By MICHAEL GINGOLD
Horror, insane animation and much more will be showcased at North America’s top genre fest.
The last round of feature films (including THE BOOK OF SIJJIN AND ILLIYYIN, pictured above) have been announced for the 29th Fantasia International Film Festival, which runs July 16-August 3 at Montreal, Canada’s Concordia Hall and J.A. de Sève cinemas, with additional screenings and events at Montreal’s Cinéma du Musée. This year’s festival also includes the presentations of Cheval Noir Career Achievement Awards to animator Genndy Tartakovsky and composer Danny Elfman, the Canadian Trailblazer Award to actress Sheila McCarthy, the Denis-Héroux Award to producer Anne-Marie Gélinas and the Indie Maverick Award to Troma topper Lloyd Kaufman. Elfman, McCarthy, Gélinas and Kaufman will also give talks that are among the many live events taking place at Fantasia. As for the movies, joining the titles previously announced here and here are:
From Sony Pictures Animation, Netflix, and top-tier animator Genndy Tartakovsky (SAMURAI JACK, PRIMAL, HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA) comes FIXED, an adult animated comedy that’s lewd, rude, raunchy, and riotously funny. Here, Tartakovsky carries the torch forward for the finest craftsmen of classic TV cartoon foolishness, recalling Chuck Jones, Tex Avery, and Hanna-Barbera, although they never got away with anything as outrageous as FIXED! Bull (Adam Devine) is a lovable mutt and loyal buddy to his pack, including brawny boxer Rocco (Idris Elba), pretentious dachshund Fetch (Fred Armisen), and neurotic beagle Lucky (Bobby Moynihan). He also has a massive crush on Honey (Kathryn Hahn), the sexy show dog next door, but his pride and joy are his magnificent testicles. Alarmed by indications that a trip to the vet looms in his immediate future, the frantic Bull will do anything to delay the inevitable–or at least unleash his carnal impulses while he still can! Genndy Tartakovsky’s FIXED is coming to Fantasia, with its mind in the gutter, its heart in the right place, and its balls entirely intact! Animation Plus Section. Canadian Premiere.
Do you get the impression that the super-wealthy are above the law? Raka, an elite court security guard played by the excellent Rio Dewanto, sees it every day–trust-fund babies escaping consequences thanks to their family’s influence, shady lawyers, and an overall corrupt system. When his pregnant wife is murdered by an affluent young man flexing his invulnerability, the trial is nothing but another masquerade, and Raka takes it upon himself to deliver justice. The class divide has rarely been exposed in such an impactful and satisfying fashion as THE VERDICT, with co-directors Lee Chang-hee (Fantasia 2018 selection THE VANISHED) and Yusron Fuadi (THE DRAFT!) hitting a home run thanks to a solid script, fast-paced editing, and a score reminiscent of Hans Zimmer’s work on Nolan’s BATMAN. Screening as one of Fantasia’s major opening night events, THE VERDICT is a dynamic and entertaining film that forces viewers to reflect on justice and vengeance. World Premiere.
When Papa Smurf (John Goodman) is mysteriously taken by evil wizards Razamel and Gargamel, Smurfette (Rihanna) leads the SMURFS on a mission into the real world to save him. With the help of new friends, the Smurfs must discover what defines their destiny to save the universe. Directed by Chris Miller (SHREK THE THIRD, PUSS IN BOOTS), SMURFS features an all-star voice cast including James Corden, Nick Offerman, JP Karliak, Daniel Levy, Amy Sedaris, Natasha Lyonne, Sandra Oh, and Octavia Spencer. My First Fantasia Section. Special Screening.
Established sci-fi author Ian Tuason’s first feature THE UNDERTONE brings terror to the podcasting arena, creating an unforgettable horror experience! Nina Kiri (THE HERETICS, THE HANDMAID’S TALE) stars as podcaster Evy. Tending to her dying mother, her job as a co-host of The Undertone is the one thing that keeps her tethered to normalcy. When her co-host Justin (Kris Holden-Ried, THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY, LOST GIRL) presents 10 disturbing audio files of a man and his wife, the story they tell becomes weirdly connected to Evy and her mother. With brilliant use of a home as the liminal space between life and death, an intense performance by genre favorite Kiri, and haunting sound design that will leave your blood cold, THE UNDERTONE is a new entry in the haunting folk horror catalog you won’t soon forget. Septentrion Shadows Section. World Premiere.
Two unlikely people, a chef and an immigrant martial artist, search (and fight!) for the truth in the underbelly of Rome in this massively entertaining mix of martial arts, crime, and romance. Unquestionably one of the best films of 2025, THE FORBIDDEN CITY establishes Fantasia alum Gabriele Mainetti (2016’s THEY CALL ME JEEG and 2023’s FREAKS OUT) as one of the best commercial filmmakers in movies today, with a cinematic knockout that’s guaranteed to slap a huge smile on your face. Yaxi Liu, making her formal lead acting debut after blowing minds as the main stunt double in MULAN, truly impresses with a breakout performance that’s by turns strong, funny, and heartbreaking. Co-starring Enrico Borello (FAMILIA), Sabrina Ferilli (THE GREAT BEAUTY), and Marco Giallini (PERFECT STRANGERS), films like this don’t come along often–and THE FORBIDDEN CITY promises to become a new favorite. North American Premiere.
A familiar name to Fantasia audiences, Chloé Cinq-Mars returns to the festival with her debut feature, NESTING (PEAU À PEAU). Delving into the quiet horrors of early motherhood, the film opens with a scream in the night. Pénélope (Rose-Marie Perreault, FAKE TATTOOS), a new mother grappling with sleep deprivation and postpartum depression, finds herself unable to separate dreams from reality. After witnessing a violent hold-up in a convenience store, her already fragile psyche begins to crack. Sensitive and haunting, NESTING offers an intimate, unsettling portrait of a mother unraveling. Perreault delivers a career-defining performance, capturing Pénélope’s disintegration and tender attempts at self-reclamation. Denied the idealized “glow” of new motherhood, she’s left to drift in darkness, slowly losing her grip on reality. What emerges is a chilling and deeply human exploration of identity, isolation, and the aching silence surrounding maternal mental health. Les Fantastiques Week-Ends du Cinéma Québécois Section. World Premiere.
Osaka, Japan, site of Expo ‘70, is again hosting the world’s fair in 2025. Emblematic of the original Expo is the sculpture/building Tower of the Sun, envisioned and designed by renowned artist Taro Okamoto, “the Japanese Picasso,” a challenger of conventions driven to liberate creative expression for one and all. His works and ideas inspired director Ryo Fujii and the team behind the 2022 TV series TAROMAN, broadcast on the NHK network. Mixing mockumentary elements with the tropes and aesthetics of 1970s tokusatsu superhero shows–ULTRAMAN in particular–the series was purported to be an obscure archival find…and the result? A sublime mix of public art education, nostalgic invention, and gleeful weirdness for its own sake. With such big ideas and such a gigantic protagonist, never to mention the World Expo’s return to Osaka this year, Fujii and friends simply had to revive TAROMAN for the big screen. TAROMAN: EXPO EXPLOSION has arrived, and with a bang! World Premiere.
Middle-aged coke fiend Luke (R. Jonathan Lambert of Quentin Dupieux’s REALITY) has gone to confront his ex at the club where she works, determined to somehow win back her love, in FLUSH. One thing leads to another and he soon finds himself wedged firmly in a toilet, effectively trapped in a bathroom stall–with a heap of drugs that he stole from the bar’s resident dealer. He’s soon found, setting off an increasingly crazy series of events as Luke’s world is assailed from every conceivable direction in a bizarro race against time that will leave you gasping for air. After years of winning awards everywhere from Clermont-Ferrand to Sitges with his inspired short-film work (DERNIER CRI, PARIS BY NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD…), Parisian super force Grégory Morin has finally made a feature, and it’s utterly, gloriously insane. Evocative of Dupieux by way of Gaspar Noé and early Álex de la Iglesia, FLUSH is as inventively delirious as it is wickedly cinematic, a real-time, over-the-top blast of absurdist indie brilliance. World Premiere.
Grab your controllers! With an exciting mix of badass action and the first-person-shooter perspective of HARDCORE HENRY, the Hong Kong eSports thrill ride GOOD GAME is a total blast! Tai, the middle-aged owner of a failing internet cafe, joins a gaming tournament to hopefully win the grand-prize money and save his business. He assembles a team of oddballs, and these underdogs will have to combine their strengths in gaming if they’re to win this fierce competition. Director Dickson Leung Kwok-Fai makes sure you’re constantly locked in and immersed in the narrative, providing a stylish, high-energy experience that makes you feel like you’re part of the game–and an inspiring and genuine story loaded with a never-say-die spirit. World Premiere.
In high demand for his cleverness and creativity, French director Michel Gondry (THE SCIENCE OF SLEEP, BE KIND REWIND, and legendary music videos for the likes of Björk, Daft Punk, and the White Stripes) is often away from home for work. To keep connected with his beloved daughter Maya, he made nightly calls with requests for story titles, to prompt quick, rough little animations crafted with colored paper, markers, and scissors, always starring Maya herself, with MAYA, GIVE ME A TITLE assembling an assortment of these little vignettes. Whether she’s a mermaid, a ship’s captain, an earthquake investigator, or just herself shrunk by “cucumber-reducing solution,” Maya’s tales are told in true Gondry style–wry, inventive, and tactile, favoring the excitement of process over polished final product. Oh, and it’s all voiced and narrated by Pierre Niney, star of last year’s Fantasia hit THE COUNT OF MONTE-CRISTO! My First Fantasia and Animation Plus Sections. North American Premiere.
A woman regularly belittled and bullied by her employers calls upon evil forces to obtain her vengeance in the most heinous of ways. Blending Islamic folk horror, ocular torture à la Lucio Fulci, and imagery evoking THE EVIL DEAD, Indonesian director Hadrah Daeng Ratu’s THE BOOK OF SIJJIN AND ILLIYYIN will satiate even the most ravenous fans of gore and ultraviolence. Writer Laila Lele offers a gut-churning script that plunges us into the heart of a waking nightmare in which even children aren’t safe–and can end up splattering the walls like miniature Jackson Pollock artworks. Viewer discretion is highly advised here, as Indonesia has become an inexhaustible source of terrifying works, generous in their offerings of gore, twisted tales, and fascinating Muslim mythology populated by djinns and other demons. All we can really do is sit back and take pleasure in discovering and exploring–to our own risk and peril! North American Premiere.
A young delinquent narrowly escapes a violent altercation with a local gangster after a robbery gone wrong in ANNA KIRI. Anna (Catherine Brunet, FARADOR, IN MEMORIAM) seizes the chance to turn her life around, but soon realizes the price of freedom is high and the past is not so easily left behind. Francis Bordeleau’s second feature is a unique exploration of a young woman’s emancipation and a quest to find her voice through relationships and writing. Brunet’s performance is stellar and she is accompanied by an impressive cast including Charlotte Aubin (L’EMPEREUR, VIRAGE), Maxime de Cotret (LE PLONGEUR, FRONTIÈRES), Caroline Néron (STAT, ÉTERNELLE), and Anne-Marie Cadieux (SOLO, LES HOMMES DE MA MÈRE). A thriller in its own right, sometimes playful yet often tense and shocking, ANNA KIRI creates a sharp juxtaposition between the lowest rungs of the city, struggling to make ends meet, and the elegant if not outright elitist members of the literary scene. The two worlds attempt to coexist on screen, setting up a collision course with a wildly explosive conclusion. Les Fantastiques Week-Ends du Cinéma Québécois Section. World Premiere.
Fantasia alum Daigo Matsui returns this year with another hit, collaborating with talented screenwriter Ueda Makoto, who previously worked with Junta Yamaguchi on Fantasia-favorite time-loop films BEYOND THE INFINITE TWO MINUTES (2021) and RIVER (2023). REWRITE brings fresh ideas in the beloved genre, challenging and playing with its audiences’ minds. Transfer student Yasuhiko has had an amazing 21 days with Miyuki and their shared secret, that Yasuhiko comes from the future, binds them even closer. This seemingly cute, slightly sad, coming-of-age time-traveling romance somehow doesn’t work the way it should, though. What could be wrong? Are there more secrets to come? The outstanding performances include Elaiza Ikeda (SADAKO), Yuki Kura (SHOGUN), Ai Hashimoto (HOLD ME BACK), and J-pop idol Kei Adachi’s acting debut. If you had the chance, would you rewrite your past? North American Premiere.
Best friends Amin (Shahine El-Hamus, THE PROMISE OF PISA) and Mitchell (Daniël Kolf of Netflix’s FOREVER RICH) work as street coaches in the lively neighborhood of Schijndrecht in STRAIGHT OUTTA SPACE. It’s not exactly a flashy job, and that all changes when the people around them transform into creepy, slimy creatures due to an intergalactic intervention! Together with a motley crew of local residents, the duo gets the ultimate chance to prove themselves to their entire community, or at least, what’s left of it. It’s not every day that the Netherlands produces a big-budget sci-fi/horror/comedy, let alone one that tackles gentrification in such witty ways. Directed with style by Cannes Lion winner Michael Middelkoop (TRAUMA PORN CLUB) and co-written by Fantasia alumni Nico van den Brink (MOLOCH, SWEET TOOTH), STRAIGHT OUTTA SPACE plays like an especially unhinged–and very, very Dutch–variation of ATTACK THE BLOCK by way of NIGHT OF THE CREEPS…with just a touch of NIGHT OF THE COMET! It’s full of personality, big set-pieces, and a ton of goopy, high-energy fun. North American Premiere.
The emotional and powerful FRAGMENT follows the lives of two teenagers intertwined in a devastating way. Jun-gang (Oh Ja-hun) takes care of his little sister while being threatened with eviction, while Gi-su (Moon Seong-hyun) lives alone since his father was killed…by Jun-gang’s father. Will they be able to resist the vicious cycle brought on by such a sordid crime? FRAGMENT explores pain, trauma, and conflict in a profound and intense way that stays with you long after the credits roll. With this shattering first feature, pondering the heartbreaking choice between vengeance and redemption with acute maturity, writer/director Kim Sung-yoon has already known significant success on the festival circuit, receiving three prizes at his World Premiere at the Busan International Film Festival in 2024 and another win in Florence in 2025. Carried by the stellar performances of three exceptional young actors, this dramatic suspense story is sure to leave no one indifferent. North American Premiere.
In a remote corner of Kazakhstan, three unlikely characters cross paths: a despairing old man, a grouchy shopkeeper, and an alien just trying to get home. With the gentle help of a curious granddaughter, walls begin to break down, but with a government motorcade soon to arrive–and a bumbling cop hot on their tails–can this misfit group somehow hold together? Renowned for his roles in SLOW HORSES (2022) and MCMAFIA (2018), Yerden Telemissov makes his directorial debut with STINKER, a darkly funny yet surprisingly sweet sci-fi adventure. Featuring excellent performances from Honored Worker of the Republic of Kazakhstan Bakhytzhan Alpeis and acclaimed stage actress Irka Abdulmanova alongside Chingiz Kapin (DISSOLVE) and Dulyga Akmolda (SWEETIE, YOU WON’T BELIEVE), STINKER is a quirky and touching journey into what it means to accept “the other”–no matter how strange they may seem. North American Premiere.
Innovative in its gameplay-based narrative, the Japanese science-fiction novel ALL YOU NEED IS KILL by Hiroshi Sakurazaka was a landmark in 2004. In the decade that followed, the time-looping alien-invasion tale was adapted into a manga and as the Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt Hollywood blockbuster EDGE OF TOMORROW. It’s taken yet another decade, but the kick-ass anime feature it so rightfully deserved is finally here. Repetition may be the mechanism of this recurring story, but this version keeps the franchise fresh by retracing the events from the point of view of the original’s “Player Two,” the sullen, red-haired Rita. It’s a visually striking, wildly dynamic, and incredibly intense piece of work, as one would expect from the intrepid team at STUDIO4°C. Director Kenichiro Akimoto delivers his vision of this modern classic with panache, fierce and fluid action, and a look all its own. Animation Plus Section. North American Premiere.
The moving, hilarious, and inspirational documentary OCCUPY CANNES follows legendary filmmaker (and creator of THE TOXIC AVENGER) Lloyd Kaufman–recipient of this year’s inaugural Indie Maverick Award at Fantasia–leading the Troma Team’s fight to sustain independent art amidst an industry that increasingly removes any space for outsiders. Known for deliriously boundary-pushing works of maximalist insanity, NYC-based Troma Entertainment may be the last surviving truly independent film studio. They’re also at risk of going extinct. After 40 years of selling films at Cannes, OCCUPY CANNES follows them on what could be their final trip, as their notoriously crazy publicity stunts are consistently shut down by the authorities while they encounter endless obstacles in spaces they once had a place at. The film is presented through the lenses of Kaufman’s daughters, director Lily-Hayes and director of photography Charlotte, whose unparalleled access to Troma frees them to pose questions that no other filmmakers could: Does Kaufman’s defiant stance attract buyers or ostracize Troma from the industry’s inner circle? Can Troma survive in an ever-shifting and consolidating entertainment industry? Can any independent artist survive? Documentaries From the Edge Section. World Premiere.
A couple’s peaceful hiking trip takes a wrong turn and becomes a nightmare when a mysterious force targets Yu Hsin, repeatedly taking her life in horrifying ways. Chia Ming, unfortunately, is trapped in a time-loop and forced to witness her death over and over again, always powerless to stop it. What went wrong? Why Yu-Hsin? Directed by emerging filmmaker Tsai Chia Ying and adapted from one of the scariest urban legends of Taiwan, HAUNTED MOUNTAINS: THE YELLOW TABOO depicts not just traditional horror, but its layered narrative explores love, grief, and the emotional burdens we all carry. With a powerful cast including Jasper Liu (MORE THAN BLUE), Angela Yuen (CHILLI LAUGH STORY), and Tsao Yu Ning (PIERCE), HAUNTED MOUNTAINS: THE YELLOW TABOO brings not just the scares, but a reflection on the ties that bind us. International Premiere.
Eight-year-old Santa (Fer Monserrat), a plucky Indigenous girl, seeks to rescue her mother from violence and poverty. With unlikely allies, she performs miracles across Bolivia’s sublime landscapes, where survival becomes a sacred, elemental act of love and divine ritual. CIELO, directed by Alberto Sciamma (JERICHO MANSIONS, KILLER TONGUE) and featuring an extraordinary lead performance from its gifted young star, presents itself as an achingly beautiful elemental tale, packed with the sacred energy of magical realism, despite its darker themes. Ultimately, this is a mythopoetic story–THE FLORIDA PROJECT, if it were retold by Clarissa Pinkola Estés–one which re-fashions the traditional Hero’s Journey into an ode to feminine resistance as an act of love in the face of violence. A modern fairy tale unlike anything you’ve ever seen, CIELO World Premiered at the Fantasporto Film Festival earlier in the year, winning three awards at its very first bow. North American Premiere.
Adapting their iconic short film MESSY LEGEND for their feature debut, Montreal icons Kelly-Kay Hurcomb and James Watts bring a slacker comedy for the modern age to Fantasia with MESSY LEGENDS. Following a group of disaffected millennials clinging to the past, the film takes place over one night along Montreal’s St. Laurent strip. Desperate, funny, and awkward, the movie captures the city in a state of flux, as the rising cost of living and inaccessible housing slowly erode the artsy slacker culture that once flourished in the city. For the former disco-pant wearers and OG fans of The Unicorns, MESSY LEGENDS aims for the hearts of former cool millennials unable to let go of what once was and never will be again. Underground Section. World Premiere.
Since the 1980s, director, screenwriter, and designer Keita Amemiya (KAMEN RIDER, ZEIRAM) has brought his special touch, full of surprising innovations and peculiar fascinations, to the universe of tokusatsu–Japanese sci-fi cinema and television. For the last 20 years, Amemiya’s main focus has been his ever-expanding world of GARO, an ongoing chronicle of otherworldly conflict resplendent with gothic gravitas and gruesome monsters, mystical symbolism, and elegant steampunk accents. His latest work, GARO: TAIGA reveals the story of Taiga Saejima, who, like his descendants after him, assumes the lupine aspect and magical armor of Golden Knight Garo to battle the demonic Horrors. Entirely accessible to newcomers to the franchise, GARO: TAIGA marks its 20th anniversary in grand style. World Premiere.
67-year-old Sylvie is a passionate Barbie collector. To make sure that her collection lasts over time, she decides to donate some of her childhood dolls to the Musée de la civilisation in Quebec City, which agrees to evaluate the proposal. But will she be able to cope with the grief of separation, especially as the physical condition of her best friend Linda, also a Barbie collector, is affected by severe illness? BARBIE BOOMER is an incredibly moving new documentary by Marc Joly-Corcoran (QUE LE FAN SOIT AVEC TOI). Les Fantastiques Week-Ends du Cinéma Québécois and Documentaries from the Edge Sections. World Premiere.
Additional third-wave titles (including QUEENS OF THE DEAD, pictured):
AU PIED DU MUR (Canada) – dir. Alexandra Elkin
From Red Rock Canyon to Yosemite, filmmaker Alexandra Elkin follows two seasoned climbers in their seventies, Jack Lambert and Dierdre Wolownick, who push the boundaries of age in the extreme sport of climbing. Between breathtaking ascents and personal transformation, AU PIED DU MUR is an inspiring human adventure where fear becomes a driving force, and each summit reached redefines the very notion of limits. Les Fantastiques Week-Ends du Cinéma Québécois Section. Montreal Premiere.
CONTACT LENS (China) – dir. Lu Ruiqi
Paying homage to Chantal Akerman’s JEANNE DIELMAN, CONTACT LENS, the feature debut of Lu Ruiqi, portrays a woman aching to break free–searching for a transformative becoming as she escapes the rituals and expectations of her existence. Official Selection: Tallinn Black Nights 2024, Fantaspoa Fantastic Film Festival 2025. Underground Section. Canadian Premiere.
DOLLHOUSE (Japan) – dir. Shinobu Yaguchi
Director and screenwriter Shinobu Yaguchi (SWING GIRLS) takes an intelligent and effective approach to horror cinema in this downward spiral involving an evil doll. Official Selection: Fantasporto 2025, Hong Kong International Film Festival 2025. Canadian Premiere.
FUCKTOYS (USA) – dir. Annapurna Sriram
Written, directed by, and starring Annapurna Sriram (BILLIONS), FUCKTOYS reimagines the classic Fool’s Journey through a radically queer, maximalist lens, following a sex worker living in “Trashtown” who discovers she’s been cursed. Hilarious, raw, and full of soul, it’s a glitter-coated, piss-soaked fairytale for the forgotten. Winner of a special jury award at SXSW 2025. Official Selection: Seattle International Film Festival 2025, Boston Underground Film Festival 2025. Canadian Premiere.
GOOD BOY (USA) – dir. Ben Leonberg
A curious and resourceful dog senses something supernatural is threatening his owner in this one-of-a-kind ghost story that features one of the greatest canine performances in movie history. Already one of the most talked-about genre films of 2025, and for good reason. Official Selection: SXSW 2025, Overlook 2025, Calgary Underground Film Festival 2025. Quebec Premiere.
HI-FIVE (South Korea) – dir. Kang Hyung-chul
Five people receive superpowers and mysterious tattoos from a body donated for organ transplants. However, they’re not the only ones whose lives have been changed. A cult leader gains the ability to absorb the life energy of others, and he’s now coming after these individuals to steal their powers. Writer/director Kang Hyung-chul (SWING KIDS) delivers a ridiculously hilarious and action-packed superhero extravaganza with an incredible all-star cast. Quebec Premiere.
HOLY NIGHT: DEMON HUNTERS (South Korea) – Dir. Lim Dae-hee
Legendary action powerhouse Don Lee (THE ROUNDUP) leads a team of exorcists against a criminal gang of devil worshippers and the demons they summon. This adaptation of the 2024 webtoon perfectly mixes genuine horror scenes, hard-hitting brawls, and hints of well-calculated humor to create the ideal supernatural action film. Quebec Premiere.
OBEX (USA) – dir. Albert Birney
Conor’s life takes a turn for the fantastical as he is transported into the video-game world of OBEX, where he must rescue his kidnapped dog and come to terms with the grief buried deep inside himself. An extraordinary new creation from the co-director of STRAWBERRY MANSION and SYLVIO. Official Selection: Sundance 2025, Chicago Critics Film Festival 2025. Canadian Premiere.
OMNISCIENT READER: THE PROPHECY (South Korea) – Dir: Kim Byung-woo
An ordinary office worker suddenly finds his favorite apocalyptic web novel unfolding in real life before his eyes. Director Kim Byung-woo (TAKE POINT) offers a spectacular, action-filled fantasy, as meta as could be, blending deadly games, video game-style superpowers, kaiju, and even a stay inside a giant fish. Canadian Premiere.
$POSITIONS (USA) – dir. Brandon Daley
Local loser Mike (Michael Kunick, WOLVES AGAINST THE WORLD), desperate and overwhelmed, turns to crypto to keep from drowning in debt. Instead, he finds himself in a spiral of bad decisions in this darkly comedic tale of addiction and family that will have you gripping your seat as you’re laughing out loud. Official Selection: SXSW 2025, Calgary Underground Film Festival 2025. Quebec Premiere.
IT ENDS (USA) – dir. Alex Ullom
In one of 2025’s major genre breakouts, four college friends find themselves on an infinite, unending road, forcing each of them to decide how to confront their fate in an unnerving journey into the unknown. Writer/director Alex Ullom and his gifted cast work miracles and offer a compelling, constantly intriguing, and often terrifying road trip into adulthood. Official Selection: SXSW 2025, Overlook 2025. International Premiere.
STUNTMAN (Hong Kong) – dirs. Herbert Leung Koon-Shun and Albert Leung Koon-Yiu
When an old-school, high-risk Hong Kong action director is hired for a modern, safety-first production, which style will win out? First-time directors Albert and Herbert Leung hit a bullseye, capturing the insane beauty of Hong Kong’s Golden Age of action films in modern times while keeping it brilliantly refreshing. Nominated for best Action Choreography at the Hong Kong Film Awards and the Golden Horse Awards. Official Selection: Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival 2024, Hawai’i International Film Festival 2024. Quebec Premiere.
SWEETNESS (Canada) – dir. Emma Higgins
They say you should never meet your idols, and Emma Higgins’ first feature offers up a pitch-black coming-of-age tale to teach this lesson. Rylee (Kate Hallet, WOMEN TALKING), a troubled teenager, is presented with an unimaginable situation: her pop idol, Payton (Herman Tømmeraas, RAGNAROK), is a low-key drug addict and she’s taken it upon herself to help him get sober after he accidentally hits her driving under the influence. Co-starring Justin Chatwin (ANOTHER LIFE), Aya Furukawa (THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER), Amanda Brugel (THE HANDMAID’S TALE), and Steven Ogg (DARK MATCH). Official Selection: SXSW 2025. Septentrion Shadows Section. Canadian Premiere.
SUGAR ROT (Canada) – dir. Becca Kozak
A girl at an ice cream shop is assaulted and becomes horrifically pregnant with some…thing that begins to turn her into ice cream in this burst of in-your-face, offensive, punk body horror. A relentless sensory onslaught–depraved, delicious, and unafraid to plunge into the darkest, dankest corners of the imagination. A bold and sticky scream of rebellion, SUGAR ROT tells a fiercely feminist story about autonomy, capitalism, and pleasure. Official Selection: FogFest 2024, Calgary Underground Film Festival 2025, ShockStock 2025. Underground Section. Quebec Premiere.
THELMA’S PERFECT BIRTHDAY (Latvia/Luxembourg) – dir. Reinis Kalnaellis
A little penguin girl’s wish for the best birthday ever leads to an adventure full of strange surprises and new friends. A weird, wonderful, and award-winning animated journey for the little ones, it blends 3D animation and lovely, hand-painted ink-wash artwork in an innovative and immersive way. Official Selection: Mill Valley Film Festival 2024, Tallinn Black Nights 2024, Annecy 2025. My First Fantasia and Animation Plus Sections. Canadian Premiere.
TOUCH ME (USA) – dir. Addison Heinmann
From the director of HYPOCHONDRIAC comes a singular work that breakdances seamlessly from tentacle sex and practical exploding heads to beautifully touching monologues and heartbreaking reflections on trauma and toxic relationships. Two codependent best friends become addicted to the heroin-like touch of an alien narcissist who may or may not be trying to take over the world. With Olivia Taylor Dudley (SHE DIES TOMORROW), Jordan Gavaris of ORPHAN BLACK, and Lou Taylor Pucci (SPRING). Official Selection: Sundance 2025, SXSW 2025. Canadian Premiere.
QUEENS OF THE DEAD (USA) – dir. Tina Romero
Director Tina Romero takes the ghoul genre invented by her father in a new direction when a zombie apocalypse breaks out in Brooklyn on the night of a giant warehouse party. Now, an eclectic group of drag queens, club kids, and frenemies must use their unique skills to fight back against the undead. Starring Katy O’Brian (LOVE LIES BLEEDING), Riki Lindhome (THE WOLF OF SNOW HOLLOW), Jaquel Spivey (MEAN GIRLS), and comic icon Margaret Cho, who all bring their over-the-top roles to life with energy and a core of humanity that has us hoping they’ll survive this new night of the living dead. Official Selection: Tribeca Film Festival 2025, Chattanooga Film Festival 2025. International Premiere.
THE VIRGIN OF THE QUARRY LAKE (Argentina) – dir. Laura Casabe
Young Natalia (Dolores Oliverio) turns to witchcraft to give herself an upper hand against a changing world. A supernatural, feminine coming-of-(r)age film that captivates with enormous power, THE VIRGIN OF THE QUARRY LAKE is based on the writing of acclaimed Argentinian horror author Mariana Enriquez. It stands completely alone, both as a provocative work of horror and as a remarkable exploration of the volcanic emotions of teenhood conveyed through a visceral genre lens. Official Selection: Sundance 2025, TIFF Next Wave 2025. Quebec Premiere.
Fantasia will also showcase a number of screenings of classic film restorations and rare 35mm screenings (including NIGHT OF THE JUGGLER, pictured):
ANGEL’S EGG (Japan, 1985) – dir. Mamoru Oshii
Can two broken souls in a broken world keep a mysterious, perhaps divine egg intact? A rare, early work from two of the biggest names in anime, Mamoru Oshii (GHOST IN THE SHELL) and Yoshitaka Amano (FINAL FANTASY), emerges from the shadows at last in a special 40th-anniversary 4K restoration.
THE BATTLE WIZARD (Hong Kong, 1977) – dir. Pao Hsueh-Li
A bookworm (Danny Lee, THE KILLER) drinks the blood of a serpent and becomes invincible in this outlandish kung fu-meets-STAR WARS classic, now miraculously restored in its fully uncut version. World Premiere of Arrow Films’ New 2K Restoration.
BULLET IN THE HEAD (Hong Kong, 1990) – dir. John Woo
In 1967, three Hong Kong friends (Tony Leung, Jacky Cheung, and Waise Lee) on the run flee to Vietnam to make their fortune, only to face the horrors of war and the pain of betrayal. John Woo’s 1990 masterwork. Canadian Premiere of Shout! Factory’s New 4K Restoration.
A CHINESE GHOST STORY III (Hong Kong, 1991) – dir. Ching Siu-Tung
Award-winning director Ching Siu-Tung (HEROIC TRIO, SHAOLIN SOCCER) and writer-producer Tsui Hark return with another wild joyride where laws of gravity are jettisoned in favor of exhilarating kung fu involving flying monks and monsters, mixed with a kinky subtext. Canadian Premiere of Shout! Factory’s New 4K Restoration.
THE DEVIL’S BRIDE (Lithuania, 1974) – dir. Arūnas Žebriūnas
Biblical myths and Baltic folklore meet fuzz guitar, funky bass, and a big, bold brass section in the Soviet Union’s first rock-opera movie, a rare gem of Lithuanian cinema gorgeously restored at last! North American Premiere of the Lithuanian Film Centre’s New 2K Restoration. Presented by Deaf Crocodile.
FUNKY FOREST (Japan, 2005) – dirs. Katsuhito Ishii, Hajime Ishimine, and Shinichiro Miki
Celebrating its 20th anniversary, a defining work of Japan’s millennial new wave of outrageously original pop cinema, guaranteed to confuse, amuse, repulse, and excite you returns to the Fantasia screen. Presented in celebration of the filmmakers attending the festival to present their latest project at the Frontières Market.
HOSTILE TAKEOVER (Canada, 1988) – dir. George Mihalka
Police surround a hydroelectric plant where an armed accountant (David Warner) is holding his boss (Michael Ironside) and colleagues (Kate Vernon, Jayne Eastwood) hostage while they all work overtime during the Thanksgiving vacation. Released in some territories as OFFICE PARTY. Special Presentation of Library and Archives Canada (LAC)’s New 4K Scan.
HOUSE WITH THE LAUGHING WINDOWS (Italy, 1976) – dir. Pupi Avati
A brilliant, unsettling outlier for the Italian giallo from the great Pupi Avati (ZEDER). A haunting meditation on art, madness, and the failure of reason against pagan chaos, set in a village where silence conceals a disturbing legacy. Canadian Premiere of Arrow Films’ New 4K Restoration.
MIXED BLOOD (USA, 1985) – dir. Paul Morrissey
A drug-dealing matriarch who lives with her son and his gang of juvenile delinquents starts a brutal turf war in Alphabet City in this long-unavailable cult classic from the legendary Paul Morrissey (FLESH FOR FRANKENSTEIN, TRASH). A family film in the same sense as John Waters’ similarly acerbic FEMALE TROUBLE. World Premiere of Vinegar Syndrome’s New 4K Restoration.
THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS (USA, 1993) – dir. Henry Selick
It’s Christmas–and Halloween–in July! Celebrate a very special evening at Fantasia with genre cinema’s most iconic composer, Danny Elfman, which includes the presentation of a Career Achievement Award, the World Premiere of Eddie Alcazar’s wild animated short film BULLET TIME (scored by Elfman, of course), and a rare big-screen showing of Henry Selick’s kooky, spooky stop-motion musical masterpiece which–over three decades after its release–remains a beloved icon around the world.
LOOKING FOR AN ANGEL (Japan, 1999) – dir. Akihiro Suzuki
A late-1990s queer classic that sheds light on a vision of Japan rarely seen on the big screen. Intimate and honest, the movie follows two friends in search of meaning after the death of their friend Takachi, a young porn star from a small rural town. Underground Section. Canadian Premiere of Kani Releasing’s New 2K Restoration.
NIGHT OF THE JUGGLER (USA, 1980) – dir. Robert Butler
Take a wild ride through one of the scuzziest, seamiest entries in the late ‘70s/early ‘80s New York City crime-film canon as James Brolin tears Manhattan apart to rescue his daughter, kidnapped by a twisted psycho after mistaking her for the child of a wealthy businessman. From the director of TURBULENCE. World Premiere of Kino Lorber’s New 4K Restoration.
NOROI: THE CURSE (Japan, 2005) – Koji Shiraishi
In celebration of Koji Shiraishi (SADAKO VS. KAYAKO, HOUSE OF SAYURI) attending the festival to present his new project at the Frontières Market, Fantasia is proud to host a special 35mm screening of his cult horror classic NOROI: THE CURSE.
PINBALL SUMMER (Canada, 1980) – dir. George Mihalka
George Mihalka’s first feature film celebrates the summer of 1980 with its colorful arcana, funky, whiter-than-white music, gleaming cars, customized minivans, and fashion victims. PINBALL SUMMER is an ode to free-spirited youth, shot on Montreal’s South Shore in Oka Park and at La Ronde.
The complete lineup and schedule of events can now be found at Fantasia’s official website; ticket pre-sales begin at 10 a.m. this Friday, July 4.
