STAND BY FOR SFWXVI
As the dust settles on SFWXV, and Great Yarmouth starts to return to whatever passes for normal there, we’re already planning the next amazing adventure for Geek Camp! SFWXVI is in our sights … March 2025 … and here are the first tranche of announcements of guests, entertainment and other activities that we have for you at this time. As always, things can change, but all the following are currently confirmed for the event!
MEDIA GUESTS
Our first media guest is the amazing CHRISTINA CHONG, who you may know from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds as La’an Noonien Singh, a descendant of Khan Noonien Singh from the classic series episode ‘Space Seed’ and the films The Wrath of Kahn and Star Trek Into Darkness.
In 2011 Christina made her breakthrough with supporting roles in the movies W.E. and Johnny English Reborn and TV appearances in the Doctor Who episode ‘A Good Man Goes to War’, and as a regular cast member in the medical series Monroe. She has since guested in several different TV series and films including Star Wars: The Force Awakens and in Dominion as Zoe Holloway, a member of Vega’s Archangel Corps, who becomes the leader of the rebellion of the city’s lower classes.
With The NeverEnding Story celebrating its 45th anniversary in 2024, we’re delighted to welcome NOAH HATHAWAYto SFW! Noah played Atreyu in the 1984 film and also appeared as Boxey, the son of Serina and adoptive son of Apollo, in the original television series Battlestar Galactica. His work on The NeverEnding Story made him a teen idol in Europe, and he also appeared in the film Troll and as Jud in the Mork & Mindy episode ‘Little Orphan Morkie’. In recent years he has returned to film, appearing in Sushi Girl and Blue Dream.
We also welcome TAV MACDOUGALL, a British actor known for playing a Death Eater in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Other roles include appearances in Trust Me, Coronation Street, Emmerdale and Doctors.
Joining us from behind the camera, is director MARCUS NISPEL. Marcus directed the remakes/reboots of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003), the Dean R Koontz/John Shiban-penned Frankenstein (2004), Pathfinder (2007), Friday the 13th (2009), and Conan the Barbarian (2011).
AUTHORS
C J TUDOR’s love of writing, especially the dark and macabre, started young. While her peers were reading Judy Blume, she was devouring Stephen King and James Herbert. Over the years she has had a variety of jobs, including trainee reporter, radio scriptwriter, dog walker, voiceover artist, television presenter, copywriter and now, author.
She is now the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Chalk Man, The Taking of Annie Thorne, The Other People, The Burning Girls and The Drift. All of her books are in development or optioned for TV, and The Burning Girls debuted on Paramount Plus in 2023. She is also the author of a short story collection, A Sliver of Darkness.
Returning to SFW is ANNA STEPHENS, the author of the epic fantasy Godblind and Songs of the Drowned trilogies through HarperVoyager. She also writes for Black Library in their Age of Sigmar and Warhammer Horror imprints, as well as for Marvel Comics through their tie-in publisher, Aconyte Books.
These literary feats have been accomplished despite the nefarious intentions of Bailey the miniature poodle, who deploys his weapons-grade cuteness with irresponsible abandon. As a black belt in Shotokan Karate and a one time historical fencer, Anna’s no stranger to the feeling of being hit in the face, which is more help than you would expect when writing fight scenes.
WORKSHOPS & MASTERCLASSES
Social Media Masterclass
PR and Social Media Manager by day and best-selling author by night, NOELLE HOLTEN spends a large portion of her life dealing with social media feeds and she’ll explain how to use several of the most popular platforms to attendees in a manner that works for every individual.
Putting the Horror in your Crime – Writing Workshop
Author and founder of the Crime and Publishment master-classes, GRAHAM SMITH, will discuss the use of horror elements in contemporary crime fiction and showcase ways you can blend the two genres to enhance your own manuscript. From The Silence of the Lambs to Misery, there’s so much to discuss and learn from.
PHOTO STUDIO
For the first time at SFW we will have a professional PHOTO STUDIO onsite and ready to take professional quality photographs of you and your friends in cosplay or dressed up for the Awards, or with some of the attending celebrities (prices will vary depending on the celebrity), and get them printed there and then either as a momento, or to get signed by the guests (there would be the normal signing fee for any signatures wanted). Robin Prichard, who runs the facility, has many, many years of offering the service at professional events around the country.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
With the Kid’s film and late night films proving popular at SFWXV, we’re again hoping to fit some presentations into the schedule. And again, the bar would be open late into the night to support the showings … so you can keep drinking and partying into the wee small hours!
We’re delighted that the RETRO COMPUTER MUSEUM (GAMES) will be onsite with a selection of their vintage and classic computer games for people to try their hands at.
We’ll also have BOARD GAMES up and running again for those who like a little strategy and problem solving in their lives.
SFW AWARDS
The SFW Awards, where we give accolades voted on by the SFW Troopers, plus a few which the organisers vote on themselves, to the great and good of our attending SFW community, will be back on the Thursday Night. Theme will be announced nearer the event, but be sure of a night of smiles, laughter, applause, drinking and dancing … with live acts and music as the Awards are rolled out!
ENTERTAINMENT
As always with SFW, we do our utmost to bring you the cream of entertainment and among the offerings for SFWXVI are:
JUST A MINUTE! – DAVID J HOWE presents the show which has just grown in popularity over the years. The madness of trying to control four guest players who have to do nothing but speak for a minute on a given subject has to be seen to be believed. And with BRYONY PEARCE again defending her winning crown … who will win out in 2025! You have to be there to find out!!
Back for more shenanigans in a lightless arena is JOHN ROBERTSON’S THE DARK ROOM … You awake to find yourself in a dark room … what do you do? Only John has the answers in this interactive game which is sweeping the world. Will the randomly chosen contestants win out … or will they DIE, DIE, DIE!!!
Following their barnstorming performances of A Nightmare on Elm Street and The Shining, our puppet pals are back as the POP UP PUPPET CINEMA presents some more interpretations of classic films.
And QUIZ WITH QUINT went down so well at SFWXV, that the grizzled shark hunter from Jaws is back with another round of questions and insanity … all aided and abetted by his puppet friends.
We all love a Pirate shanty, and so the boys from JOLLYBOAT are setting sail again to SFWXVI for more music and dancing and Pirate japes
And rounding off the evenings is our resident video DJ LEVEL UP LEROY, a master on the decks and on the screen, presenting banging tunes, mixed with showtunes, cartoons, music and effects from your favourite TV, film and videogames. Guaranteed to get the crowd up on their feet and dancing, Leroy is the absolute tonic to get your feet tapping and your body moving …
There is, as always, more to come and more to be announced, but hopefully this gives you something of flavour of the sixteenth outing of SFW! All those guests, entertainment, music, laughter and excitement contained within your ticket! And with your accommodation just a short stagger away, it’s a Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror event like no other in the world.
Hope to see you there!!