The Fantasia International Film Festival is set to celebrate its 28th edition with an exciting lineup of screenings, workshops, and events running from July 18 through August 4, 2024. The festival will take place at Concordia Hall and J.A. de Sève cinemas, with additional screenings and events at Montréal’s Cinémathèque québécoise and Cinéma du Musée.
Opening Film: Ant Timpson’s “Bookworm”
Fantasia’s 28th edition will kick off with the world premiere of Ant Timpson’s moving and hilarious Bookworm, starring Elijah Wood and Nell Fisher. This film reunites the celebrated New Zealand filmmaker with his Come to Daddy star Elijah Wood, who shares comic chemistry with young co-star Nell Fisher (Evil Dead Rise). Bookworm follows Mildred (Fisher), an eleven-year-old bookworm, who escapes her mundane life by diving into novels. An unusual accident brings her long-absent father, Strawn Wise (Wood), a washed-up illusionist, back to New Zealand to look after her. Their camping trip turns into a series of absurd and treacherous adventures.
Canadian Trailblazer Award for Vincenzo Natali
Fantasia will honor visionary filmmaker Vincenzo Natali with the 2024 Canadian Trailblazer Award. Natali, known for his landmark debut Cube (1997), has significantly influenced Canuck genre works. His filmography includes Cypher, Nothing, Splice, Haunter, and the Netflix original In the Tall Grass. He has also directed episodes for series like Hannibal, The Strain, Westworld, American Gods, Locke & Key, and Guillermo Del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities. Natali will receive his award before the world premiere of the Canadian Film Centre’s new 4K restoration of Cube.
Second Wave of Titles Announced
Mononoke the Movie: The Phantom in the Rain
Director Kenji Nakamura revives the cult classic anime Mononoke with a new feature film, Mononoke the Movie: The Phantom in the Rain. This visually exquisite film reintroduces the mysterious Medicine Seller’s paranormal escapades, making its grand debut at Fantasia.
The Beast Within
Kit Harington stars in The Beast Within, a gothic, phantasmagoric fantasy reflecting on childhood uncanniness and night creatures. Directed by Alexander J. Farrel, the film follows a girl who discovers her father turns into a monster every month.
The Count of Monte-Cristo
Fresh off a spectacular Cannes premiere, Alexandre de La Patellière and Matthieu Delaporte’s epic The Count of Monte-Cristo will have its international premiere at Fantasia. This adaptation retains the classicism of Alexandre Dumas’s work while hinting at modern superhero film tropes.
Párvulos
Award-winning filmmaker Isaac Ezban returns with Párvulos, a dystopian coming-of-age horror story about three brothers hiding a terrifying secret. Inspired by Goodnight Mommy, Lord of the Flies, A Quiet Place, and Guillermo del Toro’s work, this film features gruesome practical effects and astonishing performances.
Scared Shitless!
Vivieno Caldinelli’s Scared Shitless! follows a father-son plumbing duo faced with ridding a building of a toilet-dwelling creature. Starring Steven Ogg and Daniel Doheny, this film combines humor and horror with fantastic creature effects.
Mantra Warrior: The Legend of the Eight Moons
Thailand reimagines the Ramayana with Mantra Warrior: The Legend of the Eight Moons, a cyberpunk space opera directed by Veerapatra Jinanavin. This animated film, featuring mecha battles and Thai aesthetics, will thrill sci-fi fans.
Animalia Paradoxa
Niles Atalah’s Animalia Paradoxa is a surreal journey blending live action, dance, sculpture, and stop-motion animation. This hybrid film reimagines the end of the world in a dreamlike structure.
Additional Second Wave Fantasia Festival Titles
- 100 Yards (China) – Dirs. Xu Haofeng and Xu Junfeng
- Azrael (USA) – Dir. E.L Katz
- Brave Citizen (South Korea) – Dir. Park Jin-pyo
- Brush of the God (Japan) – Dir. Keizo Murase
- Carnage for Christmas (Australia) – Dir. Alice Maio Mackay
- Darkest Miriam (Canada) – Dir. Naomi Jaye
- Don’t Call It Mystery (Japan) – Dir. Hiroaki Matsuyama
- FAQ (South Korea) – Dir. Kim Da-min
- Kryptic (Canada, U.K.) – Dir. Kourtney Roy
- The Missing (Philippines) – Dir. Carl Joseph Papa
- Not Friends (Thailand) – Dir. Atta Hemwadee
- Oddity (Ireland) – Dir. Damian McCarthy
- Wake Up (Canada / France) – Dirs. François Simard, Anouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissell
- Yin Yang Master Zero (Japan) – Dir. Shimako Sato
Festival Sponsors
The 28th edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival is presented by Videotron and made possible with the financial contributions of Telefilm Canada, la Société́ de développement des entreprises culturelles (SODEC), the government of Quebec, the city of Montréal, le Conseil des arts de Montréal, Tourisme Montréal, and the Directors Guild of Canada (DGC).
For more information, visit Fantasia International Film Festival.
