X-CON (X-Files convention)
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| Convention | |
|---|---|
| Name: | X-CON Germany |
| Dates: | 17–18 October 2009 |
| Frequency: | one time event |
| Location: | Hotel Mercure Tempelhof Airport Berlin-Neukölln, Berlin, Germany |
| Type: | fancon with celebrity guest |
| Focus: | The X-Files, The Lone Gunmen |
| Organization: | X-CON Germany (nicht eingetragener Verein) |
| Founder: | a female German X-Phile |
| Founding Date: | 2008 |
| URL: | www.xfiles-con.com (defunct) |
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| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
X-Con (pronounced: ɪks Con ) was a X-Files fanconvention that was held in Germany. It was hosted by journalist and Big Name Fan Kai Krick. Guest stars were actor and comedian Dean Haglund who played Langly (Guest of Honor) on The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen and Australian singer/songwriter Jamison Young whose song Memories Child was personally chosen by director Chris Carter to be used in the second X-Files feature film I Want To Believe.
Almost 600 € were raised for a charity association located in Berlin that supported children with Neurofibromatosis (NF), a genetic disease Gillian Anderson's brother suffered from and which related charities fighting against NF the actress supports.
Although the first convention was a success both financially and according to the attendees, and it was planned to hold more, it was not possible to organize a full convention in 2009 due to time constraints. Instead, a small fan gathering was hold in 2010 in Hamburg which was aptly called Field Trip.
History
A German X-Phile started a poll in September 2008 in the message board for the XFilesMania, one of the two largest X-Files online communities for the German-speaking countries where she asked the community whether fans would be interested in a fan-run convention on German soil. After a very positive response from the community and despite having herself no experience with organising a convention, only with visiting several commercial conventions like the Fedcon, the fan started to post her ideas. Soon a handful of volunteers out of the XFM community started to support her in Berlin and virtually via the internet. All in all, the team work one year to get the event off the ground.
The location was decided on via a poll: Berlin (the fact the largest fan group is from that city might have been a factor in favour of the German capital). Originally, it was planned to hold the convention from Friday to Saturday and have all three Lone Gunmen actors as guest stars, at one point it was also planned to invite Nick Lea. Since the planning was depended on the pre-sold tickets and not people bought there tickets before hands, the guest line-up had to be reduced to Haglund only (since all costs for location, guest travel and accommodation etc. had to be paid upfront).
Program
Over 120 X-Philes from all over the world attended the convention. The guest with the longest travel came all the way from South Africa. The 3 guest with the longest distance to Berlin were invited to a special tour with Haglund that included visits to an old WW II bunker and the former StaSi prission Hohenschönhausen. During the convention, money for Frankenbear's Word Tour was raised by selling buttons, WWFBD silicone wristbands. Fans could submit their postcards for the XFilesNews' 10,013 photos for a greenlight campaign at the con.
Attendees could send ideas for lectures and other program points. For the fan video contest, fans could submit their works. Haglund and filmmaker Phil Leirness also shot scenes for their documentary "The Truth Is Out There" at the convention.
- there were Various lectures (among others on Mark Snow, about medicine and postmodern concepts around The X-Files, a medical lecture as well as a panel with author Kai Krick who had written several guide books about The X-Files and MillenniuM in the 1990s)
- Costume contest / RPG
- Presentation of Fanvids (Vidshow) and Fanart
- 20-minute acoustic concert by Jamison Young
- 90 minute improvisation stand-up show by Dean Haglund
- "Chillpak Hollywood Hour" Live Broadcast from the X-CON (Episode # 127)[1]
- Autograph session with Kai Krick, Dean Haglund and Jamison Young
- FanArt contest
- two memorial videos were shown (both featuring music by Carterverse composer Mark Snow): one for X-File director Kim Manners[2] and one for all the members of cast and crew that had passed until 2009 [3]
As a special last minute surprise, X-Files writer and co-producer Frank Spotnitz send a video message to the visitors with his regards.
Links
- Seriasten.tv report from the X-Con (German/English with English subtitles)
- Report from the X-CON at the The X-Files Lexicon
- foto slideshow from the convention
- a short video from Dean Haglund's appearance