Are you sitting comfortably? Make sure you are before you read this, because Fantasia International Film Festival have just announced their third wave of feature films – and it is gargantuan.
Running from July 18 through August 4, 2024, the 28th edition of Fantasia brings an electrifying program of screenings, workshops, and launch events to the Concordia Hall and J.A. de Sรจve cinemas, with additional screens and events at Montrealโs Cinรฉmathรจque quรฉbรฉcoise and Cinรฉma du Musรฉe.
The first and second wave lineup announcements revealed that Fantasia will host the world premieres of Chuck Russell’s Witchboard,ย Chris Stuckmann’sย Shelby Oaks, Ant Timpson’sย Bookworm, the Adam’s Family’sย Hell Hole and much, much more.
Notable jurors at Fantasia 2024 include, among others, BLACKBERRY director Matt Johnson, Rob Jabbaz (THE SADNESS), author Heidi Honeycutt, journalist Steve Dollar, BROOKLYN 45 and HALLOWEEN star Kristina Klebe, Dreamworks Animation’s Johane Matte, and acclaimed Canadian illustrator Gary Pullin.
We mean it when we say this announcement is absolutely stacked so strap in for our rundown of the official press release – and for full details (the below features are really just a sample!) and ticket info head to Fantasia’s official website.
Fantasia 2024 is honoring U.S. filmmaker Mike Flanagan with this year’s Cheval Noir career award, which has previously gone to such genre icons as John Carpenter, Guillermo del Toro, Takashi Miike, Tobe Hooper and Ken Russell (to name but a few!) Flanagan will be attending the festival to accept his award, take part in an artist talk, and to promote the previously-announced World Premiere of Chris Stuckman’s hotly-anticipated SHELBY OAKS, which he produced.
The festival’s Closing Night film is Andrรฉ Forcier’s period dramedy ABABOUINร, about a rowdy group of kids fighting back against the Catholic church in 1957 Montrรฉal. The World Premiere title stars a who’s who of Quebec’s most iconic actors, including Rรฉmy Girard (THE BARBARIAN INVASIONS), Gaston Lepage (JESUS OF MONTRรAL), and Pascale Montpetit (DISTRICT 31).
Additional World Premieres of note in Fantasia’ third wave announcement include IN OUR BLOOD, the narrative debut of Oscar-winning documentarian Pedro Kos which stars Brittany OโGrady of HBOโsWhite Lotus; FRANKIE FREAKO, the latest from beloved genre icon Steven Kostanski (PSYCHO GOREMAN); the Covid-19-set black comedy THE CODE, from filmmaker Eugene Kotlyarenko (SPREE); DEANER ’89, an 80s-set hair-rock from the creator of the heavy metal FUBAR movies; theย Elias Koteas-starring THE SILENT PLANET, from TIFF darlingย Jeffrey St. Jules; and BLACK EYED SUSAN, the shockingly dark new psychosexual drama from underground legend Scooter McCrae, starring Damian Maffei (THE STRANGERS: PREY AT NIGHT).
Among the 31 just-announced International and North American Premieres at the festival are Jay Song’s psychological thriller 4PM, Rikiya Imaizumiโs TEASING MASTER TAKAGI-SAN, Rich Ho’sย HEAVENS: THE BOY AND HIS ROBOT, Oscar nominee Jรฉrรฉmy Clapin’s MEANWHILE ON EARTH, Stanley Tony’s Jackie Chan-starring A LEGEND, Sander Maran’s horror musical CHAINSAWS WERE SINGING, Joel Potrykus’ Tribeca hit VULCANIZADORA, and Adilkhan Yerzhanov’s STEPPENWOLF, as well as a number of stunning new animated features, which the festival has become known for, including Shen Jie’s THE UMBRELLA FAIRY, Yoko Kuno and Nobuhiro Yamashita’s GHOST CAT ANZU, and Nick Johnson’s SUNBURNT UNICORN, and Tatsuya Oishi’s KIZUMONOGATARI: KOYOMI VAMP.
The festival has also just announced ten repertory titles, many of which are World Premiere restorations, including Sean MacGregor DEVIL TIMES FIVE (1974), Christina Hornisher’s HOLLYWOOD 90028(1974), and Kuei Chih-Hung’s KILLER CONSTABLE (1980).
More genre highlights include:
HOUSE OF SAYURI MARKS THE RETURN OF J-HORROR MASTER KOJI SHIRAISHI
Legendary J-horror director Koji Shiraishi (NOROI: THE CURSE) brings the genre to new levels of fun with HOUSE OF SAYURI. A vengeful ghost disseminates a family until a counterattack from a bold grandma brings a startling new dynamic into the house. Shifting tones in surprising and destabilizing ways, this horror-comedy alternates from a galvanizing spiritual training montage to profoundly dramatic moments, coming together to create“ a truly unique cinematic experience. North American Premiere.
ATMOSPHERIC SPANISH HORROR LIVES INSIDE CARLOTA PEREDAโs THE CHAPEL
The stunning sophomore feature from award-winning director Carlota Pereda (PIGGY), THE CHAPELย marks the fantastic return of atmospheric, character-driven supernatural Spanish horror. Emma (Maia Zaitegi) wants to learn how to communicate with the spirit of a little girl who has spent centuries trapped inside a chapel. She tries to convince Carol (THE ORPHANAGEโs Belen Rueda), a cynical and fake medium, to help her in the hopes that contacting the spirit may help her to remain close to her dying mother after she passes. What Carol doesnโt suspect is that Emma really does have โthe giftโ and, if she keeps on trying to use it without her guidance, she will be putting her young life at terrifying risk. Winner: Best Actress, Belen Rueda, Cinefantasy 2023. Official Selection: Sitges 2023. North American Premiere.
CUCKOO (USA) โ dir. Tilman Singer
A seventeen-year-old girl (Hunter Schafer,ย HBOโs Euphoria) is forced to move with her family to a resort where things are not what they seem in this astonishing mix of mix of domestic tension, body horror, and perverse science from the gifted director of LUZ. Co-starring Dan Stevens, Jessica Henwick, Marton Csรณkรกs, and Jan Bluthardt. Official selection: Berlin International Film Festival 2024, SXSW 2024. Winner of the Silver Raven Award at the 2024 Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film. Montrรฉal Premiere.
NEW ZEALAND BRINGS INVENTIVELY TRIPPY PARANORMAL HILARITY: THE PARAGON
Former Power Rangers director Michael Duignanโs utterly mad feature debut, THE PARAGON, electrifies with hilarity and trippy psychedelic visuals, delivers in the spirit of inspired low-budget New Zealand filmmaking that harkens back to early Peter Jackson. After experiencing a hit and run, an angry ex-tennis coach named Dutch (Benedict Wall, SHADOW IN THE CLOUD) embarks on a psychic training course to find the driver and get revenge. Alongside his witchy psychic coach Lyra (Florence Noble), Dutch must decide between being a victim of his fate or a slave to otherworldly evil in this spectacularly entertaining fantasy comedy where revenge becomes a cosmic experience. Co-starring an especially nuts Jonny Brugh (WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS). North American Premiere.
