THE MOUNTAIN

On a business trip to the Alps, a Parisian salaryman becomes obsessed with a mountain, leaves his old life behind, and abandons himself to the mysteries of nature. Don't expect melodrama; do expect a beginner's guide to alpinism, spectacular Haute-Savoie scenery and a phantasmagorical trip into the unknown that will blow your mind.

METROPOLIS

Lang's Expressionist silent classic reached a new generation via this Giorgio Moroder version with an 1980s pop soundtrack. Brigitte Helm plays a double role as proletarian heroine Maria and the iconic robot created in her image. See the eternal class war played out in an Art Deco setting, with a cast of thousands!

ORDINARY FAILURES

A cataclysmic event on the far side of town goes unnoticed by a widow, a lonely teenager and a harassed single mother: three women preoccupied with mundane problems until all hell breaks loose and their lives intersect. A compelling, compassionate look at how we're distracted by details in the face of impending doom.

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE. ALWAYS WATCHING: THE ROBOT, ANDROID & CYBORG ON SCREEN

From the iconic Metropolis in 1927 all the way up to Franklin Rich’s The Artifice Girl in 2022, cinema has been a watchful presence in humanity’s dalliance with artificial life. From robots, to androids, to cyborgs, the idea that our own hubris might, in fact, create the very conditions for our own destruction has been central to the ways in which filmmakers have reflected on issues surrounding artificial life. Whether it be the out-of-control security robots of Jim Wynorski’s Chopping Mall (who take their role as shopping mall guards a little too seriously), the uncanny, malfunctioning androids of Westworld or the army of daleks jealously bent on total domination of humanity in Dr Who and The Daleks, their portrayal has often been seen as a warning against humanity’s unbridled creation of electronic or robotic life. Yet they have also been  portrayed as benevolent: as faithful friends (The Iron Giant); humorous and quirky sidekicks (Short Circuit); clever and loyal allies such as R2D2 and C3PO (amongst others) in The Empire Strikes Back; and even studious (and heart-warming) workers (WALL-E). Cinema’s relationship with the robot, the android and cyborg has therefore been a complex one.

THE IRON GIANT

During the Cold War, a young boy befriends a big metal-eating robot from outer space which crashlands near his small town, but the paranoid government sends agents to investigate. This lovely animated fable, based on a children's story by poet Ted Hughes, flopped on its release but is now hailed as a modern classic.

I, ROBOT

A Chicago cop suspects a robot may be responsible for the death of a robotics company CEO. Are robots starting to ignore Asimov's Three Laws, which prevent them from harming human beings? Meanwhile, the laws of Hollywood blockbusters ensure a full complement of superb special effects and Will Smith kicking robot ass.

PILOT PIRX'S INQUEST

A heroic pilot agrees to lead a mission to Saturn, aware UNESCO has placed an android on his crew as part of a risky experiment. Can he work out which of his men is the non-human? This adaptation from one of Stanisław Lem's Pirxa stories blends Cold War aesthetics and Arvo Pärt music with thrilling deep space action.

WESTWORLD

You've seen the HBO series, now revisit Crichton's original sci-fi classic about a futuristic theme park where tourists can interact with lifelike androids in recreations of the wild west, ancient Rome and medieval times. What could possibly go wrong? Yul Brynner, as an implacable robot gunslinger, is nightmare fodder.

INFERNO ROSSO: JOE D'AMATO ON THE ROAD OF EXCESS

Here's valuable documentary insight into the career of the filmmaker who (under multiple pseudonyms) rode the waves of Italian exploitation trends such as horror, post-apocalypse action, and porn both soft and hardcore. Contributing friends and colleagues include Lamberto Bava, Michele Soavi and, of course, George Eastman.

Screened for the first time in the unreleased extended cut! 

MATINEE: CINEKETJE + THE BLACK HOLE

Take a nostalgic trip back to the glory days of childhood cinema with a Sunday afternoon show suitable for all ages. We start with Cineketje: short films for toddlers (from 3 years old) in collaboration with Filemon. They and their parents will be able to immerse themselves in the wonderful world of robots for 45 minutes. At 2pm, the main programme starts, and ushers will guide you to your seats. On the menu: ice cream, previews and trailers, culminating with a screening on vintage 35mm Cinemascope of a robot sci-fi classic for the whole family: Disney's The Black Hole.

THE ARTIFICE GIRL

Government agents interrogate a computer geek about the pubescent girl he's been using to trap sexual predators online. She turns out to be virtual (an uncanny performance by young Tatum Matthews) in a cerebral three-act chamber piece that dives deep into the ethics, pitfalls and potential of Artificial Intelligence.

METOROPORISU

Lang's Metropolis was inspiration for this spectacular dieselpunk anime, adapted from Osamu Tezuka's manga, in which a female android called Tima struggles against a destiny in which she will be deployed as a superweapon. The cityscapes are stunning, with a retro feel that's echoed in the ragtime-adjacent score and unexpected use of a Ray Charles hit.

AUTOMATA

In 2044, humans need robotic help to survive in a world scorched by solar flares. Antonio Banderas plays an investigator examining claims that robots have been breaching protocol by modifying themselves. This handsome sci-fi epic pits paranoid humans against philosophical machines who may be mankind's last hope.

SHORTSCREEN

For the annual Shortscreen program, Offscreen and website Kortfilm.be present a selection of recent short films that fit the Offscreen criteria: original, unusual, bizarre, and surprising. The films will be introduced by the filmmakers themselves.

DEATH MACHINE

In what could be the most unhinged performance of his career, Brad Dourif plays a mad scientist who unleashes his choppy, stabby killer robot on CEOs and eco-warriors trapped in a high-rise. Norrington, in his feature debut, directs the hell out of this often hilarious mash-up of The Terminator, RoboCop and Hardware.

MASTERCLASS: E. ELIAS MERHIGE

SHORT CIRCUIT

"Number 5 is alive!" A military robot gains sentience and goes on the run in this family-friendly comedy adventure. A scatty animal lover (Ally Sheedy) thinks it's an extra-terrestrial and teaches it the ways of humans before they team up with the robot's inventor to evade the army killjoys who want it terminated.

ANDROID

In 2036, three criminals seek refuge on a space station occupied only by creepy scientist Klaus Kinski and a naïve android, Max 404, who models himself on James Stewart. With its Space Invaders-era graphics, this no-budget but inventive New World production takes some unexpected turns en route to a violent climax.

THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL

The intergalactic equivalent of a UN observer lands in Washington DC and demands a stop to nuclear testing in this sci-fi allegory with religious undertones. The earthlings ignore his pleas for peace, leaving them at the mercy of a giant robot that can only be stopped with the immortal words "Klaatu barada nikto!"

CINEKETJE

Cineketje: short films for toddlers (from 3 years old) in collaboration with Filemon. They and their parents will be able to immerse themselves in the wonderful world of robots for 45 minutes.