The Fantasia International Film Festival always ranks as a personal highlight in my annual cinematic adventures. Having had the privilege of covering it over several years, I can easily say that many of my favourite film discoveries over the past decade have emerged from Fantasia - examples being I WeirDo, The Dark and the Wicked, Dinner in America, A Mermaid in Paris, Sometimes I Think About Dying and Red Rooms to name but a few. 

 

What truly distinguishes this festival is its unique fusion of genre films, spanning horror, drama, comedy, sci-fi, romance, and sometimes a bit of everything spliced together, as well as the genuine passion of its organisers. As the organisers themselves describe it, Fantasia “juxtaposes pop culture with alternative culture,” and this resonates deeply with me and film fans across the world, as well as capturing the heart of the city of Montreal, the festival’s HQ, for a short time each year.

 

Now in its 29th edition, I am delighted to once again be covering this exceptional - and often bonkers - festival. As per Fantasia's mission statement, since its beginnings, the festival has explored the diverse realms of genre cinema, creating bridges between the cutting-edge and the mainstream, and providing a festive but professional environment where emerging artists are given exposure alongside their more established counterparts, both locally and internationally. They showcase the best in Canadian and world cinema, whilst discovering and nurturing exciting new talents and offering a platform through which artists and audiences can connect. 



 

Aside from the vast selection of features, shorts, and documentaries this year, the festival celebrates Danny Elfman as he will receive the 2025 Cheval Noir Career Achievement Award on July 23rd. Alongside Elfman, the following recipients will also be celebrated:

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• Genndy Tartakovsky (Career Achievement Award): The visionary creator behind Powerpuff Girls, Primal, and Samurai Jack will be honoured on August 3rd, coinciding with his latest work, Fixed.

• Sheila McCarthy (Canadian Trailblazer Award): The esteemed Canadian actress, celebrated for her performances in I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing, Like a House on Fire and Women Talking, as well as series such as Umbrella Academy, will receive this recognition at the festival.

• George Mihalka (Canadian Trailblazer Award): The director of the 1981 classic My Bloody Valentine, along with numerous other films and TV series, will be presented with this award prior to the July 25th screening of his 1988 film, Hostile Takeover.

• Lloyd Kaufman (Indie Maverick Award): The co-founder of Troma Entertainment will be recognized before the July 31st screening of Occupy Cannes.

• Anne-Marie Gélinas (Denis-Héroux Award): One of Quebec's most prominent independent film producers, known for films such as 2021’s Beans, 2015’s Turbo Kid, and 2015’s Chiene De Vie, Gélinas will receive this award ahead of her Artist talk on July 20th.

 

Additionally, this year’s festival boasts intriguing Special Events, including:

 

• Bullet Time Breakdown with Danny Elfman, in which the legendary composer talks about making Eddie Alcazar’s new animated short Bullet Time happen and creating the music that makes animation and genre film come alive.

 

• Fear, Feminism, and the American Witch Film, which marks the release of author and film critic Payton McCarty-Simas’ second book, That Very Witch: Fear, Feminism, and the American Witch Film. During the talk, Payton will delve into the evolution of the witch as a figure in horror cinema. Touching on everything from Second Wave feminism to the Satanic Panic, from the #MeToo Movement to QAnon and beyond, they will examine the political interplay between feminist activism and American genre film culture, unpacking films big and small along the way.

 

• The Mayor of Tromaville Speaks: An Artist Talk with Lloyd Kaufman finds Kaufman, co-founder of Troma Entertainment, discussing the mountains of resourceful filmmaking adventures that have lit up his extraordinary 51-year (and counting!) career, from the makings of landmark exploitation film oddities and the eternal struggles to get wildly excessive, against-the-grain movies financed, shot, and sold in an overwhelmingly corporatized landscape, to his early discoveries of a slew of talents, from James Gunn to Trey Parker and Matt Stone.

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The full lineup of special events can be found at https://fantasiafestival.com/en/festival-2025/special-events

 

 

With the festival set to begin on July 16th, I wanted to highlight some of the films playing over the two-week event that have piqued my attention, the ones that have secured my curiosity. Of course, not having seen them yet, my opinion might change by the time Fantasia 2025 concludes on August 3rd…

 

For now, though, here's a list of the films I'm most anticipating:

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The Book of Sijjin and Illiyyin (Indonesia)

Directed by Hadrah Daeng Ratu (The Corpse Washer, Sijjin, 172 Days)

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Driven by the trauma of her mother's actions and the death of her father, Yuli (Yunita Siregar) has been an outcast for two decades. As a servant to the wealthy Laras clan, she is forced to endure their incessant abuse. After one humiliation too many, Yuli seeks a black magic hermit in the forest, her heart set on a curse that will bring about the Laras family's horrific demise. In a disturbing ritual, she unleashes a powerful, demonic djinn, sacrificing the recently deceased Laras ancestress before the body can decompose.

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I Live Here Now (USA)

Directed by Julie Pacino (Feature debut)

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Julie Pacino’s debut feature - described as a vibrant, nightmarish psychodrama that evokes the styles of Lynch, Argento, and the Coen brothers - stars Lucy Fry as Rose, a traumatised woman ensnared in a reality-bending motel, blurring the lines between past, present, dream, and waking life. Shot on 35mm, the film will delve into the anxieties of perfectionism, generational trauma, and capitalism's pervasive influence, mirroring modern psychic instability, whilst navigating unsettling emotional landscapes where past spectres intrude and self-realisation becomes existential horror.

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New Group (Japan)

Directed by Yuta Shimotsu (Best Wishes to All)

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A pair of quite different investigators arrive in Roquenoir, a town in the French mountains, and wind up approaching the same case from two different directions. Commander Elisabeth Guardiano (Virginie Ledoyen, 8 Femmes) has been sent to look into a married couple’s grisly murder, and Captain of the Gendarmerie Franck De Rolan (Paul Hamy, Despite the Night), from the “department of alarming disappearances,” intends to track down a group of missing children. Their missions turn out to be linked, and one of the elements tying them together is “The Soul Eater,” a local bogeyman legend intended to encourage kids not to wander off into the woods. This creature may not be a myth after all, and as strange details about that double killing come to light and more bizarre deaths occur, Guardiano and De Rolan are drawn toward discovering a shocking truth.

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The Virgin of the Quarry Lake (Spain/Argentina/Mexico)

Directed by Laura Casabe (The Returned, Benavidez's Case)

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This supernatural, feminine coming-of-age film is based on short stories by Argentinian horror author Mariana Enriquez and directed by Laura Casabe. Amidst the escalating violence and economic turmoil gripping Argentina in the summer of 2001, recent high school graduates Natalia, Mariela, and Josefina find themselves united by a shared affection for their childhood friend, Diego. Their bond is tested when an older friend also expresses interest in Diego. Natalia, drawing upon a family legacy of witchcraft, resorts to dark incantations to win Diego's heart, betraying her friends, family, and ultimately, herself.

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Rewrite (Japan)

Directed by Daigo Matsui (Japanese Girls Never Die, Afro Tanaka, Remain in Twilight, Just Remembering)

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Transfer student Yasuhiko (Kei Adachi) is from the future, a secret he shares with Miyuki (Elaiza Ikeda), a classmate who barely notices him at first. Their bond grows as Yasuhiko reveals his trip is inspired by a book from Miyuki's era - a book she later learns from her future self, which she authored. When he leaves, Miyuki promises to write the novel. Ten years later, as the book is about to be published, Miyuki waits to reunite with her past self, but nothing happens. Did something go wrong?

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Queens of the Dead (USA)

Directed by Tina Romero (Feature debut)

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As a zombie apocalypse erupts in Bushwick, Brooklyn, Dre (Katy O’Brian) finds herself battling more than just the undead during her warehouse drag show. Her wife, Lizzy (Riki Lindhome), a dedicated nurse, fights through hordes to reunite with her. Trapped with her crew, Dre must navigate interpersonal conflicts crucial for their survival. Tina Romero co-writes/directs Queens of the Dead, a fresh, empathetic, and humorous zombie film featuring phone-obsessed zombies and vibrant heroes. The film pays homage to the legacy of her father, George A. Romero, while making a powerful statement on representation and empowerment.

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Kazakh Scary Tales (Kazakhstan)

Directed by Adilkhan Yerzhanov (Steppenwolf, The Owners, The Gentle Indifference of the World)

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Cynical cop Birzhan (Kuantai Abdimadi) investigates inexplicable events at a remote maternity hospital in Karatas. His search delves into Kazakh folklore and local witchcraft. Unhelpful local police leave him in the centre of an otherworldly storm. Birzhan forms an unlikely alliance with Sara (Anna Starchenko), a rogue fortune-teller with occult awareness and an open police file. Their investigation deepens, revealing that the curse of Albasty, a spirit said to hunt infants, is not merely a legend.

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It Ends (USA)

Directed by Alexander Ullom (Quite Like You, Chipped)

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Four college friends—Tyler (Mitchell Cole), James (Phinehas Yoon), Fisher (Noah Toth), and Day (Akira Jackson)—embark on a final night out before diverging paths. Their journey takes an unexpected turn onto an infinite road, a literal highway to nowhere. Trapped in a car that defies mechanics, they confront their perplexing predicament, asking if and when their journey will conclude. Described as the ultimate Gen Z horror film, this 2025 breakout explores the universal post-college anxieties of adulthood with a simple yet compelling concept.

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​​​​Hi-Five (South Korea)

Directed by Kang Hyung-chui (Tazza: The Hidden Card, Scandal Makers, Sunny)

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An organ donor's body disintegrates into ashes, transferring organs, superpowers, and tattoos to five recipients: superhuman strength/speed, wind manipulation, healing, and electricity control. A fifth struggles to understand their power. A cult leader with life-absorbing abilities hunts them to steal their powers for world domination. The five must unite to stop him. Described as action-packed, ridiculously hilarious and the ultimate summer blockbuster!​

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Fucktoys (USA)

Directed by Annapurna Sriram (Feature debut)

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Annapurna Sriram writes, directs, and stars in a maximalist and radically queer reimagining of the Fool's Journey. Shot in sumptuous 16mm, the film follows AP, a sex worker from “Trashtown,” who, after being cursed, must raise $1000 to lift it. Her absurd, grotesque, and glittering quest through a distorted Louisiana dreamscape is filled with various characters, sexual misadventures, and unexpected tenderness.

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Dollhouse (Japan)

Directed by Shinobu Yaguchi (Steppenwolf, The Owners, The Gentle Indifference of the World)

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Yoshie and Tadahiko cherish their five-year-old daughter, Mei. During a game of hide-and-seek, Yoshie briefly leaves the children unsupervised. Upon her return, Mei is gone, and her lifeless body is later found. A year later, consumed by grief, Yoshie acquires an old, life-sized doll, treating it as Mei's reincarnation. Life then blesses her with a second daughter, also named Mei. Five years pass, and the doll is forgotten until Mei finds it again. Strange, frightening occurrences begin, as if the doll moves on its own, threatening Mei. Madness and terror intertwine in a twisted, macabre dance.

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The Woman (South Korea)

Directed by Hwang Wook (Mash Ville, Live Hard, Dog Eat Dog)

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Sun-kyung meets Young-hwan to trade a vacuum cleaner, but his unsettling nature alarms her. She offers strawberries as a thank-you, which he initially rejects, then reclaims. Her classmate Ui-jin intervenes, also noticing Young-hwan's strange behaviour. The next day, a detective informs her of Ui-jin's suicide, leading Sun-kyung to suspect Young-hwan's involvement and vow to prove his guilt.