By MICHAEL GINGOLD
North America’s greatest genre festival is poised to unleash terror and thrills from across the globe this month.
The 2026 Fantasia International Film Festival, running July 16-August 2 in Montreal, Canada, has unveiled its last, lengthy lineup of feature films, joining those previously announced here and here. The fest’s screenings (over 125 features and 200-plus shorts), workshops and other events will take place at the Concordia Hall and J.A. de Sève cinemas as well as the nearby Cinéma du Musée.
The festivities include the presentation of the Cheval Noir Career Achievement Award to Danish provocateur Nicolas Winding Refn, accompanying the Canadian premiere of HER PRIVATE HELL, and Japanese trendsetter Takashi Shimizu, with the world premiere of VILLAGE OF EIGHT GRAVESTONES and the North American premiere of THE MOUTHS. Details on the newly added feature films:
Nicolas Winding Refn’s audacious return to feature filmmaking is a gorgeous, mysterious act of cinema, sensorial and transgressive, that demands to be experienced on its own terms. It emerges through spectral mist like dream transcriptions from the beyond, pulsating with psychic threads to Bava, Suzuki, Argento, and Vadim by way of Hans Christian Andersen, steeped in saturated primary colors and dripping with potent surrealism and mordant wit. Set in a fog-basked futuristic city that curves, arches, juts, and glows like pathways into the subconscious, HER PRIVATE HELL stars Sophie Thatcher (Showtime’s YELLOWJACKETS, COMPANION), Charles Melton (MAY DECEMBER, The CW’s RIVERDALE), Havana Rose Liu (LURKER, BOTTOMS), Kristine Froseth (SHARP STICK, Apple TV’s THE BUCCANEERS), and Dougray Scott (MY OXFORD YEAR, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 2). A hallucinatory fairy tale death trip inspired in part by its gifted maker’s own harrowing experience with death and resurrection, HER PRIVATE HELL is a deeply personal and obsessive film that explores memory and mortality, often through breathtakingly stylized neo-noir and giallo film coding. Canadian Premiere.
Following the 2018 sleeper-hit sci-fi indie FREAKS and 2025’s critically acclaimed, record-shattering FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES, celebrated Canadian filmmakers Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein return to their mutant roots with the hotly anticipated FREAKS PART II (pictured above). Several years after a traumatic escape, we meet Mary (Amanda Crew, of HBO’s SILICON VALLEY and FREAKS) and her daughter Chloe (Lorelei Olivia Mote, of NBC’s DAYS OF OUR LIVES and RIDDLE OF FIRE) as they live on the road, hiding their powers and identities. They are hunted by the Abnormal Defense Force, paramilitary police that specialize in ruthlessly exterminating “freaks” like them. Mary is fueled by revenge, determined to find the ADF officer (Lili Taylor, of THE CONJURING and OUTER RANGE) who killed her first child. There’s great chemistry between Crew and Mote as mother and daughter. There’s also inventive gore—the most we’ve seen in a Canadian film in years—that punctuates the outstanding performances and serious subject matter. Packing dazzling action and thrills, FREAKS PART II is a fierce anti-superhero thriller that skillfully conveys themes of police states, family, and finding your tribe. Cheval Noir Competition. World Premiere.
Following the death of his mother—whom he hadn’t seen in years—young Tatsuya decides to visit the rural village where she lived in VILLAGE OF EIGHT GRAVESTONES. Along the way, he encounters private detective Kosuke Kindaichi, who had been searching for him at the behest of the Tajimi clan—a family burdened by a dark past. Tatsuya’s grandfather had once committed a gruesome massacre that left a deep scar on the villagers; consequently, they are now, to say the least, hostile toward Tatsuya and his family. When death strikes the locals once more, Detective Kindaichi must quickly find answers before the situation boils over. Takashi Shimizu, legendary creator of the JU-ON saga, delivers an entertaining, bloody horror thriller populated by eccentric characters and bizarre rituals. He brings to life the legendary Detective Kindaichi—a character created by author Seishi Yokomizo and featured in no fewer than 77 novels—while dropping visual and auditory clues for the audience to piece together the mystery behind the unfolding killing spree. VILLAGE OF EIGHT GRAVESTONES is fascinating folk-horror packed with tons of startling surprises. World Premiere.
In THE MOUTHS, rumor circulates about a cursed tree standing in the center of a supposedly haunted cemetery and a group of university students decides to tempt fate by visiting this legendary spot in the dead of night. Their courage quickly wavers in the face of the location’s eerie atmosphere and the deafening sound of cicadas. Things rapidly spiral out of control for the quartet as a waking nightmare, filled with ghostly figures and sudden disappearances, unfolds. Their recklessness comes at a price far steeper than they ever imagined. “What happened that night?” That’s the mystery the viewer must unravel in this terrifying new film by Takashi Shimizu (the SANA trilogy), brilliantly adapted from the novella A QUESTIONNAIRE ABOUT THE MOUTH by renowned author Sesuji. Shimizu further cements his place in the pantheon of J-horror with a well-paced feature that relies more on genuinely unsettling supernatural apparitions than excessive jump scares. Fans of atmospheric horror will relish the excellent THE MOUTHS and its mind-bending, nerve-jangling finale. North American Premiere.
Blasting full-throttle out of Belgium, Bob Colaers’ ATTACK ON PARADISE is one of the most pulverizing action films in ages. Newly released after seven years in prison, Suleyman (Saïd Boumazoughe, REBEL) only wishes to return to Antwerp’s Paradise apartment complex and spend time with his ailing mother. But Paradise no longer lives up to its name and has become overrun with gangsters and addicts. Drug lord Prince Hamza (Achmed Akkabi, MOCRO MAFFIA) has taken over, placed himself at the top floor, and made Paradise his personal fortress. Just as Suleyman arrives, the cops raid the building, with no qualms of its below-the-poverty-line tenants becoming horrific collateral damage. People are dying everywhere and Suleyman only wants to keep his mother safe—but to do that, he’s going to have to fight… Everyone… With anything he can get his hands on. Thrill seekers looking for mind-blowing fights and inventively staged, over-the-top action will have adrenalized fistfuls to enjoy, but what really makes ATTACK ON PARADISE stand out is star (and co-writer) Boumazoughe, who brings not just killer fighting skills and tremendous screen presence, but also makes Suleyman grounded and relatable, a genuine reluctant hero for today. World Premiere.
GROTESQQQUE is a completely original animation film from the brilliant mind of Atsushi Nishigori, known for his work as the director for THE IDOLM@STER and DARLING IN THE FRANXX, and Chief Animation Director behind EVANGELION: 3.0+1.0 THRICE UPON A TIME, the smash hit that sparked a social phenomenon. This electrifying film embodies Nishigori’s ambition to create something he’s passionate about, with as much passion as he wants. Comprised of three episodes—“A(E)LIENS”, “YOROSHIKU★Girl”, and “NOCTURNE: NUIT GROTESQUE”—these distorted, uneven, yet infinitely beautiful stories melt together like a chimera, galvanized into motion by the enthralling original score accompanying the film. This poppy, edgy fusion of imagery and sound creates a unique world pulsing at the seams. Filled with aliens, gyarus (gals), and vampires… Atsushi Nishigori’s story of “GROTESQQQUE” girls is about to unfold! Animation Plus Section. World Premiere.
After World Premiering his debut feature LOWLIFE at Fantasia 2012, Seth A Smith returns to our screen with another look at humanity through a surrealist lens. Along with his debut feature, which takes on addiction, Smith tackles topics affecting society—TIN CAN (Fantasia 2020) and THE CRESCENT approach the pandemic, grief, and parenting in haunting ways. This time, the filmmaker puts his stamp on the housing crisis with PERMANENT DAMAGE. Full of madcap charm, this story of escaped convict Tommy Gods battling a cruel landlord, becomes a surreal caper. Starring a surprisingly tender Calem MacDonald (KIDS VS. ALIENS, Netflix’s THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY), Olivia Scriven (DEGRASSI, MRS. AMERICA), and a gnarly Stephen Dorff (BLADE, HBO’s TRUE DETECTIVE), with a cameo by Stephen McHattie (300, WATCHMEN), you’re about to witness one of the quirkiest ensemble casts since REPO MAN! Septentrion Shadows Section. World Premiere.
Miki, a 27-year-old working in an architectural firm, wakes up in her small apartment, pulled out of her sleepy memory. Her world is quiet and strange, but will soon be interrupted by a transformative experience spurred by a half-remembered wolf bite. As Miki searches for answers, she soon finds herself drawn into the woods, and to the center of a ritual at a shrine cared for by elderly maidens. Director Eriko Katagiri was the recipient of the Japan Horror Award, a prize previously won by the director of NEW GROUP and BEST WISHES TO ALL, and her film WHEN YOU OPEN THE DOOR tackles feminine isolation and alienation in a unique and powerful way. Viewers who allow themselves to be carried into Miki’s mind will find themselves pulled into one of the most unique werewolf stories ever put to the big screen. Cinematographer Akiko Ashizawa (TOKYO SONATA, CREEPY), Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s frequent collaborator, lends the film a unique visual identity, creating images built in ephemera, silhouettes, shadows and nature. WHEN YOU OPEN THE DOOR isn’t just a great film, it’s the announcement of a bright new talent. Underground Section. World Premiere.
Jean-Jacques, Félicien, and Madeleine steal a car in a desperate attempt to escape their reality, only to find their pursuit of freedom unravel into an absurd, tender, and tragic journey. A much-welcomed UFO over the Quebec cinema landscape, REGARDS PARALLÈLES is the sophomore feature of Montreal filmmaker Vincent Bonin-Arena, following his Berlinale-selected debut NOUVELLE PERSONNE. A film that delights in constantly taking the viewer by surprise and unravelling conventions of the genre, it further signals the arrival of a major talent to follow. Think of ’60s Jean-Luc Godard mixed with André Forcier with poetic dialogue, inspired photography, and absurdist humor. The portrait of a generation without a sense of direction, but with hearts still full of love, hope and dreams. Starring Inès Defossé (APRÈS LE DELUGE), Maxime Genois (HUNTING DAZE), and Mattis Savard-Verhoeven (DEATH DOES NOT EXIST). Les Fantastiques Week-Ends Du Cinéma Québécois Section. World Premiere.
Arioka Castle proves resilient against siege from outside, but within its walls, a succession of baffling events threatens the resolve of its defenders. Four impossible occurrences, one for each season. Signs of divine intervention—or perhaps a very human conspiracy? To unravel these puzzles, Lord Murashige (Masahiro Motoki, DEPARTURES) must enter into a contest of wits with a man he’s chained in his own dungeon, the brilliant strategist Kanbei Kuroda (Masaki Suda, DON’T CALL IT MYSTERY). With CURE and PULSE, definitive early titles in the ’90s J-horror wave, Japanese director Kiyoshi Kurosawa proved himself a preeminent fright-meister with a knack for psychological chills, but he’s since applied his distinctive flavor to drama, science fiction, action, romance, and espionage. With his latest film THE SAMURAI AND THE PRISONER, adapted from Honobu Yonezawa’s prizewinning 2021 novel, Kurosawa explores the genre of jidai-geki, or the Japanese period film, and cradles within it a clever and outlandish mystery. The historical setting suits the filmmaker’s penchant for patience and precision, and its confounding intrigue keeps with his love of complex mind games. North American Premiere.
In 2023, Fantasia fell in love with HIPPO, Mark H. Rapaport’s electrically weird coming-of-age debut feature. With his sophomore effort, GODHEAD, Rapaport plunges us back into his wickedly strange imagination, re-teaming with his HIPPO star Kimball Farley. This equally baffling and engrossing film examines the intertwining blood structures where fanaticism and obligation meet. The film follows eccentric twins (Farley and Sarah Coffey) who proclaim themselves prophets, blurring reality and delusion as they draw a priest into their supposedly divine mission. A darkly comic work that examines the limits of dogmatic belief, the film’s formal identity reflects themes of unreal truth and fanaticism in an increasingly fragmented world. Claustrophobic and uncertain, GODHEAD pulls us into the headspace of religious indoctrination. It’s an offbeat film for our offbeat audience, and a movie for the freaks trying to find their place in this unforgiving world. World Premiere.
Ashlea Wessel has directed festival-favorite shorts like 2018’s TICK and 2020’s WEIRDO, and rounded them out with segments in the 2024 horror anthology CREEPY BITS. Now, audiences can see the World Premiere of her feature debut, JUNCTION ROW. Canadian horror icon Katharine Isabelle (GINGER SNAPS, AMERICAN MARY, BACKROOMS) is Juno, a recovering addict who leaves a fringe housing compound for a better life, leaving her beloved Ruby (Natalie Brown, of FX’s THE STRAIN and THE BREACH) behind. When she learns that Ruby has gone missing, Juno returns, only to find Junction Row has become a hotbed of criminal activity, but she encounters much more than menacing drug dealers on her mission to find Ruby. Isabelle continues to be a crowd-pleaser as an action star, and supporting roles by Glen Gould (Paramount+’s TULSA KING, AT THE PLACE OF GHOSTS) and Kyle Mac (Netflix’s BETWEEN, Apple TV’s GOVERNMENT CHEESE) don’t disappoint. With distinct Lovecraftian dread, this creature feature, penned by Adam Cesare (CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD), Matt Serafini, and Wessel, conjures a story where the fear of the unknown isn’t confined to what lies above, but what waits beneath.Septentrion Shadows Section. World Premiere.
Aside from a small handful of art-house dramas screening at Locarno and such, the national cinema of politically isolated, conflict-plagued Myanmar remains all but invisible outside its borders. Few are aware of its lively, low-budget genre-film scene, circulating mostly on-line or on VCDs, but writer/director Arkar Soe Oo aims to change that with his innovative feature THE LAST FOOTAGE. Myanmar’s first found-footage horror film, shot entirely in first-person POV, is possibly the first Burmese chiller to hit the global genre-festival circuit. The events of THE LAST FOOTAGE unfold in almost-real time, as the sun sets on the haunted Wingabar Forest and eerie howls pierce its night. That, the first-person perspective, and the absence of conventional horror gimmicks (rapid edits and bass-heavy scores, not to mention gratuitous gore and cruelty) make THE LAST FOOTAGE feel more like an immersive work of in-situ theater. Or perhaps more accurately, like a gleeful romp with friends through a haunted-house attraction at a regional fair, with various creepy creatures leaping suddenly out of the darkness. World Premiere.
Paris’ ultimate gay icon, Jim Parfait, reigns supreme over a world of adoring fans, fierce rivals, and impossibly sculpted bodies—until a mysterious STI begins transforming gay men into heterosexuals! As muscles disappear and social hierarchies collapse, Jim embarks on a wild, campy quest to find a cure before his life falls apart completely. The first feature from Bobbypills, Europe’s pioneering adult-animation studio, JIM QUEEN delivers a colorful, outrageous, and unapologetically Queer adventure from directors Nicolas Athané and Marco Nguyen. Beneath its gleeful barrage of kink, karaoke, and absurdist comedy lies a sharp satire of exclusion, identity, and liberation within contemporary Queer culture. Vibrant animation, infectious energy, and a killer soundtrack make this a future cult favorite. Animation Plus Section. North American Premiere.
25 years ago, a child named Tang Chi-Ho went missing at Tung Tau Hill. There was a glimpse of a mysterious beam from the sky, and then suddenly he vanished. There were a few theories, including the one in which he’s been abducted by aliens. Police officers tried their best to find him, but no luck. Years later, an influencer couple returns to the same location where this unfortunate event took place to film a prank video… What could go wrong? Jack Lee Chun-Kit and Kwok Ka-Hei’s UNIDENTIFIED MURDER is an absurdly entertaining black comedy that masterfully combines humor and mystery in a way that feels totally unique and fresh. Nominated for Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Director at this year’s Hong Kong Film Awards, it is one of the biggest and most surprising discoveries this year—if you aren’t already a fan of zany and wonderful Hong Kong cinema, you will be! Cheval Noir Competition. North American Premiere.
Bathed in the glow of Dario Argento’s PHENOMENA and Lucky McKee’s MAY, Angus Silver’s INSECSTASY is for all the lonely perverts who’ve always wanted to be annihilated by the weight of their desire. A homage to 1970s erotic thrillers with a touch of creepy-crawly, INSECSTASY carries an offbeat, dark sense of humor and a violet-cast color scheme. Piercing the sterility of contemporary life with the disruptive transgression of eroticism, Silver’s film features dreamy fantasy sequences that interrupt and disrupt, drawing us expertly into its characters’ sensual and unusual interiority. Underground Section. World Premiere.
Tomorrow, the Obinata family’s fireworks factory will be shuttered and demolished to make way for modern progress. Today, the two Obinata brothers and their childhood friend Kaoru are reunited after several years apart. Sentaro has asked her to help him get stubborn Keitaro to leave the premises as ordered, but Keitaro has other, very spectacular plans. An art-department veteran of films from Makoto Shinkai and Sunao Katabuchi, director Yoshitoshi Shinomiya is a traditional painter by training. In striking contrast to the slick digital tools employed ever more frequently in Japanese anime, Shinomiya’s use of raw, hands-on techniques and remarkable lo-fi animation hacks informs and enriches his feature-film debut, A NEW DAWN, as does input from the French wing of his team in this intercontinental co-production. Together they’ve made a film of exquisite, even transcendent beauty, and turned this touching tale of ordinary lives into something truly extraordinary. A NEW DAWN premiered in official competition at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival earlier this year and Fantasia is proud to bring the film to audiences on our continent. Animation Plus Section. North American Premiere.
A brave girl (Delaney Quinn, IF I HAD LEGS I’D KICK YOU) and her friends must escape a kids’ television show, stalked by a homicidal mascot (Keegan-Michael Key, KEANU) in the wickedly deranged Sundance sensation BUDDY, the long-coming feature theatrical debut from Casper Kelly (TOO MANY COOKS, ADULT SWIM YULE LOG). Inspired in part by the filmmaker’s own childhood envy of the kids who got to live in the worlds of his favorite children’s shows, before he began to question their presented realities. A remarkable achievement in gonzo world-building, inventively shot, meticulously designed, and bubbling with imaginative scenarios that frequently re-invent themselves, BUDDY lands with singular impact, its conceptual outrageousness grounded by a terrific lead performance from the always-strong Cristin Milioti (HBO’s THE PENGUIN) and a sharp supporting cast that includes Topher Grace (BLACKKKLANSMAN), Michael Shannon (THE SHAPE OF WATER), and Patton Oswalt (RATATOUILLE). From the producers of WEAPONS and COMPANION. International Premiere.
Happily married couple Azamat and Tancho live a carefree life until Azamat is forced to face his mounting debts. In desperation, they come up with a scheme to fake Stage 4 cancer for Tancho and raise money through crowdfunding. To their surprise, they go viral within days and collect enough money to pay off their debts, but are plunged into a journey of escalating madness. Directed by emerging talent Aitore Zholdaskali and featuring standout performances from Ayan Utepbergen (THE RISING HAWK), Dilnaz Kurmangali (ZHAZA), Azat Zhumadil (SHEKER), and Aida Kurmangaliyeva (BISHARASHKI), SICKO exposes the ugliness that emerges when people become consumed by money. Official Selection: Rotterdam Film Festival 2026. North American Premiere.
Fans of cringe comedy will be in heaven with BLAISE, a unique, uncomfortable blast of adult animation, praised by Première magazine as the funniest film at this year’s Cannes. Imagine a distinctly French take on Scandinavian “comedy of embarrassment” films, or a much drier CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM. Directed by Dimitri Planchon and Jean-Paul Guigue (Arte’s SILEX AND THE CITY), based on the former’s cult comic book, BLAISE is the story of the desperate-to-be-loved Sauvage family, voiced by Léa Drucker (INCREDIBLE BUT TRUE), Jacques Gamblin (CONNEMARA), and Timéo. What begins as a hilarious domino effect of social disasters, a comedy of manners and misunderstandings, blossoms into something distinctly more charged. You’ll die of embarrassment for these characters and the absurd, life-altering situations their neuroses land them in, yet BLAISE casts reflections that resonate more profoundly as its non-heroes make direly consequential choices out of a desperate need to feel even vaguely liked. Produced by Alexandre Gavras (NO OTHER CHOICE, THE SUCCESSOR). Animation Plus Section. North American Premiere.
A young streamer working at an Internet cafe discovers a bag containing 100 million yen and must seize it for the sake of his family. Ebato, a corrupt police officer riddled with debt to a cruel yakuza and his botanical torture partner, is planning a massive fraud scheme. A prostitute beaten by her husband befriends a femme fatale colleague who seems to know the ropes of organized crime. The fates of all these disparate characters will collide in a mind-blowing fireworks display. BEASTS CLUTCHING AT STRAWS is a captivating neo-noir thriller and a delirious, cynical black comedy featuring several epic, manga-esque sequences. Supported by an exceptional cast led by Ouji Suzuka, the brilliant Hideo Jojo surpasses himself in terms of direction and ideas to make this adaptation of Keisuke Sone’s famous novel, winner of the prestigious Edogawa Rampo Prize, an instant classic. Cheval Noir Competition. North American Premiere.
As anyone who’s ever had to drive in the city will know, a parking space is a precious commodity. On a day that would have been like any other, Brigitte (Christine Beaulieu, L’OEIL DU CYCLONE, LA FONTE DES GLACES) and Jonathan (Maxim Gaudette, POLYTECHNIQUE, INCENDIES) arrive at a dinner party, only for a stranger to block their way, leaving them unable to park and stranded in the road. The couple confront the mysterious man (Benoit Gouin, QUÉBEC-MONTRÉAL) but something is amiss and Jonathan becomes increasingly affected. Louis Godbout’s latest feature LA PLACE is a tense, beautiful, and touching depiction of the ways the smallest interactions can snowball into unimaginable consequences and forever alter one’s destiny. Les Fantastiques Week-Ends Du Cinéma Québécois Section. North American Premiere.
For those who believe they’ve seen everything cinema has to offer, here comes Brazilian madmen Gurcius Gewdner and Gustavo Vinagre’s BOWELS OF HELL, unquestionably the grossest film of Fantasia 2026—and also one of its wildest, most unpredictable, and hilarious. It’s not entirely a scatological humor fest, because BOWELS is also a surprisingly touching story about parents and children, and the struggle to focus on the people in your life that matter the most. It’s also filled with some of the most disgustingly inventive kills seen in any movie in some time, and it should come as little surprise that even the legendary Bruce LaBruce shows up at one point. When you gotta go, you gotta go…but in this film’s haunted São Paolo apartment complex, “go” means that your time is most certainly up! Produced by Rodrigo Teixeira, the Oscar-nominated producer of THE WITCH, I’M STILL HERE, CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, and THE LIGHTHOUSE, BOWELS OF HELL is an unexpectedly layered mix of family drama, social satire, cranked-to-11 gross-out horror, and poop jokes told with energy, wit, and style, coming to the continent after blowing minds and stomachs at the Rotterdam Film Festival. North American Premiere.
Drawing inspiration from the I CHING (BOOK OF CHANGES), the Taiwanese animated anthology BLISS: BEYOND THE EDGE OF TIME combines sci-fi with deeply rooted traditions and brings together six extraordinary directors to explore the relationship between humanity and technology from various perspectives. From limited time vs. infinite bonds to a debate about what faith really is, this modern take on The Ship of Theseus examines humans’ self-righteous attempts to protect animals, reimagined soul-recalling rituals, and what it takes to face the end of the world with a rare sense of lightness. BLISS combines Eastern philosophy with modern speculation, offering thought-provoking reflections on the timeless questions that lie underneath technological change and questions how people navigate uncertainty in this rapidly changing world. Animation Plus Section. North American Premiere.
A group of abandoned children have been raised in the rainforest and trained to be killers by an organization run by the “Master.” Now they’ve grown up, but following an incident that strongly affects all of them, they start to become suspicious towards one another and swear bloody revenge. They must get ready for the biggest fight of their lives. With TRISTES TROPIQUES, award-winning filmmaker Park Hoon-jung (V.I.P., Fantasia 2018; THE WITCH: PART 1. THE SUBVERSION, Fantasia 2018; and THE CHILDE, Fantasia 2023) returns to Montreal with a terrific ensemble cast, brutal gore, a gritty tone, and mind-blowing action sequences. TRISTES TROPIQUES is packed with exhilarating shootouts, top-notch swordfights, and everything you want in a revenge thriller. Fans of bad-ass Korean genre cinema are in for a treat! North American Premiere.
In ROMIN, the title character (Anthony Dionne, CREATURES) stumbles upon a mysterious object in a Quebec forest. Together with his sister Maya (Rosalie Pépin, VACARME), his sketchy pal Jeff (Jassen Charron, IL ÉTAIT UNE FOIS LES BOYS), and his new classmate Booker (James Edward Metayer, NOÉMIE DIT OUI), Romin heads to a village in the north, following in the footsteps of a missing archaeologist to find out more about the artifact. It turns out that, having touched it, Romin is struck by a curse that will kill him unless he returns it to the cave from whence it came, in the Bahamas. Directed by actors Anthony Dionne and Jassen Charron, ROMIN is an INDIANA JONES-style adventure featuring plenty of suspense and action, including some truly astonishing stunts. Amid the various twists and turns, more serious themes, such as grief, are explored with great tact and care. World Premiere.
In his feature debut, Québécois filmmaker Simon Harrison embraces space with THE GALACTIC GHOUL, a roaring space opera about a great escape from a horrific prison planet under the rule of Queen Xaltalusia XXIII, played by Katharine Isabelle (GINGER SNAPS, BACKROOMS). In a film that aims for the heart with ingenuity and laughs, THE GALACTIC GHOUL is a playful low-budget/high-concept tribute to space operas and the endurance of the human spirit. Les Fantastiques Week-Ends Du Cinéma Québécois Section. World Premiere.
ADDITIONAL THIRD WAVE TITLES
THE FOX
AFTER SCHOOL (The Netherlands)—dirs. Merijn Scholte Albers and Tobias Smeets
There’s been a lot of talk about the lack of quality movie comedy these days, but the Netherlands did not get that memo, because AFTER SCHOOL is, to put it simply, utterly hilarious. Directors Albers (co-founder of the Dutch comedy YouTube channel Mastermovies) and Smeets (a co-writer on Fantasia 2025’s STRAIGHT OUTTA SPACE) have crafted a terrific tale of self-respect, public humiliation, friendship, and revenge that gets funnier—and nastier—as it goes. AFTER SCHOOL is so hilarious throughout that it may surprise you to learn that it’s also a sharp examination of toxic masculinity on all sides (yeah, really!). Canadian Premiere.
BAGWORM (USA)—dir. Oliver Bernsen
An anxious, socially inept doomer steps on a rusty nail and plunges into an acetaminophen-filled spiral of fungus, tetanus, and unintentional incelmaxxing. Stylishly grimy and gross-out hilarious, like a cross between the filthy comedy of RATS! and the uncomfortable sleaze of ALL JACKED UP AND FULL OF WORMS, BAGWORM will have you gagging and laughing with glee and disgust. Official Selection: Sitges Film Festival 2025, SXSW 2026, Calgary Underground Film Festival 2026. Quebec Premiere.
BLADES OF THE GUARDIANS (Hong Kong/China)—dir. Yuen Wo-Ping
A bounty hunter (Wu Jing) fights off other martial artists in the desert, in this rousing, dynamic wuxia adventure of truly epic proportions from legendary action choreographer Yuen Wo-Ping.
COCOON—ONE SUMMER OF GIRLHOOD (Japan)—dir. Yukimitsu Ina
Commissioned by NHK, Japan’s public broadcaster, to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII, the first production from Sasayuri, a new studio founded by longtime Ghibli talent Hitomi Tateno, adapts Machiko Kyo’s tragic manga about the final days of war. On a tiny island at the very southern tip of the Japanese archipelago, life for wide-eyed San, her cool friend Mayu, and other girls brought there by the Army could almost be mistaken for paradise…but the awful truth isn’t far off. The enemy is coming, and some things will be lost forever.Animation Plus Section. Canadian Premiere.
COLONY (South Korea)—dir. Yeon Sang-ho
Fresh off its recent Cannes launch, Fantasia will showcase the Canadian Premiere of COLONY, the stunning new feature from celebrated South Korean genre auteur Yeon Sang-ho (TRAIN TO BUSAN, Fantasia 2016; SEOUL STATION, Fantasia 2016; and THE KING OF PIGS, Fantasia 2011). Se-jeong (Gianna Jun, of ASSASSINATION and MY SASSY GIRL), a biotechnology professor, attends a biotech conference that turns into bloodsoaked terror, and a fight for survival against mindless, cannibalistic attackers infected with a rapidly mutating virus. Canadian Premiere.
DANCE FREAK (USA)—dirs. Alan Resnick and Robby Reckleff
An infectious virus causes a pulsing, uncontrollable urge to move, dance, and destroy in this outrageous dark comedy about the power of dance and the violent alienation of contemporary life. From alt-comedy legend Alan Resnick and his Wham City collaborator Robby Rackleff, who also co-stars, with a cast that includes Stavros Halkias (BUGONIA, LET’S START A CULT), Sarah Sherman (SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE), and Conner O’Malley (RAP WORLD). Official Selection: Tallahassee Film Festival. Underground Section. Canadian Premiere.
DRAG (USA)—dirs. Raviv Ullman and Greg Yagolnitzer
Two sisters (Lizzy Caplan and Lucy DeVito) find themselves trapped in a remote house when one of them throws her back out during a robbery attempt and the owner (John Stamos!) unexpectedly returns in this twisted dark comedy from producer Danny DeVito. DRAG successfully takes a simple premise and goes the distance with it, well into unexpected places that keep twisting the knife and ramping up the sinister laughs. Official Selection: SXSW 2026, Overlook 2026, Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival 2026. Canadian Premiere.
THE FOX (Australia)—dir. Dario Russo
In this darkly comic folk tale, an affable fox hunter (Jai Courtney) encounters a talking Fox (voiced by Olivia Colman) who offers him an opportunity to transform his fiancée (Emily Browning) into the perfect woman. Riotously funny and brilliantly subversive, THE FOX pops with puppeteered animal characters and committed human performances from a cast that includes Damon Herriman, Claudia Doumit, Zlatko Burić and the voice of Sam Neill as an especially gruff magpie. Official Selection: Adelaide Film Festival 2025, SXSW 2026. Winner: Best Narrative Feature, Calgary Underground Film Festival 2026. Quebec Premiere.
THE JOURNEY TO GYEONG-JU (South Korea)—dir. Kim Mi-jo
For a mother and her three surviving daughters, what starts out as a mission of vengeance becomes an unpredictable and personal voyage of love, loss, and redemption—if LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE were told as a tale of retribution. Director Kim Mi-jo brilliantly mixes elements of family drama, dark humor, and revenge thriller into a surprisingly emotional and layered character-driven story. After her incredible performance in PARASITE, Lee Jung-eun brings poignant depth to her lead role here as a grieving mother. The bond she has with co-stars Kong Hyo-jin (CRUSH AND BLUSH), Park So-dam (SPECIAL DELIVERY), and Lee Yeon (JUVENILE JUSTICE) is truly special. Official Selection: Hawaii International Film Festival 2025. Canadian Premiere.
THE LEADER (USA)—dir. Michael Gallagher
Tim Blake Nelson (O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU, THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS) and Vera Farmiga (THE CONJURING, THE DEPARTED) give fervent performances as the leaders of the Heaven’s Gate cult in this penetrating study of the largest mass suicide in American history. Featuring Jim Parsons (CBS’ THE BIG BANG THEORY, Broadway’s TITANÍQUE) in an effective against-type role as the cult’s most loyal acolyte, this haunting and compelling saga of a nearly-30-year-old tragedy has painfully relevant things to say today about how susceptible minds can be twisted toward blind allegiance. Official Selection: Tribeca Film Festival 2026. Canadian Premiere.
MATAPANKI (Chile)—dir. Diego “Mapache” Fuentes
After gaining alcohol-fueled superpowers, Ricardo, a young punk from the outskirts, sets out to change society, but one brutal mistake will ignite an international conflict, with him at the eye of the storm. With aesthetic allusions to the great Gakuryu Ishii, MATAPANKI captures an underlying rage and—instead of fueling hatred—feeds into a radical spirit and creative energy that’s inspiring without being cloying. An absolute pleasure to watch with a crowd, this raucous, revolutionary work of cinema should inspire you to take to the streets and create the world you want to live in. Official Selection: Berlin International Film Festival 2026, Slamdance 2026, Fantaspoa 2026. Underground Section. Canadian Premiere.
PAPAYA (Brazil)—dir. Priscilla Kellen
Passionate about flying, a tiny papaya seed in the Amazonian forest must keep moving to avoid rooting. Through perseverance, she discovers the power of her roots, triggering a revolution that transforms her world and fulfills her dreams in an unexpected way. A stunning animated masterpiece by Brazilian filmmaker Priscilla Kellen, vibrantly colorful, profoundly moving, and resonant with ecological concerns, PAPAYA is a tale told without dialogue so as to be a feast for all. It’s an important film about the world we live in, the issues we collectively face, and how a small seed could change the face of the earth. Mon Premier Fantasia and Animation Plus Sections. Canadian Premiere.
THE PERIL AT PINCER POINT (UK)—dirs. Jake Kuhn and Noah Stratton-Twine
In this beautiful, monochromatic absurdist comedy, a layabout sound recordist is sent to a remote island at the behest of the tyrannical filmmaker P.W. Griffin. With a dash of THE WICKER MAN, a sprinkle of Guy Maddin, a hint of HUNDREDS OF BEAVERS, and a generous helping of Roger Corman, THE PERIL AT PINCER POINT is a delightfully eccentric love letter to British cinema. With an artisanal, handmade aesthetic and an improvisational spirit, filmmakers Noah Stratton-Twine and Jake Kuhn blend tactile ingenuity with gleeful absurdity to create a singular cinematic experience that makes going to the movies fun again. Official Selection: SXSW 2026. Underground Section. Canadian Premiere.
RECLUSE (USA)—dir. Henry Chaisson
When a sound recordist is summoned back to her childhood home to care for her father, a famous artist rumored to have dabbled in the occult, she must confront the unearthed demons of her family’s past and contend with the house’s dark, malevolent energy. The eerie feature directorial debut of Henry Chaisson (writer of ANTLERS and SERVANT) stars Sasha Frolova (THE EMPTY MAN), Toby Poser (MOTHER OF FLIES), Xander Berkeley (TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY), and Kimball Farley (HIPPO). Official Selection: Tribeca Film Festival 2026. Canadian Premiere.
THE SEOUL GUARDIANS (South Korea)—dirs. Kim Jong-woo, Kim Shin-wan, and Cho Chul-young
This thrilling, award-winning documentary recounts the events surrounding the imposition of martial law in Korea in December 2024, and the peaceful uprising of civilians against dictatorship. The film masterfully conveys the urgency, disbelief, and visceral fear of a new dictatorship felt by Koreans in that decisive moment, using footage from both inside and outside the walls of the National Assembly. Official Selection: Rotterdam Film Festival 2026, Hot Docs 2026. Documentaries from the Edge Section. Quebec Premiere.
WE’RE NOTHING AT ALL (Hong Kong)—dir. Herman Yau
Inspired by the 1998 Wuhan Bus Blast in China, Herman Yau’s WE’RE NOTHING AT ALL follows three men from different backgrounds whose lives connect after a Valentines’ Day bomb attack. The film continues the director’s longstanding commitment to presenting marginalized communities and the unseen struggles of sexual minorities with empathy and humanity. Official selection: Hong Kong International Film Festival 2026, Audience Choice Award. Quebec Premiere.
There will also be several other filmmaker award presentations, and retrospective screenings of Bruce McDonald’s PONTYPOOL, Takashi Miike’s GOZU and 13 other classics and cult favorites. The festival website is now live here; ticket presales open at 10 a.m. tomorrow, July 3.
