The Fantasia International Film Festival is one of the best annual film fests for several reasons – from their love of genre to their embrace of global cinema to their geographic location in beautiful Montreal, Québec – and all of these elements combined with the sheer volume of films playing across three full weeks make it a gift to movie fans. This year’s fest runs July 14 through August 4 and will see over 130 feature films including more than 20 world premieres.
Tales of Halloween and A Christmas Horror Story are bringing horror anthologies back in a big way, the legendary Sion Sono is delivering three new films this year with Tag, Love & Peace and Shinjuku Swan and new movies are on tap from the likes of Takeshi Kitano, Ringo Lam, Jacob Gentry and Miguel Angel Vitas.
There are also a few films playing that I’ve already seen, loved and can highly recommend including Cooties, We Are Still Here, The Editor, Cub, He Never Died, The Invitation, Turbo Kid and Deathgasm.
Keep reading for the complete list of films playing at this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival along with some trailers to whet your appetites!
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100 YEN LOVE
Japan – Dir: Masaharu Take
Award winner 100 YEN LOVE is a beautiful, heart-wrenching slacker comedy that slowly turns into an unexpected boxing drama, starring the incredible Sakura Ando (LOVE EXPOSURE) in a career defining performance! Selected at Tokyo, Bucheon, Nippon Connection, and Udine festivals.
ANGUISH
USA – Dir: Sonny Mallhi
The directorial debut of Sonny Mallhi, producer of such singular horror works as THE STRANGERS and AT THE DEVIL’S DOOR. ANGUISH is a frightening and emotionally resonant film that offers supernatural explanations for debilitating adolescent mental illness, featuring a powerhouse lead performance by Ryan Simpkins (A SINGLE MAN).
ANIMA STATE
Pakistan – Dir: Hammad Khan
The most important film to come out of Pakistan in decades is also the film that will never get a theatrical release in that country. Director Hammad Khan (SLACKISTAN) conducts an uncomfortable, in-your-face examination of his country through the tragicomic metaphorical tale of a man with a bandaged face going on a murder spree that nobody seems to notice.
ANT-MAN
USA – Dir: Peyton Reed
As a flagship part of our Opening Night Festivities, Fantasia will be presenting the Montreal Premiere of Marvel Studios’ ANT-MAN. The next evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe brings a founding member of The Avengers to the big screen for the first time when master thief Scott Lang must embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats. Peyton Reed directs Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stole, and Michael Douglas in the latest Marvel summer blockbuster.
ANTISOCIAL 2
Canada – Dir: Cody Calahan
From ANTISOCIAL’s confined siege scenario, director Cody Calahan, his co-writers Chad Archibald and Jeff Maher, and co-producers Archibald and Christopher Giroux, have expanded to a full-on post-apocalyptic vision, creating an evocative ruined landscape on their usual small budget.
THE ARTI: THE ADVENTURE BEGINS
Taiwan – Dir: Huang Wen Chang
A satisfying work of classic wuxia (superheroic swordfighter fare) peppered with playful humour and steampunk sci-fi flair, THE ARTI is arguably the most impressive piece of puppet cinema ever produced. It’s the latest from Taiwan’s Huang family, masters of traditional puppetry since generations, and their first feature film since the Fantasia hit LEGEND OF THE SACRED STONE in 2000.
ASSASSINATION
South Korea – Dir: Choi Dong-hoon
In 1933 Shanghai, a command to covertly assassinate the commander of the Japanese army is given to a top-notch female sniper – but a traitor informs Japanese authorities, who promptly send out a hitman to get rid of her! Get ready for the International Premiere of ASSASSINATION, directed by Choi Dong-hoon (THE THIEVES), a tense, explosive period thriller that lavishly recreates its bygone era and boasts a cast of Korea’s biggest stars – including MY SASSY GIRL’s Gianna Jun, THE CHASER’s Ha Jung-woo, and THE HOUSEMAID’S Lee Jung-jae!
ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM
Japan – Dir: Eiichiro Hasumi
Back to school kids! There’s a super powered happy faced alien who will destroy earth if you don’t do your schoolwork : kill the creature-turned-teacher by all means… even if it’s really nice and competent. Adapted from one of the most popular mangas in Japan and packed with young J-Pop stars, led by Arashi’s Kazunari Ninomiya who is giving his voice to the monster, this unique sci-fi comedy by OPPAI VOLLEYBALL director Eiichiro Hasumi brings a heart-warming coming of age aspect to the School Mayhem genre first popularized by the BATTLE ROYALE films. The International Premiere of ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM will be an out-of-this-world event!
ATTACK ON TITAN
Japan – Dir: Shinji Higuchi
Hajime Isayama’s steampunk splatter-fantasy war opera has become one of Japanese entertainment’s biggest and most outlandish hits of recent years, at home and abroad. Now the hotly anticipated live-action film bursts furiously from the Fantasia screen, directed by top anime and tokusatsu talent Shinji Higuchi, whose history includes Gamera and Godzilla films, the EVANGELION features, the 2006 remake disaster-piece SUBMERSION OF JAPAN, and much more.
AVA’S POSSESSIONS
USA – Dir: Jordan Galland
Ava is recovering from demonic possession. With no memory of the past month, she is forced to attend a Spirit Possessions Anonymous support group. Ava’s life was hijacked by a demon, now it’s time to get it back in this horror farce from the creator of Fantasia favorite Alter Egos.
BATTLES WITHOUT HONOR AND HUMANITY
Japan – Dir: Kinji Fukasaku
With BATTLES’ shockwave still reverberating today in the revisionist yakuza eiga work of masters such as Takashi Miike or Takeshi Kitano, Fantasia couldn’t be prouder to bring Fukasaku’s game-changing masterpiece to Montreal. BATTLES screens in a crisp 2K version, freshly restored from 35mm negatives. The war is over, long live the war; the days of giri (“duty”) and ninjo (“honour-humanity”) are long gone. There is only battles without honor or humanity.
BIG MATCH
South Korea – Dir: Choi Ho
Lee Jeong-jae (THE THIEVES), Shin Ha-kyun (THIRST) and K-Pop star BoA enters a dangerous death game in this high octane action comedy where a Mixed Martial Arts fighter must play a deadly urban chess confrontation created by a Machiavellian mastermind.
BITE
Canada – Dir: Chad Archibald
Chad Archibald and the talented team behind such Canadian horror breakouts at THE DROWNSMAN, ANTI-SOCIAL, SEPTIC MAN, and EJECTA are back with a brand new monster, a lot of flair, and a heck of a strong cringe factor. Join us for the World Premiere of this thrilling new film from some of Canada’s most striking new genre talent.
BLACK & WHITE : THE DAWN OF ASSAULT
Taiwan – Dir: Tsai Yueh-Hsun
BLACK & WHITE : THE DAWN OF ASSAULT is a film full of energy and passion, with only one mission: to entertain you. Take a deep breath and get ready for two hours of total excitement.
THE BLUE HOUR
Thailand – Dir: Anucha Boonyawatana
A stunning ghost story from Thai filmmaker Anucha Boonyawatana, THE BLUE HOUR recalls the work of masters such as Kiyoshi Kurosawa and Apichatpong Weerasethakul, while spinning its own fresh take on repressed queer sexuality, abuse and intolerance. Using the concept of haunting to tackle these issues, as well as the complex interplay between national identities and buried sexual desires, Boonywatana’s feature-length debut is nothing short of a masterpiece of tension, a revelation from this year’s Berlinale.
BØRNING
Norway – Dir: Hallvard Bræin
Roy is mad about cars and is soon challenged in an illegal race across the length of Norway. Fasten your seatbelts (well, it’s the law!) for an old-fashioned action-packed car race flick, faster than Cannonball Run and funnier than Smokey and the Bandit!
BOY 7
Germany – Dir: Özgür Yildirim
Following fast on the heels of the Dutch version, Özgür Yildirim’s BOY 7 likewise adapts the hit young-adult novel by Dutch author Mirjam Mous, dialing down the near-future sci-fi chic in favour of a more natural and convincing spin on Mous’s tense and desperate tale of talented but troublesome youths trapped in a malevolent web of right-wing government conspiracy. Echoing the high-pressure who-am-I conundrums of THE BOURNE IDENTITY and the teens-vs.-tyranny tropes of HUNGER GAMES and DIVERGENT – without ever coming off as a mere derivative of any of those – BOY 7 is a solid, intelligent and exciting thriller, showcasing rising German screen star David Kross (THE READER, WAR HORSE). Whoever you are (and whoever is after you), remember to grab a ticket for BOY 7!
BRIDGEND
Denmark – Dir: Jeppe Rønde
Teenage Sara arrives with her single father to a small village in the Welsh valley of Bridgend County, which is haunted by suicides amongst its young inhabitants. She falls dangerously in love with one of the troubled boys while her dad as the new town policeman tries to solve the mystery. This powerful, shattering film (a recent Tribeca Film Festival award winner) is based on true events.
BUDDHA’S PALM
Hong Kong – Dir: Taylor Wong
The wacky and ludicrous BUDDHA’S PALM explodes across the Fantasia screen in ShawScope 35mm! This is the kung fu classic that jump-started the new wave fantasy kung fu craze before director Tsui Hark (DETECTIVE DEE) popularized it. Imagine Star Wars meets kung fu – then experience the last surviving 35mm copy from the vaults of American Genre Film Archive, and the first Canadian screening in 30 years!
BUNNY THE KILLER THING
Finland – Dir: Joonas Makkonen
You’ve surely seen the jaw-dropping trailer by now, or at the least, heard a breathless account of it. Nothing can prepare for the lunacy of the actual film. Oh, Finland.
THE CASE OF HANA & ALICE
Japan – Dir: Shunji Iwai
Hana and Alice follow the threads of a shady investigation that will cement their friendship forever. Auteur filmmaker Shunji Iwai (ALL ABOUT LILY CHOU-CHOU) surprises with the playful tone of a first foray into the world of animated film, a prequel to his 2004 live-action hit HANA & ALICE.
CASH ONLY
USA – Dir: Malik Bader
Fantasia is white-knuckle thrilled to be presenting the World Premiere of the ferocious crime drama CASH ONLY, an intense new thriller by Malik Bader (director of the Tribeca breakout STREET THIEF), scripted by and starring Nickola Shreli. The story of an ex con landlord who robs and manipulates the inhabitants of a Detroit slum building he manages before crossing the worst kind of mobster, this gritty and engrossing film shines rare cinematic light on the Albanian-American inner-city experience.
CATCH ME DADDY
UK – Dirs: Daniel Wolfe, Matthew Wolfe
An impeccable Yorkshire-set neo-Western, exploring honour killings within the Pakistani community. Shot by frequent Ken Loach and Andrea Arnold cinematographer Robbie Ryan.
CHERRY TREE
Ireland – Dir: David Keating
David Keating burst onto the international genre cinema scene with his chilling 2010 occult horror film WAKEWOOD. Now, he’s returned, re-teaming with screenwriter Brendan McCarthy (who, as a producer, was also behind LET US PREY and this year’s Sundance hit THE HALLOW) to deliver a demonic tale of desperate good intentions gone horribly, horribly bad.
A CHRISTMAS HORROR STORY
Canada – Dirs: Grant Harvey, Brett Sullivan, Steven Hoban
A quartet of intertwined holiday terror tales from the team behind the GINGER SNAPS franchise, with a cast that includes William Shatner, Julian Richings and one hell of a Krampus. There’s a gift for every horror fan under this tree. Ho-ho-horror!
COOTIES
USA – Dir: Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion
We hope you got your shots, because Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion’s Sundance / Stanley Fest sensation, COOTIES, is about to infect Canada. This rambunctiously over-the-top comedy/horror film about a pack of schoolteachers fighting for their lives against swarms of savagely murderous virus-infected children stars Elijah Wood, Rainn Wilson, Alison Pill, and Jack McBrayer. It’s going to have audiences shrieking.
COP CAR
USA – Dir: Jon Watts
A pair of kids stumble across an unoccupied cop car, hop in and take it on a joyride across town, setting in motion a tense game of cat and mouse between them and a particularly corrupt and distinctly homicidal police officer (Kevin Bacon).
COSMODRAMA
France – Dir: Philippe Fernandez
A group of scientists awaken in a spaceship traveling through a lost corner of the universe. Based on accurate scientific theories, visual artist Philippe Fernandez’s space opera is a cerebral homage to the golden age of sci-fi television. Selected at the Rotterdam Film Festival and Cannes’s ACID line-up, COSMODRAMA, the closing film of the 2015 Camera Lucida section, will take the viewer beyond the final frontier. Existentialism has never been so much fun!
CRIMSON WHALE
South Korea – Dir: Park Hye-mi
A tough, empathic little marvel of science-fantasy without illusions, simple yet satisfyingly solid in its design and execution, CRIMSON WHALE marks Park Hye-mi as an important new talent in Korean animation.
CRUEL
France – Dir : Eric Cherrière
For years, timid Pierre Tardieu has been brutally slaughtering men and women without ever getting caught. The time to obtain his long due recognition has come. Crime novelist Eric Cherrière takes us on a dark journey into the disturbed mind of a serial killer.
CRUMBS
Ethiopia/Spain/Finland – Dir: Miguel Llansó
Ethiopia’s first sci-fi feature also happens to be a post apocalyptic black comedy, an eccentric love story and a brilliant blast of politically-charged surrealism that exists in a space between Alex Cox and Alejandro Jodorowsky. Probably the single most unusual and unforgettable film you will see anywhere this year, screening in our Camera Lucida section.
CUB
Belgium – Dir: Jonas Govaerts
An astonishingly assured debut feature from Jonas Govaerts, CUB takes familiar situations and settings, and makes something wild, unpredictable and genuinely frightening out of them. A seemingly mundane and ordinary camping trip becomes a wicked (and sometimes wickedly funny) experience that sets CUB apart from the rest of the pack. Anchored by a strong lead performance from Luijten that makes Sam one of the most intriguing young protagonists found in a film in some time, CUB also benefits from gorgeous cinematography from Nicolas Karakatsanis (BULLHEAD) and a unique, original “monster” in Kai. CUB may be the story of one boy’s worst nightmare come to life, but the movie itself is one dream of a horror film.
THE DARK BELOW
USA – Dir: Douglas Schulze
In this visually stunning, dialogue-free, experimental thriller set on Michigan’s wintry frozen Great Lakes, a brutish serial killer imprisons his still-living latest victim in the watery depths. Thus begins a uniquely chilling story of survival and shocking revelation. This accomplished experiment in narrative storytelling tears every convention apart. You haven’t seen anything like it. Co-Starring Veronica Cartwright.
DARK PLACES
USA – Dir: Gilles Paquet-Brenner
Fantasia will be presenting a special screening of Gilles Paquet-Brenner’s stylish adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s mystery thriller DARK PLACES, which reunites Charlize Theron and Nicholas Hoult following their appearance together in a certain innocuous Australian road movie. The film’s impressive cast also features Christina Hendricks, Chloë Grace Moretz, and Tye Sheridan.
DEADMAN INFERNO
Japan – Dir: Hiroshi Shinagawa
Gun-toting gangsters, kickass kogals, gut-munching gore fiends and assorted goofy misfits collide! A crazed, crime-infested horror-comedy hellride written and directed by renowned Japanese comedian Hiroshi Shinagawa, DEADMAN INFERNO is a marvelously murderous mess you won’t want to miss.
DEATHGASM
New Zealand – Dir: Jason Lei Howden
Behold, the riotous heavy metal Kiwi splatter-comedy-horror-monster-demon-freakout the world’s been begging for has arrived. Packed with lunatic gore reminiscent of early Peter Jackson and volume-11 riffage harkening back to that same era’s most ferocious metal, DEATHGASM absolutely shreds. In every sense.
THE DEMOLISHER
Canada – Dir: Gabriel Carrer
An unstable repairman tending to his crippled wife – an ex-cop brutalized by gang violence – sneaks out at night to unleash his rage on any criminals he can find. An atmospheric and poetic reinterpretation of the urban Vigilante Film as a psychological examination of trauma.
DIRECTOR’S COMMENTARY – TERROR OF FRANKENSTEIN
USA – Dir : Tim Kirk
A new lesson in cinephilia eccentricity brought to you by the team behind ROOM 237 and THE NIGHTMARE. While recording a commentary track, the director and the screenwriter of a forgotten – but authentic – Frankenstein movie recall a tragedy that occurred on set, a brutal crime that continues to terrify its witnesses decades after the fact.
THE EDITOR
Canada – Dirs: Adam Brooks, Matthew Kennedy
Put on your black gloves and grab your straight razor – Winnipeg-based collective Astron-6’s brilliantly gory spoof of the giallo subgenre, those perverse 1970s Italian whodunits, is a classic Euro-horror satire, no matter how you splice it.
EXCESS FLESH
USA – Dir: Patrick Kennelly
Two roommates’ dysfunctional relationship drives them to the very core of female psychosis, and drags you along for a very disturbing ride. Premiering at SXSW, EXCESS FLESH was immediately noticed as one of “the most messed-up movies” at the festival this year. It is a visceral exploration of the female identity.
EXPERIMENTER
USA – Dir: Michael Almereyda
Gifted indie trailblazer Almereyda (NADJA, CYMBELINE) turns his unconventional gaze towards the controversial social experiments of Stanley Milgram (brilliantly portrayed by Peter Sarsgaard). Co-starring Winona Ryder, Anton Yelchin, Taryn Manning, John Leguizamo and Anthony Edwards.
EXTINCTION
Spain – Dir: Miguel Ángel Vivas
Fantasia is proud to be showcasing the world premiere of KIDNAPPED director Miguel Angel Vivas’ English language debut EXTINCTION, an atmospheric and visceral post-apocalyptic monster movie that will blow audiences through the back of the theatre. EXTINCTION is co-scripted by Vivas and Alberto Marini (SLEEP TIGHT) and stars Matthew Fox, Jeffrey Donovan, Quinn McColgan – and some of the most astonishing prosthetic creature make-ups the screen has seen in years.
FATAL FRAME
Japan – Dir: Mari Asato
A deadly curse hits a gothic style convent in this brilliant atmospheric adaptation of the hit horror video game Fatal Frame, where flawless storytelling and character development, a creepy ambiance taking advantage of every inch of its location and a haunting music score bring the audience back to the golden age of J-Horror.
FULL STRIKE
Hong Kong – Dir: Derek Kwok, Henri Wong
When ex cons discovers their love for badminton, they ask a fallen former champion to lead them to victory. Derek Kwok and Henri Wong co-direct this hilarious comedy centered on over-the-top characters reminiscent of Stephen Chow’s spectacular SHAOLIN SOCCER.
GANGNAM BLUES
South Korea – Dir: Yoo Ha
Backroom deals and buried bodies. In the early ’70s, that’s the true Gangnam style – and it’s captured in full swing in this epic tale reminiscent of GOODFELLAS from director Yoo Ha (A DIRTY CARNIVAL, A FROZEN FLOWER). Rough, tough and righteous stuff.
GERMAN ANGST
Germany – Dir: Jörg Buttgereit, Michal Kosakowski, and Andreas Marschall
Three of German Cinema’s most ferocious underground talents have united to assault the screen with a deathly triptych of tales set against the evolving backdrop of Berlin. Featuring Jörg Buttgereit’s return to narrative filmmaking after a 22-year hiatus.
THE GOLDEN CANE WARRIOR
Indonesia – Dir: Ifa Isfansyah
Aging female warrior Cempaka is the most respected fighter in the Golden Cane clan, but she must now find a successor among her disciples. Coming on the heels of the wildly popular THE RAID series, this flawlessly executed epic actioner by Ifa Isfansyah is here to confirm Indonesia’s place in the leading nations of martial arts cinema.
GOODNIGHT MOMMY
Austria – Dir: Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala
A pair of twin children grow convinced their mother, medicated and facially bandaged following surgery, is a terrible impostor. Dramatically riveting and nightmarish to the core, a profoundly disturbing work of macabre beauty.
H.
USA / Argentina – Dir : Rania Attieh & Daniel Garcia
Two women sharing the same name see their lives change for the worse when a strange occurrence seems to affect a small city. Both disturbing and poetic, H. is an imaginative tour de force that left a strong impression at Sundance and Berlin this year.
HAEMOO
South Korea – Dir: Shim Sung-bo
Painful moral choices overtake Captain Kang and his crew on the boat Junjin, just as a thick fog is beginning to fall. Intelligent, poignant and brutal, HAEMOO, first feature film from MEMORIES OF MURDER writer Shim Sung-bo produced by Bong Joon-ho (THE HOST, SNOWPIERCER), uses all-too-real dilemmas to create captivating suspense.
THE HALLOW
UK – Dir: Corin Hardy
A family who moves into a remote millhouse in Ireland unwittingly enter a fight for survival with pale-skinned demonic entities living in the foreboding woods. Superb practical monster FX buoys this intensely scary film, perhaps the best creature feature out of the UK since THE DESCENT.
A HARD DAY
South Korea – Dir: Kim Seong-hun
Selected at Cannes’ Director’s Fortnight 2014, A HARD DAY contains everything that contemporary Korean cinema is reputed for, including intense chase scenes, strikingly realistic tussles, biting dark humour, corrupt anti-heroes and glorious production values. In terms of promising debut feature films, you can’t get better than this!
HARUKO’S PARANORMAL LABORATORY
Japan – Dir: Lisa Takeba
One day, as Haruko is zapping, her television unexpectedly transforms into a beautiful, shirtless, TV-headed stud! Welcome to HARUKO’S PARANORMAL LABORATORY, a personal and inventive vision signaling Takeba as Japan’s new Queen of Quirk.
HE NEVER DIED
Canada – Dir: Jason Krawczyk
Punk icon / author / spoken-word master Henry Rollins stars as a mild-mannered reluctant cannibal who tries to keep to himself yet ends up targeted by the mob. Co-starring Kate Greenhouse (a Fantasia award-winner for THE DARK HOURS).
HOSTILE
France – Dir : Nathan Ambrosioni
One of the most talked about horror works at the Cannes Film Market this year, HOSTILE marks the impressive debut of 14 year old director Nathan Ambrosioni. A TV show host answers the call of a mother terrified of her two adopted daughters. What starts with the familiar slowly builds into a poignant horror tale.
I AM THOR
USA – Dir : Ryan Wise
If there’s any larger-than-life rock ’n’ roll god that deserved his own documentary, it’s Thor, and filmmaker Ryan Wise brings the legend back to Earth in a way that’s sad, heartwarming, funny and ultimately inspiring. Forty years on the fringes of heavy metal stardom have taken their toll, but that in no way dampens Thor’s spirit, desire to please or ability to put on a great show, and I AM THOR shows that no matter how hard it can be to rock, sometimes it all magically comes together in a way that only a Norse god can make happen. The comparison to other heavy metal documentaries is inevitable, but I AM THOR is its own unique film – because of Thor himself.
THE INCREDIBLE ADVENTURE OF JOJO (AND HIS ANNOYING LITTLE SISTER AVILA)
USA – Dir: Brian Von Schmidt
This film grabbed us from the first tagline we read: ““This is not a film for overprotective parents. Boys use pocket knives. Girls eat bugs. You know, like the good ol’ days when parents had no idea what the heck their kids were doing.” A genuinely nutso movie, shot in the great outdoors and starring kids – kids in pretty crazy, and very real, situations. From the charm of young actors to the palpable love of filmmaking in every frame, it all adds up to an over-the-top but totally for-the-whole-family affair. An improbable cross between HUCKLEBERRY FINN, THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY, BABY’S DAY OUT and post-war cartoons, or maybe what might happen if Disney and Tarantino talked, JOJO is the perfect picture for an outdoor projection!
THE INTERIOR
Canada – Dir: Trevor Juras
Hiding in a forest, the one thing a man cannot escape is himself. The individualistic feature debut from acclaimed Canadian short filmmaker Trevor Juras (THE LAMP), THE INTERIOR, is a dreamlike experience in which reality descends into nightmare, replete with moments of genuine terror.
THE INVITATION
USA – Dir: Karyn Kusama
One of the smartest, scariest and most engrossing genre films in recent years, THE INVITATION is a masterpiece of ingeniously calculated, character-driven horror storytelling. Karyn Kusama is back, and she’s never been better.
JERUZALEM
Israel – Dir: Yoav and Doron Paz
The acclaimed Israeli filmmaking team of Yoav and Doron Paz, whose PHOBIDILIA was an official selection at the Berlin and Toronto International Film Festivals, has jumped heads-first into the horror genre with the chilling JERUZALEM. A group of American teenagers visiting Jerusalem on Yom Kippur find themselves inside their worst nightmare as the city’s prophecies and superstitions prove terrifyingly real. Starring Yael Grobglas (Jane the Virgin, Rabies), and told entirely from the perspective of a character’s increasingly battered Digital Glass headset, JERUZALEM offers whiplashing sights never before seen and will have audiences frozen in their seats when it World Premieres at Fantasia this summer!
JU-ON: THE FINAL CURSE
Japan – Dir: Masayuki Ochiai
Directly following last year’s JU-ON: THE BEGINNING OF THE END, this harrowing conclusion of Director Masayuki Ochiai’s reboot of J-Horror’s most beloved franchise generously brings all the goodies expected from fans. Prepare to squirm, screech and shudder because Toshio and Kayoko are determined to finish business with panache.
KAHLIL GIBRAN’S THE PROPHET
USA – Dir: Roger Allers, Paul Brizzi, Gaëtan Brizzi, Joan C. Gratz, Mohammed Saeed Harib, Tomm Moore, Nina Paley, Bill Plympton, Joann Sfar, and Michal Socha
A labour of love for producer Salma Hayek, this rich anthology sees numerous top talents in animation today – Tomm Moore, Joann Sfar, Bill Plympton and more – craft splendorous and expressive segments accompanying passages from the collection of philosophical poems by venerated Lebanese writer Kahlil Gibran.
KUNG FU KILLER
China – Dir: Teddy Chan
Donnie Yen is at the center of this hellraising action film, but it’s Wang Baoqiang (LOST IN THAILAND) who truly steals the show. More commonly known for his comedy, he demonstrates great range and undeniable talent for fighting as he deftly blends his athletic abilities and acting skills to create a different kind of villain. Script-wise, the narrative proves to be extremely entertaining and well-structured while combining various stylistic displays of Chinese martial arts. As far as fight scenes go, Yen surpasses himself once again.
LA LA LA AT ROCK BOTTOM
Japan – Dir: Nobuhiro Yamashita
Nobuhiro Yamashita, director of the contemporary classic LINDA LINDA LINDA, is back in musical comedy/drama territory with a fighter attitude! Rising super star Fumi Nikaido (WHY DON’T YOU PLAY IN HELL?) and J-Pop sensation Subaru Shibutani, member of Kanjani Eight, shine in this remarkable underdog tale.
LADY PSYCHO KILLER
USA/Canada – Dir: Nathan Oliver
All males, beware! There’s a LADY PSYCHO KILLER on the prowl, and she’s out for the blood of anyone with XY chromosomes. A fun, witty film, featuring appearances by Michael Madsen, Malcolm McDowell and Quebec fetish icon Bianca Beauchamp, anchored by a breakout performance from Kate Daly.
LIMOILOU – LE FILM
Quebec – Dir: Edgar Fritz
Set entirely in the Limoilou neighbourhood, this comedy laced with street poetry is also a social critique of Quebec City, of its endless winter and the superficiality of some of its citizens. The film’s appeal also stems greatly from the effervescent energy of its charismatic cast and the exuberance of a neighbourhood filled with heartwarming characters. From Marc-Andre Forcier to Jim Jarmusch, Gille Groulx to Kevin Smith, a number of names come to mind when trying to pinpoint the director’s influences. The end result, however, is a bluntly personal endeavour approached in truly punk-rock style. Many local bands appear on screen, underscoring the vitality of the local scene.
LOVE & PEACE
Japan – Dir: Sion Sono
Maverick director Sion Sono (LOVE EXPOSURE, SUICIDE CLUB), one of the most unique voices in modern cinema, makes a thunderous return to Fantasia with an unprecedented three films! Bear witness to Sono’s sweet side at the North American Premiere of the family friendly LOVE & PEACE, an improbable mix of Japanese pop music, tokusatsu cinema, and talking toys – all laced with his unique sense of humour and critical, yet sensible view of modern Japan.
LUDO
India – Dir: Q and Nikon
Camera Lucida will have its most daring opening to date with the world premiere of Indian’s enfants terribles Q and Nikon’s new film. The director of the festival hit GANDU is back with a nightmarish fairy tale for adults. What starts like a SPRING BREAKERS journey into Bombay’s night life suddenly morph into a frightening tale that echoes the ART OF THE DEVIL series in terms of corporal horror. A groundbreaking film that destroys any notion of narrative and promises to leave deep marks.
LUPIN THE THIRD
Japan – Dir: Ryuhei Kitamura
Gentleman thief Lupin, one of the most beloved characters in manga and anime, embarks on a wild and wicked escapade in this over-the-top, star-studded live-action spectacle that guarantees globetrotting good times on a grand scale!
MANOS: HANDS OF FATE
USA – Dir: Harold P. Warren
Before Neil Breen, there was Harold P. Warren. Inspired by the wave of worry over Satanism in the ’60s, his sumptuously inept MANOS: THE HANDS OF FATE is a spiritual drama rife with astounding negligence, parental as well as technical. While the Cinémathèque française works itself to the bone on its restoration of Abel Gance’s NAPOLÉON, Synapse Films has shown a comparable degree of discernment and diligence in affording the same treatment to one of the most notorious Z-flicks of all time.
MANSON FAMILY VACATION
USA – Dir: J. Davis
Two mismatched brothers tour Hollywood’s notorious Charles Manson murder sites. One is a devoted family man and the other is devoted to The Family (yeah, that one!). When the bickering duo takes an eventful road trip, get ready for a hilarious (and kinda creepy!) “Odd Couple meets Helter Skelter” movie, produced by indie faves the Duplass Brothers.
MARSHLAND
Spain – Dir: Alberto Rodriguez
A riveting period Neo-Noir police procedural thriller from the director of UNIT 7, winner of no fewer than 10 Goya Awards this year, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Actor.
THE MASTER PLAN
Sweden – Dir: Alain Darborg
In this action/heist/revenge comedy, Charles Ingvar Jönsson (a character popular in Swedish films since the early ’80s) gathers three seemingly incompatible criminals to take vengeance upon the slippery creeps who killed his beloved uncle.
MEATHEAD GOES HOG WILD
USA – Dir: Kevin Cline, Zach Harris, and Sean Pierce
Don’t let the quirky title fool you, this is a visceral, heartfelt and violently confrontational slice of urban hell and personal apocalypse, detailing a young man’s breakdown over the course of a single terrible night in one of America’s most segregated cities. Think a socially conscious FALLING DOWN by way of COMBAT SHOCK.
MINUSCULE : LA VALLÉE DES FOURMIS PERDUES 3D
France – Dir: Hélène Giraud, Thierry Szabo
A simple picnic raid by a band of black ants is the beginning of a great big adventure for our very small heroes. The teeny-tiny world of the popular TV show comes to the big screen for a spectacular, entirely wordless feast of family fun and entomological excitement, brought to life with the latest in digital image technology. Winner for Best Animated Film at the 2015 César Awards.
MISS HOKUSAI
Japan – Dir: Keiichi Hara
Fantasia is proud to open its 2015 edition with the North American Premiere of the astonishingly beautiful MISS HOKUSAI, one of this year’s most hotly anticipated animated films. Katsushika Hokusai is perhaps the most renowned ukiyo-e (woodblock prints) artist, but very few are aware of his talented daughter O-Ei’s influence on his work. Centered on their relationship and the young woman’s rebellious personality, this mix of classical art and pop-culture, based on Hinako Sugiura’s manga Sarusuberi, is masterfully brought to the screen by multiple award winning director Keiichi Hara (COLORFUL) and Production I.G, the legendary studio behind such contemporary animated masterpieces as A LETTER TO MOMO and GIOVANNI’S ISLAND.
MOMENTUM
South Africa – Dir: Stephen S. Campanelli
A captivating action thriller splashed across the magnificent backdrop of Cape Town, South Africa. Canada’s Stephen S. Campanelli, longtime camera operator for Clint Eastwood, combines the right ingredients for an unstoppable action thrill-ride. Olga Kurylenko (QUANTUM OF SOLACE) delivers an electrifying performance filled with spectacular stunts and bare-fisted fury.
MONTY PYTHON: THE MEANING OF LIVE
UK – Dir: Roger Graef and James Rogan
This love letter to Python fans goes behind the scenes of last summer’s record-setting live reunion and final tour of the Beatles of Comedy. Interviews all the surviving Pythons and special friends, plus charts the group’s history on stage. Dead parrot included!
MORTADELO & FILEMON: MISSION IMPLAUSIBLE
Spain – Dir: Javier Fesser
Spain’s cult superspy parody comic book explodes into life as a big budget blitzkrieg of slapstick 3D animation that won Goya Awards for Best Animated Feature and Best Adapted Screenplay.
NINA FOREVER
UK – Dir: Chris Blaine, Ben Blaine
A girl, a guy, and a bloody ghost make for an uncomfortable romantic triangle. An unconventional, deadpan comedy and a sorrowful examination of grief and the ways we mourn romantic loss, woven with a dreamlike atmosphere. An incredible film.
NINJA THE MONSTER
Japan – Dir: Ken Ochiai
A reserved ninja, an impulsive samurai, a beautiful princess and a monster… A crafty blend of contextualized historical facts, adventure film and fantastic cinema from Ken Ochiai, director of UZUMASA LIMELIGHT, winner of last year’s Cheval Noir award at Fantasia.
THE NINJA WAR OF TORAKAGE
Japan – Dir: Yoshihiro Nishimura
Director and diabolical FX craftsman Yoshihiro Nishimura (TOKYO GORE POLICE, ABC’S OF DEATH) dives headfirst into the cinematic mythos of the legendary ninjas with grand style, great geysers of blood and humour sharper than a shuriken.
NOWHERE GIRL
Japan – Dir: Mamoru Oshii
Mamoru Oshii, creator of the classic GHOST IN THE SHELL and recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award at Fantasia 2014, returns to live-action cinema to tell the surprisingly intimate story of Ai, a bullied misfit at an all-girl college for the arts who hides violent secrets.
THE NUTCRACKER 3D
Japan – Dir: Sebastian Masuda
Sanrio’s 1979 stop-motion holiday movie, remixed, revamped, and rebooted by Sebastian Masuda, Harajuku’s “Godfather of kawaii.” A deliciously psychedelic pop-art phantasmagoria of super-sweet, candy-coloured cool.
OBSERVANCE
Australia – Dir.: Joseph Sims-Dennett
His job is to observe, observe a beautiful woman. Soon enough, he discovers his gig implies more than he ever asked for. A poignant and terrifying thriller in the vein of Polanski’s REPULSION, Among first 2015 Camera Lucida selections to be announced, OBSERVANCE promises to haunt your nightmares.
OFFICE
South Korea – Dir: Hong Won-chan
Something’s not right at the company where the suspect in a senseless murder worked, especially when a security camera caught him entering the building, but not leaving it. Cannes 2015 Official Selection OFFICE draws a white-knuckle nightmare out of the daily grind of cubicle-land, in a manner both convincing and cathartic.
OJUJU
Nigeria – Dir: C.J. ‘Fiery’ Obasi
OJUJU is a fascinating and well-staged transposition of the flesh-eating Zombie Film, bringing the living dead to Nigeria’s slums following what initially appears to be rabid river blindness due to a contaminated water supply.
ON THE HORIZON
Quebec – Dir: Pascal Payant
Can a love that never should have been ever die? A triumph of talent and technical savvy over outdated economics of cinema and a lush, rich, evocative tone poem for the eyes, ears, and broken heart.
ON THE WHITE PLANET
South Korea – Dir: Hur Bum-wook
A brooding existential nightmare unfolding within a densely detailed landscape of surreal biological monstrosity, animator Hur Bum-wook’s award-winning debut feature is an intense and troubling tale of violence and vulnerability, hope and despair.
ORION
USA – Dir: Asiel Norton
Set far away after the end of civilization, Asiel Norton’s brilliant ORION is truly something you have never seen before. Starring David Arquette, Lily Cole, and Goran Kostic, this post-apocalyptic epic quest features imagery that takes us into a brand new mythology. With fantastic costumes and sets as well as a unique use of the English language, ORION is a cult film waiting to be discovered. One of the most challenging pieces of work in this year’s Camera Lucida. This is what legends are made of.
A PERFECT MAN
France – Dir: Yann Gozlan
Returning after a five-year absence behind the camera, Yann Gozlan (CAPTIFS) delivers a gripping suspense thriller anchored in the hype-saturated literary world. Front and centre is the rising star of French cinema, Pierre Niney (YVES SAINT-LAURENT).
POISON BERRY IN MY BRAIN
Japan – Dir: Yuichi Sato
Enter the mind of Yoko Maki (LOVE STRIKES) in this high-concept and (quite literal) cerebral romantic comedy, based on Setona Mizushiro’s josei manga! If you liked Pixar’s INSIDE OUT, you won’t want to miss POISON BERRY IN MY BRAIN, one of the most refreshing rom-coms of 2015!
PORT OF CALL
Hong Kong – Dir: Philip Yung
In Hong Kong, a person goes missing every hour. This is the story of one of them. A gritty, grisly police procedural that unfolds into a careful yet caustic meditation on human nature, with camerawork by Christopher Doyle (IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE, CHUNGKING EXPRESS, HERO).
POSSESSED
Spain – Dir: Sam Ortí Martí (AKA Sam)
An instant-classic of wickedly fun (and imaginatively grotesque) stop-motion comedy/horror that many have described as PARANORMAN meets WALLACE & GROMIT by way of SOUTH PARK, POSSESED is the manic creation of Goya-nominated anima-lunatic Sam Ortí Martí, featuring the voices of Santiago Segura, Anabel Alonso and Nacho Vigalondo.
PRINCESS JELLYFISH
Japan – Dir: Taisuke Kawamura
A joyous, feel-good otaku romantic comedy, adapted from Akiko Higashimura’s popular josei manga, pitting kawaii, jellyfish-inspired fashion against corporate gentrification!
RAIDERS! THE STORY OF THE GREATEST FAN FILM EVER MADE
USA – Dir: Jeremy Coon, Tim Skousen
It has long been the stuff of legend, an obscure treasure worthy of discovery by some maverick, two-fisted archaeologist type. In 1981, the year Steven Spielberg’s RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK was released, rocking the worlds of a trio of 11-year-olds in smalltown Mississippi. And just as Spielberg was paying loving homage to the pulp heroes and serial adventures of his childhood, so too did Chris Strompolos, Eric Zala, and Jayson Lamb embark on a tribute to Spielberg – by remaking RAIDERS, shot for shot! It took eight years but they pulled it off, and their reverent remake earned them the approval of Spielberg himself.
THE REAL MIYAGI
Canada – Dir: Kevin Derek
If you’ve ever owned a copy of BLACK BELT magazine when you were a teenager, Fumio Demura’s face will surely ring a few bells. This martial arts legend has not only impacted his own field but also conquered the world of film. Having worked with several big Hollywood stars, he was instrumental in helping them finetune their fighting technique and, for a select few, become cinematic icons. His most famous students include Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal and Bruce Lee.
THE REFLECTING SKIN
UK/Canada – Dir: Philip Ridley
We’re all familiar with the prairies as a pastoral landscape of bountiful crops and quaint farmhouses, but if you’re eight-year-old Seth Dove, it’s also a nightmarish world of murdered children, parental madness and day-walking vampires. Fantasia is proud to present the premiere public screening of a new 2K restoration of Philip Ridley’s dark, poetic masterpiece, painstakingly supervised by the filmmaker himself to create the definitive visual representation, above and beyond what was possible at the time of THE REFLECTING SKIN’s original theatrical release. Special 25th Anniversary screening.
REMAKE, REMIX, RIP-OFF: ABOUT COPY CULTURE & TURKISH POP CINEMA
Turkey/Germany – Dir: Cem Kaya
Turkey in the 1960s-’70s churned out more movies than possibly any other country, often without a single page of original material! Get ready for bizarro Turkish knockoffs of E.T., Dracula, The Wizard of Oz, The Exorcist, Rambo, Superman, Star Trek and more, informatively chronicled in this thorough and uproarious documentary.
ROAR
USA / South Africa – Dir: Noel Marshall
It’s been billed as the most dangerous movie ever made – and when you watch ROAR, you may consider that an understatement. A family affair that nearly proved a fatality affair, ROAR was the first and, not surprisingly, last film directed by Noel Marshall (an executive producer on THE EXORCIST), who also co-stars alongside his wife Tippi Hedren, his sons John and Jerry Marshall and Hedren’s daughter Melanie Griffith. Noel plays Hank, who lives on a nature preserve surrounded by dozens of big cats and other wild animals. Too bad he’s away from the house when his family comes to visit, unprepared for the feline “greeting” that awaits. Lions and tigers and cheetahs, all real, all really pawing and clawing and biting the cast. No fewer than 70 cast & crew injuries were incurred during shooting!
ROBBERY
Hong Kong – Dir: Fire Lee
A run-of-the-mill robbery metastasizes into a night of disaster filled with mayhem. Lock and load for a comedic barrel fully loaded with dark laughs and enough bullets, blood, political incorrectness and general outrageousness to shatter your funnybone. Opening several months before the Hong Kong release!
THE ROYAL TAILOR
South Korea – Dir: Lee Won-suk
A potent period drama embroidered with wit and wise insights, THE ROYAL TAILOR has its high-spirited mirth and heartbreaking tragedy sewn together masterfully. A great script, a great cast – and a truly wondrous array of magnificent garments!
RYUZO AND THE SEVEN HENCHMEN
Japan – Dir: Takeshi Kitano
Coming immediately after his OUTRAGE saga, Takeshi Kitano’s hilarious crime story stars screen legend Tatsuya Fuji (IN THE REALM OF THE SENSES) as a retired yakuza who realizes that the only way to break the monotony of his daily life by reuniting with his old gang. This is a funny and heartfelt meditation on growing old that only the master of Japanese cinema could deliver.
SCANDALE
Quebec – Dir: George Mihalka
Not long after making the ’80s horror classic MY BLOODY VALENTINE, George Mihalka teamed up with producer Robert Lantos (EASTERN PROMISES, LEOLO, THE SWEET HEREAFTER) to make this notorious erotic comedy based on a 1981 scandal known as “pornobec”. It’s become a major cult item in Quebec, its production and history the subject of countless urban legends. To set the record straight, our screening – of a new DCP created from the last surviving 35mm print housed in the Library & Archives Canada vaults – will be hosted by Lantos and Mihalka, the latter of whom refers to the film as the SPINAL TAP of the Quebec porn industry.
SCHERZO DIABOLICO
Mexico/USA – Dir: Adrián García Bogliano
The director of LATE PHASES, HERE COMES THE DEVIL and COLD SWEAT is back, re-teaming with Francisco Barreiro to deliver a savage black comedy / thriller that will leave audiences breathless.
SCRATCH
Quebec – Dir: Sébastien Godron
A poetic, powerful film that deconstructs a reality of Montreal life that is rarely addressed on the big screen. With its entrancing soundtrack, solid performances and intrinsic spirit, SCRATCH will leave more than a mild scrape on Quebec cinema.
THE SHAMER’S DAUGHTER
Denmark – Dir: Kenneth Kainz
Macarena Gómez gives a riveting performance in this horrific and haunting psychodrama produced by Álex de la Iglesia that’s deservedly become a major hit on the international festival circuit.
SHE WHO MUST BURN
Canada – Dir: Larry Kent
Director Larry Kent (THE BITTER ASH, HIGH, THE HAMSTER CAGE), Canada’s first underground filmmaker, has been making uncompromising works for 52-years. Now, he has made his first full-on horror film, a harrowing tale of organizers of a Planned Parenthood clinic under violent attack by fanatical evangelists.
SHINJUKU SWAN
Japan – Dir: Sion Sono
Maverick director Sion Sono (LOVE EXPOSURE, SUICIDE CLUB), one of the most unique voices in modern cinema, makes a thunderous return to Fantasia with an unprecedented three films! First up is the International Premiere of manga adaptation SHINJUKU SWAN, featuring Gou Ayano (LUPIN THE THIRD), Takayuki Yamada (MILOCRORZE), and Erika Sawajiri (HELTER SKELTER)!
SHREW’S NEST
Spain – Dir: Esteban Roel and Juan Fernando Andrés
Macarena Gómez gives a riveting performance in this horrific and haunting psychodrama produced by Álex de la Iglesia that’s deservedly become a major hit on the international festival circuit.
THE SILENCED
South Korea – Dir: Lee Hae-young
After first getting noticed for comedies such LIKE A VIRGIN and FOXY FESTIVAL, for which he paid us a visit back in 2011, writer/director Lee Hae-young changes gear with THE SILENCED, plunging headfirst into a crafty suspense story with a hint of fantastic horror that takes its roots in certain myths of the Second World War. To say more would ruin the dramatically charged satisfaction of the powerful ending, so we’ll leave it at that… Lee deftly manages the different genres he mingles here and gives a few happy nods to classic titles, including RINGU and THE SHINING. Leading an almost exclusively female cast, young and jubilant Park Bo-young (A WEREWOLF BOY) shines through her magnificent embodiment of Shizuko’s transformation. THE SILENCED is an entertaining genre cocktail filled with twists that will keep you perched on the edge of your seat until its gripping final act.
SINGHAM RETURNS
India – Dir: Rohit Shetty
Agent Bajirao Singham (Ajay Devgn) is back on duty, and vows to attack the corruption that is ruining his country. SINGHAM RETURNS is 142 minutes of pure joy that will have you dancing, clapping, and laughing out loud!
SLUMLORD
USA – Dir: Victor Zarcoff
Chad Archibald and the talented team behind such Canadian horror breakouts at THE DROWNSMAN, ANTI-SOCIAL, SEPTIC MAN, and EJECTA are back with a brand new monster, a lot of flair, and a heck of a strong cringe factor. Join us for the World Premiere of this thrilling new film from some of Canada’s most striking new genre talent.
SNOW GIRL AND THE DARK CRYSTAL
China – Dir: Peter Pau, Zhao Tianyu
Heaven, Earth and Hell are about to collide, kung fu style! Meet China’s Zhong Kui, the demon hunter, in his first cinematic outing. From Oscar winning director Peter Pau(CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON) This epic fantasy features FX from Weta Workshop (PLANET OF THE APES, LORD OF THE RINGS).
SOCIALPHOBIA
South Korea – Dir: Hong Seok-jae
Social media has scary consequences for two police-tech students and an Internet troll in this masterfully executed first feature film by Hong Seok-jae. Filled with stunning twists and keenly constructed characters, SOCIALPHOBIA ranks among the best independent Korean films in recent years.
SOME KIND OF HATE
USA – Dir: Adam Egypt Mortimer
Ronen Rubinstein, Grace Phipps, Sierra McCormick and Noah Segan star in a bloody tale of a bullied teen sentenced to a juvenile delinquent camp that happens to be haunted by the murderous spirit of a victim of bullying.
STRAYER’S CHRONICLE
Japan – Dir: Takahisa Zeze
This foray into sci-fi by the iconoclastic Takahisa Zeze (MOON CHILD) recalls X-MEN, with its super-powered mutants fighting for acceptance, and BLADE RUNNER, in its concept of limited existence. A true original re-interpretation of the superhero genre.
SUNRISE
India – Dir: Partho Sen-Gupta
With SUNRISE, Partho Sen-Gupta reveals himself to be, not unlike Anurag Kashyap (UGLY, GANGS OF WASSEYPUR), one of India’s most promising independent filmmakers. Staying off Bollywood’s beaten path, he instead offers with SUNRISE a poignant and maddening noir-inflected thriller, set in Mumbai’s child-trafficking industry. Deliberately provocative, structurally challenging and exquisitely stylized, in alternating Refn-esque garish colours and expressive chiaroscuro that would make Pedro Costa proud, SUNRISE unfolds like a lucid dream, or rather, the nightmare of one police officer, whose guilt materializes as horror. Powerful, bold and uncompromising, there is nothing even remotely sunny about SUNRISE, yet it shines bright, violently eclipsing the competition.
SYNCHRONICITY
USA – Dir: Jacob Gentry
The long awaited solo feature debut from Jacob Gentry, co-director of THE SIGNAL, SYNCHRONICITY is, in a word, brilliant. Chad Mcknight, AJ Bowen, Brianne Davis and Michael Ironside star in this individualistic and astonishing sci-fi Noir about a physicist who folds time, traveling into the past to prevent the theft of his invention.
TAG
Japan – Dir: Sion Sono
Maverick director Sion Sono (LOVE EXPOSURE, SUICIDE CLUB), one of the most unique voices in modern cinema, makes a thunderous return to Fantasia with an unprecedented three films! The director hasn’t lost his flair for subversion and pitch-black humour, and the North American Premiere of TAG wholeheartedly proves it! When action, gore, and uneasy hilarity meet existential reflection and lucid social commentary, you know Sion Sono is in the house – and the legendary director promises to leave his mark on Fantasia 2015!
THE TAKING
UK – Dir: Dominic Brunt
Two financially struggling independent businesswomen fall prey to a brutal money lender in this hard-hitting, vicious and socially conscious thriller that balances gripping drama and ferocious shock value to powerful effect. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
TALES OF HALLOWEEN
USA – Dir: Neil Marshall, Lucky McKee, Darren Lynn Bousman, John Skipp, Andrew Kasch, Mike Mendez, Ryan Schifrin, Paul Solet, Axelle Carolyn, Dave Parker, Adam Gierasch
Aging female warrior Cempaka is the most respected fighter in the Golden Cane clan, but she must now find a successor among her disciples. Coming on the heels of the wildly popular THE RAID series, this flawlessly executed epic actioner by Ifa Isfansyah is here to confirm Indonesia’s place in the leading nations of martial arts cinema.
TANGERINE
USA – Dir: Sean Baker
It’s Christmas Eve in Tinseltown and transgender hooker Sin-Dee is on a madcap mission to get to the bottom of a scandalous rumour. An uproarious, naturalistic comedy (shot entirely on an iPhone!) with energy and style to spare, TANGERINE ranks among the most significant independent American breakouts in recent years.
TAZZA: THE HIDDEN CARD
South Korea – Dir: Kang Hyoung-chul
Ham Dae-gil was born to hustle, a natural talent that will take him to the highest highs – and right down to rock bottom. A winning hand of gambling thrills and gangland chills, sexy shivers and cool comedy kicks!
TEANA: 10000 YEARS AFTER 3D
China – Dir: Yi Li
Ten millennia after cataclysmic ruin, the world is a place of impossible wonders and monstrosities. A distinctly Chinese work of digitally animated fantasy, crafted with a truly global perspective – and numerous surrealist quirks that are all its own.
(T)ERROR
USA – Dir: Lyric R. Cabral, David Felix Sutcliffe
Lyric R. Cabral & David Felix Sutcliffe’s extraordinary (T)ERROR is an intimate and unprecedented documentary portrait of a covert FBI informant which unfolds like a spy thriller, but amounts to a bold new perspective on the never-ending War on Terror. Winner of a Special mention at the Sundance Film Festival.
THAT’S IT
Japan – Dir: Gakuryu Ishii
Young superstar Shota Sometani (STRAYER’S CHRONICLE, REAL, JELLYFISH EYES) re-teams with Gakuryu Ishii (formerly known as Sogo Ishii), for what is his most exciting project in years! Ishii goes back to his punk roots without losing any of his late-career experimental chops. Inspired by “Soredake,” a 1999 song by the Japanese band Bloodthirsty Butchers (who also score), THAT’S IT is relentless, confounding and exalting: making inventive use of small digital cameras, shifts in colour, dissolves and even animation; an ingenious and frenetic clash of images, in the spirit of early works like BURST CITY or SHUFFLE! If, like us, you’ve been waiting for a confrontational, no holds-barred return to form from the great Gakuryu “Sogo” Ishii, this is, indeed, very much it!
THERAPY FOR A VAMPIRE
Austria – Dir: David Rühm
In 1930s Vienna, an infamous vampire count turns to none other than noted psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud to help him deal with various romantic entanglements. This delightful and sumptuously produced horror comedy evokes the Hammer Gothics of yore and Polanski’s classic Fearless Vampire Killers. A must for old-school fangbangers!
THEY LOOK LIKE PEOPLE
USA – Dir: Perry Blackshear
A smart, haunting psychological horror masterpiece that Verite Film hailed as “unbearably tense and profoundly moving”. Despite having only been playing on the fest circuit for five months, THEY LOOK LIKE PEOPLE has already won awards at Slamdance, SF Indiefest, IFF Boston and the Nashville Film Festival.
TORRENTE, MISSION EUROVEGAS
Spain – Dir: Santiago Segura
The completely insane fifth entry in Segura’s blockbuster franchise. TORRENTE: MISSION EUROVEGAS co-stars Alex Baldwin and had the largest Spanish theatrical opening in all of 2014 when it was released last October. An excruciatingly funny film, packed with absurd setpieces and a rogues gallery of familiar faces.
TRADERS
Ireland – Dir: Rachael Moriarty, Peter Murphy
A freshly unemployed worker from an asset management firm creates a website on the dark web, designed to appeal specifically to the financially obliterated. “Better than suicide”, it promises. “Trading.” One of the most blackly subversive social satires to antagonize the screen in years, TRADERS is smart, violent, empathetic and angry. The feature debut of Irish filmmaking team Rachael Moriarty and Peter Murphy, starring Killian Scott (CALVARY), John Bradley (GAME OF THRONES), Nika McGuigan (PHILOMENA) and Barry Keoghan (’71).
TURBO-KID
New Zealand – Dir: François Simard, Anouk Whissell, Yoann-Karl Whissell
The inspired Quebec/NZ indie that’s become one of the most wildly adored films on the 2015 international festival circuit – blowing minds at Sundance and in Dallas, the Netherlands and Brussels, winning an audience award at SXSW – is coming home for its first screening in the country. At the place of its birth, in fact, as TURBO KID came together at the first edition of Frontières, Fantasia’s International Co-Production Market. Don’t miss what’s sure to be a wild homecoming party for the directing team of François Simard, Annouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissell AKA Roadkill Superstar.
THE VISIT
Denmark – Dir: Michael Madsen
Is Earth ready for an alien visitation? Michael Madsen”s fascinating follow-up to INTO ETERNITY reflects on this interrogation through a simulation with scientists and philosophers. A powerful and groundbreaking documentary.
WE ARE STILL HERE
USA – Dir: Ted Geoghegan
Ted Geoghegan’s super acclaimed directorial debut is finally coming to Canada. WE ARE STILL HERE stars Barbara Crampton, Larry Fessenden and Lisa Marie, features stunning visuals by Karim Hussain and is infused with the spirit of ’80s Lucio Fulci. What’s not to love?
WHO KILLED CAPTAIN ALEX?
Uganda – Dir: Nabwana IGG
Expect the Unexpectable! “Wakaliwood” – home to “da best of da best movies!” – is at the forefront of action-packed off-the-grid DIY commando cinema. Produced entirely in the ghetto of Wakaliga, Kampala, WHO KILLED CAPTAIN ALEX? is one of 40-plus feature films from prolific, self-taught writer/director/editor/cinematographer/producer Nabwana IGG, and the first to screen outside his home country. A viral sensation and a hit across the slums of Uganda, CAPTAIN ALEX has never before had a festival screening with the rabid party audience it deserves!
WILD CITY
Hong Kong – Dir: Ringo Lam
It’s been a long wait, but the dark god of hard-edged Hong Kong cinema is back. Alongside John Woo and Tsui Hark, Ringo Lam was key in defining the spirit of HK film in the late ’80s. Now, after a near-decade hiatus from feature filmmaking, he’s ready to show the world once again what happens when high-octane action and a hard-knock social conscience collide.
WONDERFUL WORLD END
Japan – Dir: Daigo Matsui
With films like SWEET POOLSIDE, director Daigo Matsui proved himself a leading voice in coming-of-age films with lucid and accurate portrayals of Japanese youth and a taste for bizarre creativity. So when he steers his gaze to social media’s impact on two serial bloggers, expect to be disturbed, moved and amazed.
Related Topics: Fantasia Film Festival
