the wringer..
Our Mel Valentin said the following in his review: "Birth/rebirth never takes sides (Rose, Celie’s, or a third, unspecified one), instead allowing audience members to make the determination for themselves whether Rose or Celie should be perceived as heroic, villainous, or something else altogether."
5: Dream Scenario (8.5 out of 10)
Nicolas Cage plays a guy who suddenly starts popping up in people's dreams all over the world, and it changes his life in many, many ways. Things take a darker turn though when he starts being in people's nightmares as well...
It's a strange concept but in the hands of Norwegian director Kristoffer Borgli it's being hailed as one of Cage's best performances ever. And the Imagine audiences loved it.
4: Robot Dreams (8.7 out of 10)
In Spanish director Pablo Berger's animated film, a lonely dog builds a robot companion but gets separated from him. That doesn't sound like the most thrilling (or fun) story but Robot Dreams is being hailed left and right as one of the best films this year, animated or otherwise.
Our Martin Kudlac was certainly impressed and stated in his review: "Remarkably, Robot Dreams steers clear of overt sentimentality. The film is imbued with a sense of nostalgia and a touch of melancholy, particularly after the central characters are separated and must come to terms with their new reality. Eschewing conventional fable-like narratives about friendship, the film charts a distinct course. It subtly conveys a pedagogical message to younger audiences about resilience, the importance of moving forward, and the value of cherishing memories as they mature."
3: Riddle of Fire (8.9 out of 10)
Shot on 16-mm stock and as brightly colored as your oldest remembered summer, Weston Razooli's new film is a grand adventure on an intimate scale. Kids want to play videogames but to get the television to work, they must solve their mother's request for a blueberry pie from the local bakery. Which, as it happens, turns into an action-packed search with villains and chases. And, if Imagine's audiences are to be believed, it is utterly magnificent.
And they are not alone! In his review, J.Hurtado says the following: "Riddle of Fire is an uplifting reminder that there is still magic in the world, no matter how hard outside forces may try to snuff it out. Razooli has delivered a uniquely charming calling card that is sure to become a perennial favorite for weirdo parents looking illustrate to their weirdo kids that there is life beyond the screen, if they are just brave enough to accept the quest."
2: Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person (9.0 out of 10)
It's common for werewolf myths to be used as metaphors for young women entering puberty and adulthood (at least in the last twenty years or so), but vampires? That's new. But in Ariane Louis-Seize's debut feature, we follow Sasha, a young vampire who learns that it is not bloodlust and fear which brings on her adulthood, but empathy. Especially after she meets Paul, a suicidal teenager, and the result of that meeting is a story that gets poignant and very funny.
As our Shelagh Rowan-Legg says in her review:
"This is quite the unique meet-cute: two lost souls, one who feels his best path to giving back to the world is through his death, and the other who worries the only thing she could give is pain, in a life without purpose. Paul seems more than willing to sacrifice his life so that Sasha can finally be a proper vampire - but for her, even her fangs aren't a motivation - why can't she be a vampire that kills with kindness?"
1: The Boy and the Heron (9.1 out of 10)
Quite possibly the biggest catch of the festival - the Dutch premiere of the new Studio Ghibli film - also turned out to be the audiences' favorite: Hayao Miyazaki's The Boy and the Heron. Is it the old master's last film? Who knows... but if it is, he goes out with a loud bang.
While almost overfull with story and wildly uneven in tempo, there is no denying the technical excellence seen in this film, and what points of criticism can be aimed at it can also be seen as Miyazaki's personal style. His stories tend to grow organically from separate scenes on a storyboard, not a strict adherence to plot. That approach gave us masterpieces like Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro.
Will this new title be as classic as those? Only time can tell... but Amsterdam sure loved it on first viewing.
And as our Kurt Halfyard said in his review:
"Is it worth the ten year wait since the maestro’s previous film, The Wind Rises? Absolutely.
Is it a boldly original masterpiece? Not quite.
Does it serve a purpose in the tradition of Studio Ghibli’s lore and mystique? Resoundingly, yes."