As I sit here, on June 6, 2024 at 11:45 a.m., two days after The Final Shape launched—Destiny’s last expansion in the story arc it clumsily started more than a decade ago—I am notably not blasting aliens nor taking in sweeping sci-fi vistas. I am not playing at all.
Hollywood loves a biopic. If there’s one thing that’s going to get greenlit other than a superhero movie, it’s a loosely biographical film about a historical figure or artist. But Pharrell Williams, the 51-year-old pop artist and beat maker behind hit songs like “Happy” and Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky,” is getting his own…
Hollywood loves a biopic. If there’s one thing that’s going to get greenlit other than a superhero movie, it’s a loosely biographical film about a historical figure or artist. But Pharrell Williams, the 51-year-old pop artist and beat maker behind hit songs like “Happy” and Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky,” is getting his own…
Zombies have pretty much been the same since George A Romero took them away from the world of voodoo and made them the flesheaters we know today. Sure, their speed may change depending on the filmmaker, but otherwise, their rules are universal. So it’s always a pleasure when someone comes along that has a different take on an old subject. Because the dead returning to life is more than just teeth and gore, as the emotional impact is a toll that few could likely take. Handling the Undead follows three families as they’re given the ultimate gift: the return of their loved one.
I was able to talk with Norwegian filmmaker Thea Hvistendahl about her new film and all the challenges that came with it. Based on a book by John Ajvide Lindqvist, who already flipped vampires on their heads with Let The Right One In, this has a similar tone and grounding of a supernatural topic. Thea’s clearly trying to focus more on the human element versus the more bombastic nature of what a zombie film usually is. The film is deliberately slow and contemplative, asking the viewer: what would you do in this situation? You can check out my review for the film HERE and make sure to check out my interview with Thea above.
Handling the Undead plot:
On a hot summer day in Oslo, the dead mysteriously awaken, and three families are thrown into chaos when their deceased loved ones come back to them. Who are they, and what do they want? A family is faced with the mother’s reawakening before they have even mourned her death after a car accident; an elderly woman gets the love of her life back the same day she has buried her; a grandfather rescues his grandchild from the gravesite in a desperate attempt to get his daughter out of her depression.
HANDLING THE UNDEAD RELEASES IN SELECT CITIES ON JUNE 7TH, 2024.
The post Interview: Thea Hvistendahl Discusses Her New Take On Zombies In Handling the Undead appeared first on JoBlo.
Zombies have pretty much been the same since George A Romero took them away from the world of voodoo and made them the flesheaters we know today. Sure, their speed may change depending on the filmmaker, but otherwise, their rules are universal. So it’s always a pleasure when someone comes along that has a different take on an old subject. Because the dead returning to life is more than just teeth and gore, as the emotional impact is a toll that few could likely take. Handling the Undead follows three families as they’re given the ultimate gift: the return of their loved one.
I was able to talk with Norwegian filmmaker Thea Hvistendahl about her new film and all the challenges that came with it. Based on a book by John Ajvide Lindqvist, who already flipped vampires on their heads with Let The Right One In, this has a similar tone and grounding of a supernatural topic. Thea’s clearly trying to focus more on the human element versus the more bombastic nature of what a zombie film usually is. The film is deliberately slow and contemplative, asking the viewer: what would you do in this situation? You can check out my review for the film HERE and make sure to check out my interview with Thea above.
Handling the Undead plot:
On a hot summer day in Oslo, the dead mysteriously awaken, and three families are thrown into chaos when their deceased loved ones come back to them. Who are they, and what do they want? A family is faced with the mother’s reawakening before they have even mourned her death after a car accident; an elderly woman gets the love of her life back the same day she has buried her; a grandfather rescues his grandchild from the gravesite in a desperate attempt to get his daughter out of her depression.
HANDLING THE UNDEAD RELEASES IN SELECT CITIES ON JUNE 7TH, 2024.
The post Interview: Thea Hvistendahl Discusses Her New Take On Zombies In Handling the Undead appeared first on JoBlo.
Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest begins later this week and people around the world are excited to see all the trailers and teasers. And a new report, corroborated by Kotaku, reveals the high price it costs publishers and devs to show their games at the event.
As Skydance wrapped up its merger deal with Paramount, the studio has also secured a global deal for a film package that includes Chris Pratt for the adaptation of Way of the Warrior Kid, which came out to $80-$85 million dollars. According to Deadline, that total made this the single biggest package deal out of the film market since Apple had attached onto Emancipation back in 2020. It was revealed just ahead of the Cannes market that Pratt was set to star in the project for director McG.
The film is written by screenwriter Will Staples, whose past credits include the Michael B. Jordan movie Without Remorse, and is adapted from the children’s novel by retired Navy SEAL, Jocko Willink. The book’s plot synopsis, per Deadline, reads, “The youth empowerment tale follows a self-doubting boy who gets bullied and is hard-pressed to complete a single pull-up. That’s until his uncle Jake, an elite Navy SEAL, is injured on a mission and moves in with his sister for rehab. When he discovers his 11-year-old nephew Marc is struggling academically, socially and physically, Jake takes on a new mission: using his SEAL Team training over three months of summer to help the youth find his inner warrior. Although the kid learns about swimming, math, exercise, health, and fighting, the book isn’t only about those things. It’s as much about what can be achieved with focus and discipline and how to overcome fears, stand up for oneself, solve problems and develop confidence.”
Skydance saw the project early on and wanted to pursue it immediately as they competed with other indie studio buyers as well as some bigger production studios. However, Skydance’s offer was too appealing to pass on and it was expected that the studio would reach a global deal.
Pratt expressed his excitement, “Will Staples’ screenplay is incredible. I’ve known Jocko Willink for a couple of years, so I was eager to read the script based on his series of children’s books. I believe in the power of storytelling and felt particularly called to the material. I have faith this film will help to shape today’s youth, putting them on the right path. Our young people need this movie. Making films like this is why I created Indivisible Productions. In a world that feels divided, I believe it’s crucial to remember that we are one nation, and I hope this story will help bridge the growing divide and inspire the next generation to learn valuable lessons about discipline, self-reliance, strength, and compassion.”
The post Chris Pratt set to star in Way of the Warrior Kid for McG in big Skydance global deal appeared first on JoBlo.
Lionsgate gave the horror film The Strangers: Chapter 1 (read our review HERE) a theatrical release just three weeks ago, on May 17th, and during the film’s theatrical run it has managed to pull in over $33 million at the global box office. Now we have learned that as of this Friday, June 7th, horror fans will be able to watch this movie in the comfort of their own homes as Lionsgate is giving The Strangers: Chapter 1 a digital release tomorrow! It’s already available for pre-order on Amazon.
The Strangers: Chapter 1 was directed by Renny Harlin, who shot an entire trilogy of Strangers movies at the same time. We’ve heard that Lionsgate will also be releasing The Strangers: Chapter 2 by the end of the year, with The Strangers: Chapter 3 following soon after.
Madelaine Petsch (Riverdale) has the lead role in Chapter 1 and is joined in the cast of these films by Froy Gutierrez (Cruel Summer), Rachel Shenton (All Creatures Great and Small), Gabriel Basso (Hillbilly Elegy), and Ema Horvath (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power). The Strangers: Chapter 1 centers on Petsch’s character as she drives cross-country with her longtime boyfriend (Gutierrez) to begin a new life in the Pacific Northwest. When their car breaks down in Venus, Oregon, they’re forced to spend the night in a secluded Airbnb, where they are terrorized from dusk till dawn by three masked strangers. Lionsgate plans from there to expanding the story in new and unexpected ways with its sequels.
The new Strangers trilogy was filmed in Slovakia. Courtney Solomon produced them with Mark Canton, Christopher Milburn, Gary Raskin, Charlie Dombeck, and Alastair Birlingham. Andrei Boncea, Dorothy Canton, and Roy Lee serve as executive producers. Rafaella Biscayn, Frame Film SK, Johanna Harlin, Juan Garcia Peredo, and Alberto Burgueno are co-producing. The first film has earned an R rating for “horror violence, language and brief drug use.”
Harlin has said The Strangers: Chapter 1 “is close to the original movie in its set-up of a young couple in an isolated environment in a house and a home invasion happening for random reasons.” Then Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 “explore what happens to the victims of this kind of violence and who the perpetrators are of this kind of violence. Where are they coming from and why?“
Will you be watching the digital release of The Strangers: Chapter 1 this weekend? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
The post The Strangers: Chapter 1 gets a digital release this Friday appeared first on JoBlo.
The 28th edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival is set to run from from July 18th through August 4th at the Concordia Hall and J.A. de Sève cinemas in Montreal, with additional screens and events at Cinémathèque québécoise and Cinéma du Musée. Last month, the festival announced the first wave of titles that will be screening this year, and now the second wave has been unveiled!
With this second wave announcement, we learn that Cube director Vincenzo Natali has been chosen to be the recipient of the Candadian Trailblazer Awards this year, while the line-up of films includes the Elijah Wood comedy Bookworm, the Kit Harington werewolf movie The Beast Within, a movie called Scared Shitless, the 1815-set blockbuster epic The Count of Monte-Cristo, and Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo’s The Soul Eater.
Here’s the information on the second wave of titles (and the Canadian Trailblazer Award), courtesy of the Fantasia press release:
OPENING FILM: ANT TIMPSON’S BOOKWORM, STARRING ELIJAH WOOD AND NELL FISHER
Fantasia’s 28th edition will open with a joyride into the wild, celebrating the World Premiere of Ant Timpson’s moving and hilarious BOOKWORM. Reuniting the celebrated New Zealand filmmaker with his COME TO DADDY star Elijah Wood (Showtime’s Yellowjackets) – who matches through-the-roof comic chemistry of gifted his young co-star Nell Fisher (EVIL DEAD RISE) – BOOKWORM is as entertaining as it is richly cinematic. Mildred (Fisher), a precocious eleven-year-old bookworm, escapes her humdrum existence by immersing herself in novels where literary adventures abound, with a long-dreamed quest to capture proof of a mythological beast known as The Canterbury Panther. When an unusual accident occurs, Mildred’s long absent father Strawn Wise (Wood), a washed-up illusionist, flies to New Zealand to look after a daughter he’s never met. When they agree to go camping despite neither being the outdoorsy type, this ultimate test in family bonding leads the duo on a string of increasingly absurd and treacherous adventures. World Premiere.
A CANADIAN TRAILBLAZER AWARD FOR VINCENZO NATALI
Fantasia will bestow their 2024 Canadian Trailblazer Award to visionary filmmaker Vincenzo Natali, whose landmark 1997 debut CUBE blew open the doors on what became a new wave of individual and provocative Canuck genre works (including John Fawcett’s GINGER SNAPS, Jen and Sylvia Soska’s AMERICAN MARY, and countless more) in addition to siring both a film franchise and a Japanese remake. Natali went on to make the equally idiosyncratic and quite underrated science fiction films CYPHER and NOTHING, the latter reuniting him with CUBE stars David Hewlett, Andrew Miller, and Maurice Dean Wint. He’s had his biggest hit to date with the Frankenstein-ian SPLICE; helmed the intriguing ghost story HAUNTER’ the nightmarish Netflix Original IN THE TALL GRASS, based on the novella by Stephen King and Joe Hill; and has since been busy on blockbuster series like NBC’s Hannibal, FX’s The Strain, HBO’s Westworld, Starz’s American Gods, and the Netflix’s 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, the film that started it all.
AN ANIME CULT CLASSIC RETURNS WITH MONONOKE THE MOVIE: THE PHANTOM IN THE RAIN
The 2007 TV series MONONOKE is one of the most singular and delightfully innovative works in the history of anime, and its devoted cult following, wistfully presuming that the paranormal escapades of the mysterious Medicine Seller were long since concluded, can rejoice. Director Kenji Nakamura (GATCHAMAN CROWDS) has revived the intricate palace intrigue and hallucinatory supernatural thrills of his signature work with a brand-new feature film, his most elaborate and opulent adventure yet, and it makes its grand debut at Fantasia. Visually exquisite to an almost overwhelming degree, it gleefully indulges in the iconography and aesthetics of Edo-era Japan, doing so with Pop Art panache, playful anachronism, and percussive pacing, and immediately asserts itself as an essential anime classic. Animation Plus Section. World Premiere.
KIT HARINGTON BARES TEETH IN ATMOSPHERIC WEREWOLF CHILLER THE BEAST WITHIN
Phantasmagoric, gothic, and straight out of Grimm’s Fairy Tales, Kit Harington (Jon Snow from HBO’s Game of Thrones) stars in this nightmarish fantasy that reflects on the uncanniness of childhood and the creatures that come out at night. The narrative feature debut of esteemed documentary filmmaker Alexander J. Farrel (REFUGEE), THE BEAST WITHIN – previously known as WHAT REMAINS OF US – follows a ten-year-old girl as she starts to question her atypical life in her family’s fortified compound in rural England, ultimately discovering that once a month, her father (Harington) turns into a monster. Co-starring Caoilinn Springall (STOPMOTION), Ashleigh Cummings (AMC’s NOS4A2), and James Cosmo (BRAVEHEART). World Premiere.
CANNES SENSATION THE COUNT OF MONTE-CRISTO COMES TO CONQUER NORTH AMERICA
Fresh off a spectacular Cannes World Premiere that ended in a near-12-minute standing ovation, Alexandre de La Patellière and Matthieu Delaporte’s 1815-set blockbuster epic THE COUNT OF MONTE-CRISTO will be coming to Fantasia for its International bow. Created by Alexandre Dumas in the mid-19th century, Edmond Dantès is one of the most celebrated characters in French literature, and the story of his retribution has left its mark on popular culture around the world—the similarities between Bruce Wayne and the wrongly imprisoned, revenge-minded Dantès are obvious. This new film adaptation subtly reappropriates that influence, hinting at the tropes and trappings of the modern superhero film while retaining the classicism of the work through grandiose art direction. Pierre Niney (YVES SAINT LAURENT) shines in the title role as he expresses the stages of Dantès’s evolution into Monte-Cristo with exemplary sobriety and spellbinding charisma. Also starring Bastien Bouillon (THE NIGHT OF THE 12TH), Anaïs Demoustier (INCREDIBLE BUT TRUE), Anamaria Vartolomei (HAPPENING), and Laurent Lafitte (ELLE). International Premiere.
A HORRIFIC VISION OF CHILDHOOD’S END – AT THE END OF THE WORLD: PÁRVULOS
Award-winning Mexican filmmaker Isaac Ezban (THE INCIDENT, PARALLEL) returns with his fifth – and most personal – feature, a disturbing tale that he’s spent the last seven years bringing into light. PÁRVULOS is a dystopian coming-of-age horror story that begins with three young brothers living alone in a remote cabin, hiding a terrifying secret in their basement. Where it goes from there will pull the breath from your lungs, as the children’s sealed world is forcefully expanded by monstrous elements beyond their control. A poignant nightmare inspired by GOODNIGHT MOMMY, LORD OF THE FLIES, A QUIET PLACE, and the universes of Guillermo del Toro (an outspoken admirer of Ezban’s work), PÁRVULOS features some of the most gruesome practical make-up effects the screen has seen in years and is electrified by astonishing performances from actors Felix Farid, Leonardo Cervantes, Mateo Ortega, Norma Flores, Horacio Lazo, Carla Adell, Juan Carlos Remolina, and the great Noé Hernández (WE ARE THE FLESH). From the producers of HUESERA: THE BONE WOMAN. World Premiere.
BATHROOM HUMOR AT ITS MOST IMAGINATIVE BEST: VIVIENO CALDINELLI’S SCARED SHITLESS!
Vivieno Caldinelli, known for SEVEN STAGES TO ACHIEVE ETERNAL BLISS, the Roddy Piper short PORTAL TO HELL, and THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES, tackles the journey of everyman to hero once again with his new feature SCARED SHITLESS! Steven Ogg (DARK MATCH, AMC’s The Walking Dead) and Daniel Doheny (Netflix’s Brand New Cherry Flavor) star as a father and son plumbing duo faced with a disgusting dilemma: rid a building of a toilet-dwelling creature before it unleashes itself to the rest of the world! Co-starring Chelsea Clark (Netflix’s Ginny and Georgia, THE PROTECTOR), Mark McKinney (CBC’s The Kids in the Hall, NBC’s Superstore), and a cameo by Julian Richings (BEAU IS AFRAID; RELAX, I’M FROM THE FUTURE), there’s loads of gore, a fantastic creature by Canadian FX legend Steve Kostanski, and enough laughs that you’ll need a change of pants! Septentrion Shadows Section. World Premiere.
THE RAMAYANA RE-IMAGINED IN MANTRA WARRIOR: THE LEGEND OF THE EIGHT MOONS
Following last summer’s Fantasia screening of the restored anime version of the Ramayana, it’s now Thailand’s turn to impress and amaze with an animated reimagining of this mighty, ancient mythological epic. Director Veerapatra Jinanavin and the team at Bangkok-based Riff Studio not only bring a Thai aesthetic to the titanic tale of Ram, Sita, Hanuman, and their foes, they’ve rebooted it as a cyberpunk space opera punctuated with powerhouse mecha battles. MANTRA WARRIOR: THE LEGEND OF THE EIGHT MOONS is the first installment of Riff Studio’s exciting new franchise, one sure to thrill fans of fantastic sci-fi while cementing Thailand as a producer of world-class animation with global appeal. Animation Plus Section. North American Premiere.
AN EERIE, UNFORGETTABLE HAZE BECKONS
A young journalist (Cole Doman, MUTT) returns home to investigate unsolved deaths at a psychiatric center. As he dances with the shadows of his past, his family history and the town’s secrets begin to converge. A somber, queer horror drama steeped in deeply-rooted trauma that haunts with eerie, richly-intentional visuals, HAZE is the unforgettable sophomore feature from filmmaker Matthew Fifer (CICADA). Co-starring David Pittu (FX’s Damages) and Brian J. Smith (Syfy’s Stargate Universe). International Premiere.
THE MAKERS OF INSIDE AND THE DEEP HOUSE CARVE NEW PATHS: THE SOUL EATER
Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo, the acclaimed filmmaking team behind INSIDE, LIVID, and THE DEEP HOUSE, have adopted the popular French novel by Alexis Laipsker to create a fresh turn in their distinctive filmography. A morbid procedural thriller with extreme horror flashpoints, THE SOUL EATER turned heads when it premiered at the Rotterdam International Film Festival earlier this year. As violent and gruesome deaths plague a small mountain village, an old legend about a malevolent creature resurfaces. Two cops with different methods are compelled to join forces and uncover a sinister plot involving the disappearance of local children. Starring Virginie Ledoyen (8 FEMMES), Paul Hamy (DESPITE THE NIGHT), and Sandrine Bonnaire (VAGABOND). North American Premiere.
A FIRST LOOK AT THIS YEAR’S UNDERGROUND SECTION WITH LOVE, DEMONS, AND THE END OF THE WORLD
EVIL DEAD MEETS KAMEN RIDER IN PORTUGAL WITH THE OLD MAN AND THE DEMON SWORD
In the remote Portuguese mountain village of Pé da Serra, a monk arrives wielding a demonic sword. Before long, the mystical weapon ends up in the hands of the town drunk António da Luz (playing himself). Now, the drunkard and the sword will have to learn to fight an encroaching evil together. Featuring amateur actors and the incredible voice work of João Loy, the voice of Vegeta from the iconic Portuguese dub of Dragon Ball Z, Fábio Powers’ THE OLD MAN AND THE DEMON SWORD is a heartfelt and unlikely retelling of the hero’s journey. Underground Section. World Premiere.
LOVE, LONGING, AND SITUATIONSHIPS IN ME AND MY VICTIM
Blurring the line between fiction and nonfiction, ME AND MY VICTIM is about co-directors and subjects, Maurane and Billy Pedlow, who are not quite friends and not quite lovers and the true, messy, and kind-of-fucked-up story about how they met. A messy, whirlwind, imperfect, orgasmic, meme-inflected, jump into the rabbit hole of their on-again, off-again situationship, their ultra-micro-budget (the film was made for less than $1000 US) confession playfully captures the humanity of love and lust in the 21st Century. Underground Section. World Premiere.
IT’S THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT IN ANIMALIA PARADOXA
An amphibious humanoid searches for water in a labyrinthine, post-apocalyptic landscape, from the mind of filmmaker Niles Atalah (REY), the co-founder of the boundary-pushing Chilean production company Diluvio with artists Joaquin Cociña and Cristóbal Leon (LA CASA LOBO). Genre and arthouse cinema meld to create a singular collage-like invention that will defy all expectations with ANIMALIA PARADOXA. A hybrid of styles and techniques, this surreal journey combines live action, dance, sculpture, and stop-motion animation in a dreamlike structure, reimagining the end of the world like you’ve never seen. Underground Section, co-presented with Animation Plus. North American Premiere.
ADDITIONAL SECOND WAVE TITLES:
100 YARDS (China) – Dirs. Xu Haofeng and Xu Junfeng
Family secrets, demimonde politics, and romantic entanglements complicate the rivalry between two skilled martial artists in the 1920s. The latest from masterful genre auteur Xu Haofeng (THE SWORD IDENTITY, THE FINAL MASTER), co-directed by his own brother, once again reconciles authenticity and inventiveness, and rewards its attentive audience a hundred times over. Quebec Premiere.
AZRAEL (USA) – Dir. E.L Katz
In a post-apocalyptic world, Azrael (Samara Weaving, READY OR NOT) must fight tooth and nail to rescue her partner from a cult of mute religious fanatics in the year’s most vicious tale of revenge. From the acclaimed director of CHEAP THRILLS and the screenwriter of YOU’RE NEXT and this year’s GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE, this relentless thriller also stars Nathan Stewart-Jarrett (FEMME), Sebastian Bull (SONS), and Victoria Carmen Sonne (HOLIDAY). Winner of Best Feature, Best Actress, and Best FX Audience Awards at Panic Fest 2024. Canadian Premiere.
BRAVE CITIZEN (South Korea) – Dir. Park Jin-pyo
A former boxer, now a part-time teacher, dons a mask and deals with high school bullying the hard way. Based on the popular webtoon, BRAVE CITIZEN is a stylishly entertaining Korean action flick from the director of VOICE OF A MURDERER and YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE, with great characters and intense fight scenes. Canadian Premiere.
BRUSH OF THE GOD (Japan) – Dir. Keizo Murase
Two teens must save the world from a many-headed, mythological dragon in this generously self-referential giant-monster movie from 88-year-old master tokusatsu artisan Keizo Murase, who makes his directorial debut following a lifetime crafting monster suits for all of Japan’s best-known kaiju films. Canadian Premiere.
CARNAGE FOR CHRISTMAS (Australia) – Dir Alice Maio Mackay
Alice Maio Mackay (T-BLOCKERS) returns to Fantasia with an early Christmas present (with some help from THE PEOPLE’S JOKER’s Vera Drew, on editing duty). Bloody, ironic, and uproarious, CARNAGE FOR CHRISTMAS tells the story of true-crime podcaster Lola who returns to her hometown at Christmas for the very first time since running away and transitioning – meanwhile, the vengeful ghost of a historical murderer and urban legend seemingly arises to kill again! Official Selection: Salem Horror Fest, Inside Out Toronto. Underground Section. Quebec Premiere.
DARKEST MIRIAM (Canada) – Dir: Naomi Jaye
Following her debut feature THE PIN, Naomi Jaye now adapts the Giller Prize short-listed novel ‘The Incident Report’ by author Martha Baillie as DARKEST MIRIAM. In it, Miriam (Britt Lower of AppleTV’s Severance) is a library worker dealing with her father’s death, threatening letters at work, and an unexpected lover, all of which threaten to change her solitary life forever. Starring Tom Mercier (THE ANIMAL KINGDOM), Sook-Yin Lee (SHORTBUS), and Jean Yoon (CBC’s Kim’s Convenience), and executive produced by Academy Award-winner Charlie Kaufman (ADAPTATION). Septentrion Shadows Section. Canadian Premiere.
DON’T CALL IT MYSTERY (Japan) – Dir. Hiroaki Matsuyama
In this compelling whodunit adapted from a popular, award-winning manga and subsequent hit TV series, college student Totonou (Masaki Suda of THE BOY AND THE HERON), known for his sharp observation skills, becomes entangled in a complicated family feud involving mysterious deaths. Canadian Premiere.
FAQ (South Korea) – Dir. Kim Da-min
A stressed-out elementary-school student secretly befriends a bottle of rice wine that can communicate through Morse Code. Director Kim Da-min’s debut feature is a heartwarming sci-fi/coming-of-age story guaranteed to make you smile. Canadian Premiere.
KRYPTIC (Canada, U.K.) – Dir. Kourtney Roy
A part of XYZ Films’ New Visions with a World Premiere at SXSW 2024 and Canadian Premiere at CUFF, Kourtney Roy’s debut feature KRYPTIC follows Kay (Chloe Pirrie of THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT and HANNA), a woman on a mysterious quest. A strange forest encounter leads her to search for a missing cryptozoologist – who bears a striking resemblance to Kay – and the monster she was hunting. KRYPTIC is a doppelganger story of self-discovery and empowerment, and a must-see for audiences wanting a colourful spectacle that defies genre with strange, gooey interludes and atmospheric landscapes. Septentrion Shadows Section. Quebec Premiere.
THE MISSING (Philippines) – Dir. Carl Joseph Papa
The death of Eric’s uncle triggers a suppressed childhood memory – and the return of his alien abductor – in director Carl Joseph Papa’s third animated feature: a queer, surreal hybrid of romance, drama, and sci-fi embracing digital rotoscope animation and featuring internationally renowned Filipino actress Dolly De Leon (TRIANGLE OF SADNESS). Animation Plus Section. Canadian Premiere.
NOT FRIENDS (Thailand) – Dir. Atta Hemwadee
Hoping to win a short-film competition, Pae decides to direct a tear-jerking tribute to former classmate Joe, who tragically passed away, even though they weren’t actually friends. Atta Hemwadee’s feature debut was Thailand’s entry in the Best International Feature category for this year’s Academy Awards. Canadian Premiere.
ODDITY (Ireland) – Dir. Damian McCarthy
A blind medium (Carolyn Bracken, YOU ARE NOT MY MOTHER) uncovers the truth behind her sister’s death with the help of a frightening wooden mannequin. One of the scariest and most imaginative films you’ll see anywhere this year. Winner of the Midnighter Audience Award at SXSW 2024. Quebec Premiere.
WAKE UP (Canada / France) – Dirs. François Simard, Anouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissell
This tense, gore-soaked new shocker from homegrown Fantasia favorites RKSS (TURBO KID, SUMMER OF ’84, WE ARE ZOMBIES) pits a gang of Gen Z activists against a hulking security guard murderously protecting the big-box store they’ve invaded after hours. Official Selection: Fantastic Fest 2023, Sitges 2023. Canadian Premiere.
YIN YANG MASTER ZERO (Japan) – Dir. Shimako Sato
A wily apprentice sorcerer and his dim but good-hearted best friend (Kento Yamazaki of KINGDOM and Shota Sometani of PARASYTE) confront dark forces in Heian-era Japan. Handled with panache by writer-director Shimako Sato (EKO EKO AZARAK, K-20: LEGEND OF THE MASK), the popular historical-fantasy franchise returns to the big screen. Canadian Premiere.
The 28th edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival is presented by Videotron and is made possible with the financial contributions of Telefilm Canada, la Société́ de développement des entreprises culturelles (SODEC), le gouvernement du Québec, the city of Montréal, le Conseil des arts de Montréal, Tourisme Montréal, and the Directors Guild of Canada (DGC). The festival’s full lineup will be announced on July 3rd, and ticket sales will commence shortly afterwards.
Will you be attending the Fantasia International Film Festival this year? What do you think of the second wave of titles? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
The post Fantasia’s second wave of 2024 titles includes Elijah Wood comedy, Kit Harington werewolf film appeared first on JoBlo.
Dragon Age: Dreadwolf is no longer the name of the fourth game in BioWare’s fantasy RPG series. Now, it’s something that sounds way less cool and doesn’t roll off the tongue. The developer has announced that it’s going to be called Dragon Age: The Veilguard.