G-Fest
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G-Fest | |
---|---|
Status | Active |
Genre | Science fiction, kaiju and tokusatsu fiction |
Frequency | Annual |
Country | United States |
Inaugurated | 1994 |
Website | http://www.g-fan.com/ |
G-Fest, often typeset as G-FEST, is an annual convention devoted to the Godzilla film franchise and other kaiju (literally strange beast, also the name of the genre of Japanese giant monster movies) franchises such as Gamera and the Ultra Series. G-Fest is staged by Daikaiju Enterprises, Ltd., and G-Fan magazine. It regularly features panels, contests, and theatrically screened films of interest to fans of Japanese monsters.[citation needed]
Actors, directors, special effects technicians, and other famous people who worked on Godzilla, Ultraman, Gamera, and other kaiju movies in Japan are frequent guests at G-Fest. Often, the major guest is honored with the coveted "Mangled Skyscraper Award" for their lasting contributions to the kaiju genre.[citation needed]
G-Fest was founded in 1994 by [when?], publisher of G-Fan magazine and the G-Fan website, and the late .
G-Fest features a Dealer's Room, a costume parade, a model show and competition, and a fan film competition. Other popular activities are film screenings (held at the Pickwick Theater in Park Ridge, Illinois) video game tournaments, children's activities, and autograph sessions. G-Fest also raises money for charitable causes.[citation needed]
In May 2020, Daikaiju Enterprises, Ltd. made the decision to cancel G-Fest for the first time in its 27-year history due to restrictions on large gatherings imposed by Illinois governor J. B. Pritzker. Its initial 27th annual convention was to be moved to the future date of July 2021, but was cancelled again, this time due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.
Conventions[]
![]() | This section contains close paraphrasing of a non-free copyrighted source, http://www.g-fan.com/html/pastgfests.php (Duplication Detector report). (July 2020) |
![]() | This section is in list format, but may read better as prose. (July 2020) |
- G-Fest (Friends of G-Fan) '94
- First public meeting of contributors to G-Fan, Howard Johnson Hotel, O'Hare Airport, Illinois
- G-Fest (G-Con) '95
- Date: August 18–20, 1995[1]
- First organized convention.[2] The first two days were closed to the public until news reports spread then was open to the public on the last day (3rd)
- Radisson Hotel, Arlington Heights, Illinois
- G-Fest (G-Con) '96
- Guests: Kenpachiro Satsuma, Haruo Nakajima
- Radisson Hotel, Arlington Heights, Illinois
- G-Fest (G-Con) '97
- Guests: Don Glut, , Bob Eggleton, Stuart Galbraith IV, ,
- Wyndham Hotel, Chicago, Illinois
- G-Fest '98
- Guests: William Stout, , ,
- Wyndham Hotel, Chicago, Illinois
- G-Fest '99
- Date: July 23–25, 1999
- Guests: Noriaki Yuasa, Shusuke Kaneko, Wataru Mimura, , Robert Scott Field, Volker Engel, Forrest J. Ackerman, Peter Fernandez, , , Norman England, (now ), Don Glut
- Films: Gamera 3: The Revenge of Iris (US premiere), Ultraman Gaia: The Battle in Hyperspace
- Mangled Skyscraper Award presented to: Forrest J. Ackerman
- Burbank Hilton, Burbank, California
- G-Fest 2000
- Date: Oct 14–16, 2000
- Guests: , Noriaki Yuasa, Koichi Kawakita, Haruo Nakajima, Kenpachiro Satsuma, Megumi Odaka, , Yuji Sakai, (now ), , Mach Fumiake, Robert Scott Field,
- Films: Godzilla (1954), Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, Son of Godzilla, Rebirth of Mothra III
- Mangled Skyscraper Award presented to: Koichi Kawakita
- Hollywood Roosevelt, Los Angeles, California
- G-Fest '01
- Date: July 13–15, 2001
- Guests: , , Bob Eggleton, Robert Scott Field
- Films: Godzilla (1954), Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla
- Mangled Skyscraper Award presented to:
- Radisson Hotel, Arlington Heights, Illinois
- G-Fest '02
- Date: July 12–14, 2002
- Guests: Koichi Kawakita, Hurricane Ryu, Robert Scott Field
- Films: Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, Gamera 2: Attack of Legion, Godzilla vs. Megaguirus
- Mangled Skyscraper Award presented to:
- Radisson Hotel, Arlington Heights, Illinois
- G-Fest X
- Date: July 18–20, 2003
- Guests: Noriaki Yuasa, , , Robert Scott Field
- Films: Battle in Outer Space, Gamera 3: The Revenge of Iris, Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack
- Mangled Skyscraper Award presented to: Noriaki Yuasa
- Radisson Hotel, Arlington Heights, Illinois
- G-Fest XI
- Date: July 9–11, 2004
- Guests: Teruyoshi Nakano, Robert Scott Field, Brian Thomas
- Films: Monster Zero, Terror of Mechagodzilla, Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.
- Mangled Skyscraper Award presented to: Teruyoshi Nakano
- Holiday Inn O'Hare International, Rosemont, Illinois
- G-Fest XII
- Date: July 8–10, 2005
- Guests: Yoshimitsu Banno, , , Robert Scott Field,
- Films: The H-Man, Godzilla vs. Hedorah, Godzilla: Final Wars
- Mangled Skyscraper Award presented to:
- Crowne Plaza O'Hare International, Rosemont, Illinois
- G-Fest XIII
- Date: July 7–9, 2006
- Guests: Kazuki Ōmori, , Robert Scott Field,
- Films: Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, Negadon: The Monster from Mars, Gamera the Brave
- Mangled Skyscraper Award presented to: Robert Scott Field
- Crowne Plaza O'Hare International, Rosemont, Illinois
- G-Fest XIV
- Date: July 6–8, 2007
- Guests: Rhodes Reason, Shelley Sweeney, Carl Craig, Robert Scott Field, Don Glut and
- Saturday Afternoon Concert Performed by:
- Films: King Kong Escapes, King Kong vs. Godzilla
- Mangled Skyscraper Award presented to: Don Glut
- Crowne Plaza O'Hare International, Rosemont, Illinois
- G-Fest XV
- Date: July 4–6, 2008
- Guests: Haruo Nakajima, Don Frye, , Robert Scott Field, Don Glut, Jörg Buttgereit
- Films: Matango, Destroy All Monsters, Godzilla vs. Gigan, Godzilla vs. Biollante, Orochi the Eight-Headed Dragon, and Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla
- Mangled Skyscraper Award presented to: Haruo Nakajima
- Crowne Plaza O'Hare International, Rosemont, Illinois
- G-Fest XVI
- Date: July 3–5, 2009
- Guests: Kenji Sahara, Robert Scott Field, ,
- Films: Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, The Mysterians, Mothra vs. Godzilla, The Monster X Strikes Back/Attack the G8 Summit
- Mangled Skyscraper Award presented to: Kenji Sahara
- Crowne Plaza O'Hare International, Rosemont, Illinois
- G-Fest XVII
- Date: July 9–11, 2010
- Guests: Akira Takarada, Bob Eggleton, Robert Scott Field, William M. Tsutsui, ,
- Films: Son of Godzilla, Godzilla vs. Mothra, Godzilla 2000, Godzilla vs. Megaguirus, Godzilla vs the Sea Monster, Godzilla (1954)
- Mangled Skyscraper Award presented to: Akira Takarada
- Rosemont Hotel at O'Hare, Rosemont, Illinois
- G-Fest XVIII
- Date: July 15–17, 2011
- Guests: Hiroyuki Watanabe, Shinji Higuchi, , Robert Scott Field,
- Films: Gamera: Super Monster, Mothra, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, Gamera: Guardian of the Universe, Ultraman Tiga & Ultraman Dyna & Ultraman Gaia: Battle in Hyperspace, Gamera 2: Advent of Legion
- Mangled Skyscraper Award presented to: Shinji Higuchi
- Crowne Plaza O'Hare, Rosemont, Illinois
- G-Fest XIX
- Date: July 13–15, 2012
- Guests: Akira Takarada, Satoshi Furuya, Robert Scott Field, Svengoolie
- Films: King Kong (1933), The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, Gorgo, Gamera, Godzilla, King of the Monsters!, Godzilla vs. Destoroyah
- Mangled Skyscraper Award presented to: Bin "Satoshi" Furuya
- Crowne Plaza O'Hare, Rosemont, Illinois
- G-Fest XX
- Date: July 12–14, 2013
- Guests: Tsutomu Kitagawa, , , Robert Scott Field, , Cleve Hall
- Films: 20 Million Miles to Earth, Gamera 3: The Revenge of Iris, Gamera vs. Gyaos, The X From Outer Space, Pacific Rim (Midnight showing), Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla, Godzilla vs. Megaguirus
- Mangled Skyscraper Award presented to:
- Crowne Plaza O'Hare, Rosemont, Illinois
- G-Fest XXI
- Date: July 11–13, 2014
- Guests: Koichi Kawakita, Tomoko Ai, Katsuhiko Sasaki, , Don Frye, Robert Scott Field,
- Films: King Kong (1976), King Kong Lives, Gamera vs. Barugon, Yonggary, Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah
- Mangled Skyscraper Award presented to: Bob Eggleton
- G-Fest Hall of Fame inductees: , and
- Crowne Plaza O'Hare, Rosemont, Illinois
- G-Fest XXII
- Date: July 10–12, 2015
- Guests: , Noboru Kaneko, , Robert Scott Field, Kow Otani
- Films: Them!, The Deadly Mantis, Gamera vs. Jiger, Gamera: Guardian of the Universe, Godzilla vs. Biollante, Godzilla vs. Megaguirus
- Mangled Skyscraper Award presented to:
- G-Fest Hall of Fame inductees: , , and
- Crowne Plaza O'Hare, Rosemont, Illinois
- G-Fest XXIII
- Date: July 15–17, 2016
- Guests: Akira Takarada, , , Hiroko Sakurai, Robert Scott Field, , , , Carl Craig, Sojiro Uchino, Tony Isabella, C. Martin Croker
- Films: King Kong Escapes, Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, Yonggary, Gamera vs. Viras, The Green Slime, Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy
- Mangled Skyscraper Award presented to: Hiroko Sakurai
- G-Fest Hall of Fame Award inductees: , , and (posthumously)
- Crowne Plaza O'Hare, Rosemont, Illinois
- G-Fest XXIV
- Date: July 14–16, 2017
- Guests: Michiru Ōshima, , Shinji Higuchi, , , , Robert Scott Field, Tony Isabella
- Films: King Kong vs. Godzilla, D-War, Godzilla vs. Megaguirus, Godzilla (2014), Kong: Skull Island, Shin Godzilla
- Mangled Skyscraper Award presented to: Michiru Ōshima
- G-Fest Hall of Fame Award inductees: Jeff Horne, Sean Linkenback, and Kyle Yount
- Crowne Plaza O'Hare, Rosemont, Illinois
- G-Fest XXV
- Date: July 13–15, 2018
- Guests: Megumi Odaka, , Kenpachiro Satsuma, Don Frye,
- Films: The Valley of Gwangi, Dinosaurus!, The Mighty Peking Man, Pacific Rim Uprising, Rampage, Godzilla vs. Mothra
- Mangled Skyscraper Award presented to: Megumi Odaka, , Kenpachiro Satsuma
- G-Fest Hall of Fame Award inductees: Skip Peel, David Nunes, Paul Gavins
- Crowne Plaza O'Hare, Rosemont, Illinois
- G-Fest XXVI
- Date: July 12–14, 2019
- Guests: Akira Takarada, Shusuke Kaneko, , ,
- Films: All Monsters Attack, Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, The X from Outer Space, Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019), Invasion of Astro-Monster, Linking Love
- Mangled Skyscraper Award presented to: Shusuke Kaneko
- G-Fest Hall of Fame Award inductees: Sonoe Nakajima, the Baioa Family, Martin Arlt
- Crowne Plaza O'Hare, Rosemont, Illinois
- G-Fest XXVII
- Date: July 15-17, 2022
- Guests: TBA
- Films: TBA
- Mangled Skyscraper Award presented to: TBA
- G-Fest Hall of Fame Award inductees: TBA
- Hyatt Regency O'Hare, Rosemont, Illinois
Notes[]
- ^ "G-Con '95 Report". G-Fan. Volume 1, Number 18, (November–December 1995). pp. 54-61.
- ^ Ryfle, Steve. (1995-08-17). "Godzilla Lives! At 41, the Giant Radioactive Dinosaur is Still Big Business". Chicago Tribune.
External links[]
- Kaiju
- Science fiction conventions in the United States