JINGA FRIGHT NIGHTS IN RETROSPECTIVE

JULIAN RICHARDS, A PASSIONATE CINEPHILE

CAREER AWARD FANTASPORTO’2020

Of all those who have been regular visitors of Fantasporto, the British director, producer and distributor Julian Richards is a world apart. Not only because he is one of the few European directors consistently and regularly – but not exclusively -   approaching in his films the world of the imagination but also as a promoter and distributor of fantasy films. He buys around the world, from European countries, the States or from unlikely countries such as Venezuela, Brazil or Israel, while still finding time and energy to write direct his own features and being one of the nicest persons in the film business.

Born in July, 1965, in Newport, Gwent, Wales UK, his international career starts in his twenties, as a recent graduate of the National Film School, having directed three shorts, “Pirates” (1987), the Start Out Award at the Celtic Film Festival, “Queen Sacrifice “  (1988) considered  Best Film at the British Short Film Festival, and “Bad Company” (1992) at the AFI Film Festival.  His success led to being employed at the BBC where he directed the doc-drama, “A Mutter of Voices” (1994) about the genocide in Rwanda, and Channel 4 where he directed 12 episodes of the Liverpool Soap “Brookside” (1982).

In 1994, Richards was hired by Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment to adapt the novel “Calling All Monsters” to screenplay. Two years later,  he returned to the UK to write and direct his debut feature, “Darklands” (1996), a conspiracy horror film about paganism and human sacrifice and considered the Mélies d’Argent for Best European Fantasy Film in 1997, after having won the Critcs’ Award and Best Screenplay in Fantasporto 1997.  From then on, Julian and his films are a must in the Oporto Festival.

Julian’s second feature, a conspiracy thriller, “Silent Cry” (2002) was awarded the Gold Remi at the Houston Worldfest  and his third, “The Last Horror Movie” won, again, the Méliès D’Argent  for Best European Fantasy in 2005 and got the Critics Award in Fantasporto  2004, with its leading actor, Kevin Howarth – also a visitor in the festival that year considered Best actor, winning  awards in Argentina, the States and Uruguay .

 “Summer Scars” (2007) brought us a story of coming of age which won two Welsh BAFTAS, followed by a documentary, starring Sir Derek Jacobi, called “Charles Dickens’ England” in 2009.

Next, Richards returned to the United States to direct “Shiver” (2012), a psychological thriller for Image Entertainment, and in 2016 signed in with New Line Cinema to exec-produce the remake of the Venezuelan feature “The House at the End of Times”. (2013). Four years later, Julian Richards directed the terrifying “Daddy’s Girl” for Seahorse FilmHouse and a few months later, “Reborn” (2018), a supernatural horror story, both screened and awarded in Fantasporto 2019. These two latest features were in competition and for them, Julian Richards won the Director’s Award in a festival that has screened firsthand most of his features.

 The story of Julian ‘s life also passes by his endeavour as a distributor of the best fantasy cinema in the world with his London-based company Jinga Films. His network all over the world rivals with the number of people who not only respect his pioneer work, but also recognize his effort to promote fantasy and imagination. As a friend, both personal and professional,  who visited Fantasporto dozens of times, helping to bring the festival to the frontline, Julian Richards more than deserves what he is getting from us in this 40^th edition: a (almost) complete retrospective of his work and our tribute to a great film person.

Features:

Darklands- Julian Richards – 90’ –(GB) 1996

A newspaper reporter is lured into a mire of pagan rituals and human sacrifices.

Shiver - Julian Richards -81’ (EUA) – 2012

A young secretary in Portland lacking in self-confidence finds a way to face a serial killer.

Silent Cry - Julian Richards —95’ (GB)- 2002

A single mother’s search for her stolen newborn baby in the underworld of London

Summer Scars- Julian Richards- 73’ (GB) – 2007

A group of teens are faced with a life-changing experience when they meet a deranged drifter.

The Last Horror Movie – Julian Richards - 90’ (GB) 2003

A serial killer uses a horror video rental to lure his next victims.

Reborn - Julian Richards —80’ (EUA) – 2018

A still born baby is abducted by a orgue employee and brought to life with an electric power.

JINGA FRIGHT NIGHTS

THE RETROSPECTIVE

Jinga Films is a company apart. Not only because it specializes in fantasy, the first, but also for its pioneer work. Julian Richards founded it and is the best-known face of its success for over 20 years.

The creation of a genre company had a direct result a wide-world expansion of the films that are bought, promoting them intensively. The popularity of fantasy genre in the past decades has also fueled the appearance of new festivals, facilitating the acquisitions of films that are promoted and screened there.  More recently, the VOD platforms have also supported the increase in the number of fantasy lovers. All countries have a small or big production of this kind of films. But to show them around is very difficult as fantasy is more difficult to promote than all-genre films. Companies need some kind of love for the genre. This is what Jinga does.

 After the appearance of Jinga Films, other companies of the same type came along, assuming the specialization in all areas of fantasy, from the hardest horror to the gentle fairy tales or futuristic science-fiction. However, Jinga survives. It is run under the leadership of Julian Richards with Rosana Coutinho and Kevin Law.  Always attentive, always daring to go further.

To the pleasure of the Fantasporto audience, Jinga has been a presence in the festival since it was founded, screening usually world premieres, that is, before the films start the festival round. But what is most admirable is the courage this company has, to buy from all over the world. Festival audiences, at least in Portugal, are the ones who are most privileged to sit and watch a Venezuelan, Argentinian or a Brazilian fantasy film. So, the cooperation between Fantasporto and Julian’s company has been a fruitful one, we hope, for both sides. Thank you, Julian, for helping Fantasporto to become more international, more varied, more modern.  And all the luck in the world.

Films of the Jinga Retrospective

Our Evil – Samuel Galli- 92’ (Brasil)- 2017

Still/Born- Brandon Christensen- 97’ (Can)- 2017

A Serbian Film- Srdjan Spasojevic- 104’ (Sérvia) – 2010 - ADULTS

The House at the End of Times – Alejandro Hidalgo – 101’ (Venezuela)- 2013

The Lesson – Ruth Pratt- 97’ (GB)- 2015

The Night of the Virgin – Roberto San Sebastián – 106’ (EUA) 2016

Big Bad Wolves – Aharon Keshales, Novot Papushado- 101’ (Israel)- 2013

Rabies - Aharon Keshales, Novot Papushado -90’ (Israel)- 2010

Shadow- Federico Zampaglione- 77’ (Ita) – 2010-

Timer- Jac Schaeffer- 100’ (EUA)- 2009