DeepCon

DeepCon (also Deepcon) is an Italian science fiction, fantasy and horror fan convention, covering multiple (ideally all) entertainment forms and media (e.g.: film, television, literature, comics, music, computer), mixed with a dose of actual, real-world science. The last two decades of the twentieth century were a relatively difficult time for science fiction in Italy, regardless of medium. Thus DeepCon was conceived to promote its visibility and viability as a genre, as well as a general SF fan convention. Collaborations were sought with television stations, distributors and authoring firms, both for promotion and for panels explaining the behind-the-scenes work needed in order to air or sell a TV show or a movie. By the same token, TV and film actors and crew were present at all of the past DeepCons: actors, make-up artists, pre-production and post-production crew, scriptwriters, and so on. Literature was not neglected, either. For several years, the convention's organizing committee was entrusted by WorldSF Italia with running it (a convention for professionals) within DeepCon. Since then, publishers, translators, international artists and writers participate and roam the venue. As a highlight, parent Italian fan club Deep Space One was awarded for 2009 by European Science Fiction Society the privilege of organizing Eurocon (a Europe-level convention), with guests from all over the continent. By that time, the SF focus of the convention had already broadened to include fantasy and horror as well. Since most attendees and even some guests had a strong interest in actual science, efforts were made to officially include scientific and quasi-scientific topics in the program: aeronautics, astronautics, astronomy, astrophysics, computer science, archaeology, the paranormal (both for and against). Members of ASI, NASA, Northrop, CICAP were guests multiple times. Deepcon 21, originally planned for March 2020, had to be delayed, then canceled in compliance with nation-wide countermeasures against COVID-19.