Boston Science Fiction Film Festival

The ‘Thon began back in 1976 at the Orson Welles Cinema in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was designed to complement the Boskone, the Boston Science Fiction Convention, playing in Boston that same weekend. Sunday February 15, 1976 was the inaugural program. It featured "This Island Earth," "The Day the Earth Stood Still," "The War of the Worlds," "Things to Come," "The Thing from Another World," "Them!," and "Zardoz." Tickets for the 14 feature film event cost $4.75 with a complimentary champagne toast at the conclusion.[1]

The following year featured a sneak preview of a then unknown "Star Wars." Collectible posters were given out to attendees who paid the $4.95 admission price. By 1978, the event was given a tagline of SF3, connoting its third year. The last digit increases with each following year. 2021, it will be SF46. In a controversial decision, The ‘Thon’s 10th anniversary was a 36-hour endurance event.

A few months after SF11, the Orson Welles Cinema was destroyed by fire. The Marathon found a new home at the Somerville Theatre located in Davis Square, Somerville, Massachusetts which was under the operations of former Welles Manager, Garen Daly. Over the next few years, the event expanded to include more days, changed its official name to The Boston Science Fiction Film Festival and became peripatetic. Iterations of the festival took place at the Coolidge Corner Theatre, The West Newton Cinema, and the Dedham Community Theatre. Then for the SF30, the Festival returned to the Somerville Theatre where it has remained ever since.[2]

With the advent of VHS and DVD, the Festival faced changing tastes. To address these, it began to add more days, newer films and more shorts reaching its current festival structure of ten days. The first nine days are devoted to showcasing new works from around the world. Judges rotate every year and are gleaned from the attendees, local personalities and the occasional 'special' judge. Awards are presented every year for Best Feature and Best Short. In 2012, a new category was added, Steampunk Awards for this category also included Best Feature and Best Short.