G-Fest

G-Fest is an annual convention devoted to the daikaiju film genre and sponsored by Daikaiju Enterprises, Ltd. It regularly features panels, contests, and theatrically-screened films of interest to fans of Japanese monsters such as Godzilla and Gamera. G-Fest is presently held in Chicago, Illinois, at the Crowne Plaza O’Hare Hotel.

Actors, directors, special effects technicians who worked on daikaiju movies in Japan are frequent guests at G-Fest. Often, the major guest is honored with the coveted "Mangled Skyscraper Award" for their lasting contributions to the daikaiju genre.

Three of the most popular features of G-Fest are the Dealers Room where dealers sell toys, posters, books and movie memorabilia, the Costume Contest where participants of all ages make and model their monster character costumes, and the Model Show & Competition.

G-Fest was founded by G-Fan magazine editor and publisher J. D. Lees, a Canadian high school teacher, and the late John Rocco Roberto. Persons assisting Lees in organizing G-Fest over the years have included Jeff Horne, Brett Homenick, Armand Vaquer, Stan Hyde, Dawn McKechnie and others. Actor Robert Scott Field regularly attends G-Fest as a celebrity guest and translator.

G-Fest (Friends of G-FAN) '94

* First public meeting of contributors to G-Fan
* Howard Johnson Hotel, O'Hare Airport, Illinois

G-Fest (G-Con) '95

* First organized convention. The first two days were closed to the public until news reports spread then was open to the public on the last day (3rd)
* Radisson Hotel, Arlington Heights, Illinois

G-Fest (G-Con) '96

* Guests: Ken Satsuma, Haruo Nakajima, Guy Mariner Tucker (late author of "Age of the Gods: A History of Japanese Fantasy Film")
* Radisson Hotel, Arlington Heights, Illinois

G-Fest (G-Con) '97

* Guests: Don Glut, Marc Cerasini, Bob Eggleton, Stuart Galbraith IV, David Kalat, Steve Ryfle
* Wyndham Hotel, Chicago, Illinois

G-Fest '98

* Guests: William Stout, Mike Fredericks, Yoshikazu Ishii, Gene Rizzardi
* Wyndham Hotel, Chicago, Illinois

G-Fest '99

*Date: July 23-25, 1999
* Guests: Robert Scott Field, Volker Engel, Forry Ackerman, Noriaki Yuasa, Wataru Mimura, Hiroshi Kashiwabara, Shusuke Kaneko, Peter Fernandez, Corrine Orr
* Movies:
* Mangled Skyscraper Award presented to: Forry Ackerman
* Burbank Hilton, Burbank, California

G-Fest 2000

* Date: July 14-16, 2000
* Guests: Koichi Kawakita, Ken Satsuma, Haruo Nakajima, Noriaki Yuasa, Megumi Odaka, Kieta Amemiya, Yuji Sakai, Robert Scott Field, Sadamasa Arikawa, Jerry Ito, Mach Fumiake
* Movies: Godzilla (1954), Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, Son of Godzilla, Rebirth of Mothra III
* Mangled Skyscraper Award presented to: Koichi Kawakita
* Hollywood Roosevelt, Los Angeles, California

G-Fest '01

* Date: July 13-15, 2001
* Guests: Shinichi Wakasa, Bob Eggleton, Robert Scott Field
* Movies: Godzilla (1954), Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla
* Mangled Skyscraper Award presented to: Greg Shoemaker
* Radisson Hotel, Arlington Heights, Illinois

G-Fest '02

* Date: July 12-14, 2002
* Guests: Koichi Kawakita, Hurricane Ryu, Robert Scott Field
* Movies: Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, , Godzilla vs. Megaguirus
* Mangled Skyscraper Award presented to: Stan G. Hyde
* Radisson Hotel, Arlington Heights, Illinois

G-Fest X

* Date: July 18-20, 2003
* Guests: Noriaki Yuasa, Carl Craig, Yoshikazu Ishii, Robert Scott Field
* Movies: Battle in Outer Space, ,
* Mangled Skyscraper Award presented to: Noriaki Yuasa
* Radisson Hotel, Arlington Heights, Illinois

G-Fest XI

* Date: July 9-11, 2004
* Guests: Teruyoshi Nakano, Robert Scott Field, Brian Thomas
* Movies: Invasion of Astro-Monster, Terror of Mechagodzilla,
* Mangled Skyscraper Award presented to: Teruyoshi Nakano
* Holiday Inn O'Hare International, Rosemont, Illinois

G-Fest XII

* Date: July 8-10, 2005
* Guests: Yoshimitsu Banno, Yoshikazu Ishii, Robert Scott Field, Carl Craig, Robert Conte
* Movies: The H-Man, Godzilla vs. Hedorah,
* Mangled Skyscraper Award presented to: Yoshikazu Ishii
* Crowne Plaza O'Hare International, Rosemont, Illinois

G-Fest XIII

* Date: July 7-9, 2006
* Guests: Kazuki Omori, Robert Scott Field, Yoshikazu Ishii
* Movies: Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, , Gamera the Brave
* Mangled Skyscraper Award presented to: Robert Scott Field
* Crowne Plaza O'Hare International, Rosemont, Illinois

G-Fest XIV

* Date: July 6-8, 2007
* Guests: Rhodes Reason, Shelley Sweeney, Robert Scott Field, Don Glut
* Saturday Afternoon Concert Performed by: Rieko Wada, Tomomi Matsumura, Shetoshi Yamada, Marcus Dunleavy
* Movies: King Kong Escapes, King Kong vs. Godzilla
* Mangled Skyscraper Award presented to: Don Glut
* Crowne Plaza O'Hare International, Rosemont, Illinois

G-Fest XV

* Date: July 4-6, 2008
* Guests: Haruo Nakajima, Don Frye, August Ragone, Robert Scott Field
* Movies: Matango, Destroy All Monsters, Godzilla vs. Gigan, Godzilla vs. Biollante, Orochi the Eight-Headed Dragon, and Godzilla X Mechagodzilla
* Mangled Skyscraper Award presented to: Haruo Nakajima
* Crowne Plaza O'Hare International, Rosemont, Illinois

External links

* [http://www.g-fan.com/ Official G-Fan / G-Fest Website]
* [http://www.mania.com/49124.html/ Mania Movies coverage of G-Fest 2005]
* [http://community.webshots.com/album/552189488dOeRzj/ Photo Coverage of the G-Fest 2006 model show]
* [http://kaiju.boomcoach.com/gcon96/index.html A fan's coverage of the 1996 G-Con (before the name was changed to G-Fest)]
* [http://kaiju.boomcoach.com/gcon97/index.html A fan's coverage of the 1997 G-Con (before the name was changed to G-Fest)]
* [http://movies.groups.yahoo.com/group/TSNorthAmerica/ Titanosaurus Society of North America Yahoo Groups G-FEST Photo Archives]