FACTS is
an annual convention taking place in the beautiful Flemish city of Ghent
(Belgium). As tradition demands in the meantime, the International
Congress Center (I.C.C.), located in the lush green City Park of Ghent,
is the host location for the event. The I.C.C. offers ample accommodation for events
such as FACTS, with restaurants, pubs, banks and parking space within walking distance.
FACTS is
short for Fantasy, Anime, Comics, Toys and Science-fiction and that immediately provides
a summary of the program for the convention: it’s a collectibles fair and meeting
place for the terminally-contaminated fans of cult films. It is called, quite correctly,
the biggest Science-Fiction convention in the entirety of the Benelux.
This year,
2007, FACTS was already up to its 17th edition; it took place in the weekend of 13
and 14 October 2007.
Every year,
the FACTS organization invites a number of guest stars, who will spend their time
at the convention socializing with the visitors and selling autographs.
This year’s
guest list included …
Ralph
Brown aka Ric Olié
If you ever
see English actor Ralph Brown in a movie, chances are that you’ll remember
him: according to some on-line sources he’s famed for reciting his dialogue
with a relaxed, slow voice and very precise enunciation of words.
We saw Ralph
in Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace as Naboo Fighter Pilot Ric Olié.
But being Ric
Olié is certainly not the only exploit on Ralph’s CV; when we browse
his career we see, among others but certainly not limited to, roles in “Alien³”, “The
Crying Game”, “Wayne’s World 2”, “Buster” and
then various appearances on TV shows such as “Coronation Street”, “Nighty
Night” and “Life on Mars”.
If that doesn’t
already illustrate that Ralph is a versatile man, we can also add he’s an award-winning
play writer and an avid musician.
His attendance
of the FACTS Convention was his first Con appearance on the European mainland.
Alan
Ruscoe aka Lott
Dod aka Daultay Dofine aka Plo Koon
Monsters, aliens
and androids seem to be the trademark of British-born actor Alan Ruscoe. If the Neimodians
Dod and Dofine don’t ring a bell, you will certainly recognize Ruscoe as the
methane-breathing Jedi Plo Koon in Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace.
As in the case
of his fellow countryman Ralph Brown those roles were not Alan’s first work,
though. Alan will be known best to TV watchers as he features in a number of popular
TV series such as “Dr. Who” and “Hex”. But he also performs
in blockbuster movies such as “the Fifth Element”. Except for his exploits
on the white screen, Alan is also a blessed theatre man.
Also for Alan,
his appearance at FACTS was the first step outside of the Britt convention circle.
David
Bowers aka Mas Amedda
David
was discovered by talent agents in a small coffee shop in his home town, who were
there to film a low-budget movie about talent agents finding new faces in small coffee
shops for high-budget movies.
Next he knows he's the actor portraying Mas Amedda in the Australian takes of Star
Wars Episode 2, Attack of the Clones and Star Wars 3, Revenge of the Sith. Jerome
Blake filled in the role for the British takes, but went strangely unaccredited for
his efforts. Political ploy?
Other non-Star
Wars artists and actors on the guest list this year were: comic artists LECTRR, Adam
Hughes, Allison Sohn, Joe Jusko, Olivier Ledroit, Mario Boon, James A. Owen, Stéphane
Leroux, Moonkey, Jerôme Alquié, Lildragon, Mangafique and actors Robert
Englund (Freddy Krueger), Jean-Claude Van Damme (Timecop; Universal Soldier) and
Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters 1 and 2).
The official
website of the organizers is www.FACTS-convention.com.
Most of the
cosplayers you could see in the pictures of our article are proud members of the
Rebel Legion Benelux and the Belgian 501st (www.FanWars.be),
the fantastic life-size dioramas were made by the Prospectors Squad (www.Prospectors.be or www.501Prospectors.be)
of the same Belgian 501st and the Artoo units were by the hand of the
French R2 builders (www.R2-D2.fr).
The mentioned
charity event was in support of none other than the Make-A-Wish Foundation (www.wish.org),
a wish-granting organization
that has given hope, strength and joy to children with life-threatening medical conditions.
None of this
could have been possible without the aid of one of the most fantastic Jedi ever:
Mark Dermul, proud owner of the Autograph Bounty Hunter website (www.BountyHunter.be)
and chairman of the Star Force Events organization (www.StarForce.be).
Thanks again,
Mark!
