Q, THE WINGED SERPENT
USA – Dir: Larry Cohen
Repertory screening. Q: THE WINGED SERPENT is an awesomely strange mix of crime drama, police thriller, and good old-fashioned monster movie featuring a stop-motion creature and other nods to KING KONG. Michael Moriarty’s turn as a lovable loser makes for perfect chemistry with David Carradine’s cynical NYC cop, and some surprisingly gory kills add to the fun. See it on a 35mm archival print as part of this year’s Larry Cohen retrospective, which features the filmmaker in-person to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. Now, keep your eyes on the skies…
RADIUS
Canada – Dir: Caroline Labrèche and Steeve Léonard
Following a mysterious car crash, a man with no memory of his past becomes inexplicably lethal to anyone in his path. His bizarre death force only appears to be neutralized when in the very close vicinity of Jane, a woman who suffers a similarly clouded memory. Together, they’ll try to recall their past and understand the tie that that seems to bind them. But they can’t ever be more than 50 feet apart or people will die. Directed by SANS DESSEIN filmmakers Caroline Labrèche and Steeve Léonard, RADIUS is the latest project seeing the light because of Frontières, Fantasia’s international co-production market. It’s our pleasure to present the World Premiere of this unique Quebec-made genre work. Directors in Attendance.
RAFALES
Canada – Dir: André Melançon
Repertory screening. RAFALES is a thriller directed by André Melançon, known to the public for having directed the films LA GUERRE DES TUQUES, BACH and BOTTINE. Here, it blurs the lines with a thriller at one intense, tender and human. Co-written by Melançon, Jacques Duchesneau (yes, yes, of the Duchesneau report), Marcel Lebœuf and Denis Bouchard – the two last also engaged in a magnificent battle of wits on the screen. Beyond the human drama, the film is an acerbic critique of the media world, where unscrupulous journalists exploit human distress in pursuit of scoops both sensational and exclusive. Absent in the digital age, this film has not seen distribution since its VHS version. Éléphant, la mémoire du cinema, in collaboration with Fantasia, are very proud to be associated with the presentation of this new, restored copy of a classic by André Melançon, who unfortunately left us last year.
RAGE
Japan – Dir. Lee Sang-il
A double homicide shakes the nation, and its perpetrator has eluded capture. Meanwhile, three strangers make an appearance. A phenomenal crime thriller about isolation and how we perceive others. Official Selection: Toronto International Film Festival 2016, San Sebastian Film Festival 2016, Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2016.
THE RAPE OF THE VAMPIRE
France – Dir: Jean Rollin
Repertory screening. After a psychoanalyst unsuccessfully tries to convince four sisters that they are not 200 year old vampires, the Queen of the Vampires promulgates the cause of the Undead.
REPLACE
Germany/Canada – Dir: Norbert Keil
Afflicted with a dermatological disease, young and beautiful Kira discovers she can replace her skin with that of other girls. REPLACE is a visually sumptuous and grotesque horror/science-fiction creation, co-scripted by Richard Stanley and co-starring genre legend Barbara Crampton.
RON GOOSSENS, LOW-BUDGET STUNTMAN
Netherlands – Dir: Steffen Haars and Flip Van der Kuil
A failed stunt makes Ron Goossens an overnight national celebrity in Holland, in the incendiary new comedy from the team who gave you the insane NEW KIDS films! Official Selection: Fantaspoa 2017, Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival 2017.
SAVAGE DOG
USA – Dir. Jesse V. Johnson
In this whirlwind of fists and feet that piles one relentless action sequence after another, an ass-kicking ex-con is forced back into the ring to save his new friends’ bar – and possibly their lives! Action legends Scott Adkins, Marko Zaror, and Cung Le each give 110%, and deliver 90 minutes of pure, face-smashing thrills. Writer/Director Jesse V. Johnson and Actor Scott Adkins in Attendance.
THE SENIOR CLASS
South Korea – Dir. Hong Deok-pyo
Raw in its emotional honesty, explicit in its exploration of sexuality among South Korean college kids, an animated drama written and produced by Yeon Sang-ho (SEOUL STATION, TRAIN TO BUSAN). Director in Attendance.
SEQUENCE BREAK
USA – Dir: Graham Skipper
A loner’s budding romance is menaced by a mysterious arcade game that’s a portal to the cosmos in this masterful melding of retro ’80s horror nostalgia and Lovecraftian doom. The directorial debut of actor Graham Skipper (THE MIND’S EYE), SEQUENCE BREAK won Best Feature Film at the 2017 Chattanooga Film Festival.
THE SHERIFF IN TOWN
South Korea – Dir. Kim Hyung-joo
When former hardboiled big-city cop Dae-ho (BIG MATCH’s Lee Sung-min) appoint himself the “sheriff” of the coastal village where he owns a humble restaurant, he has no idea how deep in troubles this is going to get him. Laughs, suspense and excitement are on the menu of this entertaining crime comedy where civic pride becomes wildly uncivil!
SHIN GODZILLA
Japan – Dir: Hideaki Anno, Shinji Higuchi
Godzilla returns after a 12-year hiatus! With this 29th film, the original Japanese franchise makes a comeback after the 2014 American reboot by Legendary Pictures. The atomic beast is back, directed by Hideaki Anno, creator of the anime masterpiece NEON GENESIS EVENGELION, and co-directed by SFX maestro Shinji Higuchi, veteran of the GAMERA trilogy by Shusuke Kaneko (1985-1999). In Japan, SHIN GODZILLA was a thundering success, beating all previous Godzilla films since 1964. It was the number-one live-action box office champion of 2016 and won prestigious Japanese film awards. This new Godzilla is completely re-invented, inspired by the nuclear tragedy of the Fukushima disaster. Grounded in reality, focused on crisis management, this is the most frightening Godzilla ever to crash across the big screen!
SHINJUKU SWAN II
Japan – Dir: Sion Sono
Following the 2015 International Premiere of Sion Sono’s Red Light District-set yakuza/talent agency action-drama film SHINJUKU SWAN, Fantasia is proud to unveil the International Premiere of its sequel, SHINJUKU SWAN II! Reuniting maverick filmmaker Sion Sono (TAG, LOVE EXPOSURE, the upcoming Amazon series TOKYO VAMPIRE HOTEL) with superstar Go Ayano (RAGE, LUPIN THE THIRD), this sequel adapts the arc “Yokohama Kingdom” from Ken Wakui’s popular seinen manga series of the same name, and finds our titular, energetic talent scout going head-to-head with a rival Yokohama agency, led by boss Taki (the one and only Tadanobu Asano of SURVIVE STYLE 5+, JOURNEY TO THE SHORE, and ICHI THE KILLER)!
SHOCK WAVE
Hong Kong – Dir. Herman Yau
One of HK’s most prolific yet controversial filmmakers Herman Yau (THE UNTOLD STORY, EBOLA SYNDROME, IP MAN:THE FINAL FIGHT) reunites with the award winning Andy Lau playing a bomb specialist in this high-octane thriller wired with enough explosive twists ready to detonate at every turn. Official Selection: Udine Far East Film Festival 2017.
SIMON AND THE DREAM HUNTERS
Quebec – Dir: Roger Cantin
Repertory screening. Simon, who’s dreaming of a fabulous world, persuade his friends to come with him to find this mystic country in the ‘third wood’. But, there’s a condition: no adult should see them in this adventurous trip or the dream won’t come true.
SPLIT
South Korea – Dir: Choi Kook-hee
A fallen bowling champion (OLDBOY’s Yoo Ji-tae) attempts to team up with an autistic prodigy (POETRY’s David Lee) to rack big money with underground bowling gambles. Built like a genuine sports drama, SPLIT has way more to offer than the traditional competition story… but it will still make you cheer for the protagonists until the end credits! Official Selection: New York Asian Film Festival 2017.
SPOOR
Poland – Dir: Agnieszka Holland
The big-screen return of one of Polish Cinema’s national treasures, Agnieszka Holland (EUROPA EUROPA, THE SECRET GARDEN), still such a vibrant filmmaker at nearly 70 years of age, SPOOR took home a richly deserved award at the Berlinale earlier this year. Unconventional, poetic and beguiling, it is a genuinely radical film – some have even called it dangerous – that is one part fantastical murder mystery, one part eco-thriller. A retired teacher who speaks truth to power to protect the region’s wildlife finds herself at the center of a surreal series of happenings, with hunters and authority figures found murdered, various animal tracks near the bodies. Could the animals be having their revenge? One of the most subversive genre works we’ve seen in years.
S.U.M.1
Germany – Dir. Christian Pasquariello
A solitary soldier (Iwan Rheon of GAME OF THRONES) mans a watchtower, guarding against mysterious aliens in this eerie exercise in high-tech tension and primeval paranoia. Produced by Christian Alvart (PANDORUM, ANTIBODIES). Official Selection: Shanghai International Film Festival 2017 (Panorama).
SUPER DARK TIMES
USA – Dir: Kevin Phillips
An emotionally incinerating and strangely dream-like gaze into the shadowy crevices of teenage psychology, directed with vivid imagination, telling a powerful story about adolescence’s end and the darkening of innocence, friendship, loyalty… and murder. Official Selection: Rotterdam Film Festival 2017.
SUSPIRIA
Italy – Dir: Dario Argento
As part of our closing night events, Fantasia will be showcasing the first public screening of Synapse Films’ long anticipated 4K restoration of Dario Argento’s SUSPIRIA, just in time for its 40th anniversary. A Grand Guignol fairy tale from the darkest recesses of creative brilliance SUSPIRIA remains one of the most visually and sonically breathtaking genre works in the history of film, its complex aesthetics all but impossible to reproduce with accuracy on any non-Technicolor – let alone non-photochemical – medium to date. For the past three years, Synapse Films have been working on the definitive restoration of Argento’s masterpiece, with the full cooperation, supervision and approval of its celebrated cinematographer Luciano Tovoli, who spared no effort to accurately reproduce the film’s original IB Technicolor visuals. With all the love and obsession that this extraordinary film commands, SUSPIRIA has been restored from the fully uncut, original 35mm Italian camera negative and will be presented with the legendary 4.0 discrete sound mix not heard since its 1977 theatrical release.
A TAXI DRIVER
South Korea – Dir: Jang Hoon
On May 18th, 1980, one of the darkest chapters in South Korea’s recent history began. Protesting against Chun Doo-hwan’s dictatorship, hundreds of citizens of Gwangju, particularly students, were beaten, arrested or killed by the army who was hiding behind a well-orchestrated propaganda campaign blinding the entire nation. So when struggling single-father Man-seob decides to take a German journalist from Seoul to Gwangju in his taxi to clear off his debts, he has no idea how dangerous their journey will be. Director Jang Hoon has established himself as one of the most talented and versatile Korean filmmakers with award winning films like ROUGH CUT and THE FRONT LINE. Reteaming with Hoon after the action thriller THE SECRET REUNION, legendary actor Song Kang-ho (THE HOST, SNOWPIERCER) delivers one of the strongest performances of his career in this unforgettable historical drama. Fantasia is incredibly proud to close its 2017 edition with A TAXI DRIVER, hosted by director Jang Hoon. Director in Attendance.
TEIICHI: BATTLE OF THE SUPREME HIGH
Japan – Dir: Akira Nagai
If Nicolas Machiavelli would’ve written a comic book with an edgy sense of humor, it would look like Usamaru Furuya’s manga Teiichi no Kuni. Akira Nagai, director of the Fantasia 2016 success IF CATS DISAPPEARED FROM THE WORLD, adapts this witty mix of political satire and coming of age story without falling one second into outrageous cynicism. With a dynamic performance from actor Masaki Suda who bring just enough humanity to his aspiring politician character, TEIICHI: BATTLE OF THE SUPREME HIGH (North American Premiere) is the perfect film to maintain a bit of sanity in today’s political context.
TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY 3D
USA – Dir. James Cameron
He said he’d be back, and he kept his word. Twenty-six years after revolutionizing action cinema, James Cameron presents a newly-restored 3D version of his classic, era-defining science fiction masterpiece about a mother, son, and cyborg attempting to stop a visage-changing robot from bringing on a nuclear apocalypse. Not in Competition.
THOUSAND CUTS
France – Dir: Eric Valette
From the maker of MALEFIQUE and ONE MISSED CALL comes a compelling story about wine, drugs, neighbors, neophobia, and politics, in which a hitman seeks a place to hide. Starring Tomer Sisley (SLEEPLESS NIGHT). Official Selection: Rotterdam Film Festival 2017.
A THOUSAND JUNKIES
USA – Dir. Tommy Swerdlow
A “drug” movie with no drugs, and a “road” movie that goes nowhere, A THOUSAND JUNKIES is a dark, visceral comedy about the 9 to 5 job of being a junkie, and the strange bonds that are formed between addicts. Screenwriter of COOL RUNNINGS, SNOW DOGS, and LITTLE GIANTS, Tommy Swerdlow makes his directorial debut with a personal story, something miles away from his family-oriented comedies past, based on the three leads’ own experiences with addiction. Official Selection: Tribeca Film Festival 2016.
TIGER GIRL
Germany – Dir. Jakob Lass
Escalating criminal mischief convinces wild girl Tiger that she’s made the wrong friend in seemingly straight-laced Vanilla, but will she survive long enough to learn her lesson? An unpredictable ride through modern-day Berlin, TIGER GIRL showcases brilliant rising talents in leads Maria Dragus (GRADUATION) and Ella Rumpf (cementing her place as a major new star after her acclaimed work in RAW), who deliver a pair of unforgettable performances that make TIGER GIRL incredibly fresh and exciting. Official Selection: Berlinale 2017.
TILT
USA – Dir. Kasra Farahani
A filmmaker becomes unhinged and erratic, and begins to give in to madness. A spellbinding psychological horror film made for a time when love, sadly, does not trump fear or hate. TILT explores how quickly the most familiar person in your life can become the most terrifying. How quickly we can become terrifying to ourselves. Official Selection: Tribeca Film Festival 2017.
TOKYO GHOUL
Japan – Dir. Kentaro Hagiwara
Ghouls live among us, look like us, talk like us… and eat us. TOKYO GHOUL is the live-action adaptation of the immensely popular urban-horror manga by Sui Ishida, a gruesome yet pensive dark fantasy in the same sinister zone as DEATH NOTE and PARASYTE. Official Selection: Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival.
TOKYO IDOLS
UK/Canada/Japan – Dir: Kyoko Miyake
“Idols”, girl bands and their pop music, permeate every moment of Japanese life. TOKYO IDOLS peeks behind the curtains of this industry, explores a cultural phenomenon driven by an obsession with young female sexuality, and the growing disconnect between men and women in hyper-modern societies. Official Selection: Sundance 2017, Hot Docs 2017, DOXA 2017, Japan Cuts 2017.
THE TOKYO NIGHT SKY IS ALWAYS THE DENSEST SHADE OF BLUE
Japan – Dir: Yuya Ishii
An offbeat rom-com, a slacker dramedy, and a poetic ode to the Big City, all rolled into one virtuosic film from the director of THE GREAT PASSAGE, and based on the poetry of Tahi Saihate.
TOM OF FINLAND
Finland – Dir: Dome Karukoski
Award-winning filmmaker Dome Karukoski (LAPLAND ODYSSEY) brings the life and work of one of the most influential and celebrated figures of twentieth century gay culture to the screen in this extraordinary story of revolution and acceptance through counter-cultural art. Official Selection: Goteborg Film Festival 2017, Edinburgh International Film Festival 2017, Tribeca 2017.
TOWN IN A LAKE
Philippines – Dir. Jet Leyco
Two 16-year-old girls vanish, shocking the quiet seaside town of Matangtubig in the Philippines. In this third feature, Jet Leyco unveils a magical realist subversion of the crime thriller. Official Selection: New York Asian Film Festival 2017, International Film Festival Rotterdam 2017, Taipei Film Festival 2017.
TRAGEDY GIRLS
USA – Dir: Tyler MacIntyre
A twist on the slasher genre following two death-obsessed teenage girls (Brianna Hildebrand and Alexandra Shipp) who use their online show about real-life tragedies to send their small mid-western town into a frenzy and cement their legacy as modern horror legends.
VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS
France – Dir: Luc Besson
Fantasia will be presenting a special screening of Luc Besson’s hotly anticipated fantasy spectacular VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS. Based on the adored French comic series by Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mézières, the film stars Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne, Clive Owen, and Rihanna – and promises to be one of the most visually extravagant genre works the screen has ever seen.
VAMPIRE CLEANUP DEPARTMENT
Hong Kong – Dir: Yan Pak-Wing and Chiu Sin-Hang
A motley crew of misfits tackle the bloodthirsty hopping vampires descending on Hong Kong! Laughter, kung fu, horror, and insanity, with a gallery of HK icons! Official Selection: Udine Far East Film Festival 2017, Bucheon International Film Festival 2017.
THE VILLAINESS
South Korea – Dir: Jung Byung-gil
Fantasia 2017 will start with a thunderous smash! After leaving the Cannes audience absolutely mesmerized with its groundbreaking and spectacular fight scenes and Kim Ok-vin’s ferocious, yet poignant interpretation, Jung Byung-gil’s action thriller THE VILLAINESS (North American Premiere) will be the Opening Film of this year’s edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival.
WHAT A WONDERFUL FAMILY! 2
Japan – Dir: Yoji Yamada
The Hirata family is back, and Grandpa is acting up again! This sequel reunites legendary director Yoji Yamada (of the TORA-SAN series) with the exceptional cast of the first film for another round of hilarious, multi-generational slapstick comedy! Official Selection: Beijing International Film Festival 2017, Shanghai International Film Festival 2017.
WU KONG
China/Hong Kong – Dir: Derek Kwok
Award-winning director Derek Kwok (GALLANTS) reboots the famous Monkey King legend from the popular novel, with fresh vigour of epic proportions that you’ll love for 10,000 years. To be released during the same week in China and North America.
YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE
Argentina / Spain – Dir: Federico Cueva
YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE, the hilarious feature debut of Spanish stunt coordinator Federico Cueva, who has worked extensively on the films of Alex de la Iglesia and Santiago Segura, is an explosive action/comedy that sees a framed con man (Peter Lanzani) having to impersonate an orthodox Jew in order to escape ruthless killers – played by Segura, Gerard Depardieu, and Hugo Silva! Fantasia offers you the chance to be the first to see this incredible actioner outside its home country!
Related Topics: Fantasia Film Festival, Film Festivals
