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Source: The Hollywood Reporter
When people think of film festivals, they usually think of films created and marketed in a way that gives them an appearance of prestige. These are the kinds of films in which many distributors and filmmakers find the potential to generate major awards buzz, with the festivals they play at serving as a means for these films to get the backing of a prominent industry figure or organization so that the films have a better chance of getting some kind of award. That being said, there are some film festivals that aren’t as concerned with how awards-worthy a film is and just want to give those attending an exciting and memorable experience, something not unlike a trip to see the big blockbuster currently dominating cinemas.
One such festival, the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal, has been described as “the most outstanding and largest genre film festival in North America”, and it’s not hard to see why. As one of the continent’s biggest events to show genre movies (i.e. films generally deemed less “serious” and worthy of award recognition), Fantasia has been revered by film fans and distributors alike. While the previous festivals unfortunately had to go online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, that won’t be the case this year, as festival organizers have announced a fully in-person experience for the first time in nearly three years.
On Thursday, May 5th, the organization behind the Fantasia International Film Festival announced its upcoming event, which will mark the 26th time such an event has been held, will return to theaters and take place between July 14th and August 3rd. According to current plans, all of the programs and workshops included in the festival will all take place as in-person events, with the Concordia Hall Cinema, the Cinematheque Quebecoise, the Cinema du Musee and the McCord Museum being included among the venues where film screenings are expected to take place.
Although a full line-up will not be announced until late June, some of the films set to be shown at Fantasia have been revealed, many of which will even have their world premiere at the festival. These include the following films: “Glorious”, directed by Rebekah McKendry and starring Ryan Kwanten and J.K. Simmons; “Convenience Story”, from director Satoshi Miki; “The Harbinger”, directed by Andy Mitton and starring Gabby Bean; “Country Gold”, the twenty-ninth directorial achievement of filmmaker Mickey Reece; and “The Breach”, from Morgue Magazine founder Rodrigo Gudiño. Some of these films are also the first ever made by their respective directors. These include Karim Ouelhaj’s “Megalomaniac”, based the real-life serial killer known as the Butcher of Mons; “All Jacked Up and Full of Worms”, from newcomer Alex Phillip; and “The Diabetic”, from first-timer director Mitchell Stafiej.
While many of the films being shown at Fantasia will be the first time they’ve been screened anywhere in the world, some of the films set for exhibition have already been shown in their native countries, but will make their debut in North America via Fantasia. Among such films are “The Mole Song: Final”, the third and final installment of Takashi Miike’s Mole Song series; “Kappei”, the directorial debut of Takashi Hirano; “Give Me Pity!”, a cringe comedy from Amanda Kramer; and “Next Door”, a claustrophobic black comedy from first-time writer/director Yeom Ji-ho.
Despite so much of the festival being dedicated to looking forward and seeing what the newest generation of genre filmmakers has to offer the world, some of it will also be dedicated to looking back at what came before and honoring the work and achievements of those who have inspired and continue to inspire. This is the purpose of Fantasia’s Career Achievement Award, which the festival will hand out this year to John Woo, the Hong Kong filmmaker behind such action favorites as “A Better Tomorrow” and “Face/Off”.
As stated earlier, there’s still a lot more to be revealed in terms of a complete festival line-up, though one can only get excited for what could possibly make an appearance at Fantasia. Despite the previous festival being an online-only event, it still found a way to start strong and finish equally strong with the films it had to offer, opening with James Gunn’s “The Suicide Squad” and closing with “The Great Yokai War: Guardians”. Both of these films were highly anticipated blockbusters in their respective countries (the United States and Japan), so having the opportunity to screen both, and to do so as a means of bookending the entire festival, was truly a great honor for Fantasia. Considering that this year’s event will be held in person, it’ll be quite exciting to see what the festival will feature as part of its big comeback.
Regardless of what happens though, it’s almost certain that the Fantasia International Film Festival will be a haven for lovers of genre filmmaking. With so many film festivals dedicated to finding and showcasing the best of the best, often overlooking the type of film being presented in favor of how much prestige value it could have, events like Fantasia take a more humble approach and find things to appreciate in what others would consider to be low forms of cinematic art. It’s a strategy that has worked quite well for Fantasia, at least if the success of all twenty-five festivals that came before, and if all goes according to plan between July 14th and August 3rd, the twenty-sixth event should be just as successful.
