G-Fest

G-Fest is an annual convention devoted to the kaiju 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 kaiju 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 kaiju 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. Persons assisting Lees in organizing G-Fest include 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
Movies: Gamera 3: Awakening of Irys
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, Jerri Ito, Mach Fumiake
Movies: Gojira, 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: Gojira, 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, Gamera 2: Advent of Legion, 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, Gamera 3: Awakening of Irys, Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack
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, Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.
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: H-Man, Godzilla vs. Hedorah, Godzilla: Final Wars
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, Negadon: The Monster from Mars, 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, Robert Scott Field, and J.D. Lees
Movies: Matango, Destroy All Monsters, Godzilla Vs. Gigan, YAMATO TAKERU, Godzilla Vs. Biollante, and Godzilla X Mechagodzilla
Crowne Plaza O'Hare International, Rosemont, Illinois

G-Fest XVI

Date: July 3–5, 2009
Guests: Kenji Sahara, Robert Scott Field, August Ragone, David Kalat
Movies: Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, The Mysterians,Mothra vs. Godzilla, The Monster X Strikes Back: Attack the G8 Summit
Crowne Plaza O'Hare International, Rosemont, Illinois

G-Fest XVII

Date: July 9–11, 2010
Guests: Akira Takarada, Bob Eggleton, Robert Scott Field, William M. Tsutsui, David Kalat, Damon Foster
Movies: Son of Godzilla, Godzilla vs. Mothra, Godzilla 2000, Godzilla vs. Megaguirus, Godzilla vs the Sea Monster, Godzilla (1954)
Rosemont Hotel at O'Hare, Rosemont, Illinois

G-Fest XVIII

Date: July 15–17, 2011
Guests: Hiroyuki Watanabe, Shinji Higuchi, Hiroshi Sagae, Robert Scott Field, August Ragone
Movies: Gamera: Super Monster, Mothra, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, Gamera: Guardian of the Universe, Ultraman Tiga & Ultraman Dyna & Ultraman Gaia: Battle in Hyperspace, Gamera 2: Advent of Legion
Crowne Plaza O'Hare, Rosemont, Illinois

G-Fest XIX

Date: July 13-15, 2012
Guests: Akira Takarada, Satoshi Furuya, Robert Scott Field, Svengoolie
Movies: King Kong, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, Gorgo, Gamera, Godzilla, King of the Monsters!, Godzilla vs. Destoroyah
Crowne Plaza O'Hare, Rosemont, Illinois

G-Fest XX

Date: July 12-14, 2013
Guests: Tsutomu Kitagawa, Shinichi Wakasa, Shizuo Nakajima, Robert Scott Field, Frank H Woodward, Cleve Hall
Movies: 20 Million Miles To Earth, Gamera 3: The Revenge of Iris, Gamera vs. Gyaos, The X From Outer Space, Pacific Rim (Midnight showing,) Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla, Godzilla vs. Megaguirus
Crowne Plaza O'Hare, Rosemont, Illinois

G-Fest XXI

Date: July 11-13, 2014
Guests: Koichi Kawakita, Tomoko Ai, Katsuhiko Sasaki, Hiroshi Sagae, Don Frye, Robert Scott Field, Shinpei Hayashiya
Movies: King Kong (1976), King Kong Lives, Gamera vs. Barugon, Yonggary, Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah
Crowne Plaza O'Hare, Rosemont, Illinois

G-Fest XXII

Date: July 10-12, 2015
Guests: Masaaki Tezuka, Noboru Kaneko, August Ragone, Robert Scott Field, Kow Otani
Movies: Them!, The Deadly Mantis, Gamera vs. Jiger, Gamera: Guardian of the Universe, Godzilla vs. Biollante, Godzilla vs. Megaguirus
Crowne Plaza O'Hare, Rosemont, Illinois

G-Fest XXIII

Date: July 15-17, 2016
Guests: Akira Takarada, Linda Miller, Satoshi Furuya, Hiroko Sakurai, Robert Scott Field, August Ragone, Yoshikazu Ishii, Hiroshi Sagae, Carl Craig, Sojiro Uchino, Tony Isabella
Movies: King Kong Escapes, Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, Yonggary, Gamera vs. Viras, The Green Slime, Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy
Crowne Plaza O'Hare, Rosemont, Illinois

G-Fest XXIV

Date: July 14-16, 2017
Guests:Michiru Ōshima, Yuji Kaida ,Shinji Higuchi, Ryuki Kitaoka, Kazuhiro Nakagawa, Kiyotaka Taguchi, Robert Scott Field, Tony Isabella
Movies: TBA
Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare, Illinois.

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