Festivals - Fantasia 2021 : Discover the second wave of features

By Mulder, 23 june 2021

The Fantasia International Film Festival will launch its 25th edition this summer as an exciting virtual event composed of scheduled screenings, on-demand library, panels, and workshops, taking place from August 5th to August 25th. The festival will be accessible across Canada, geo-locked to the country, and will maintain unique film admittance quantities in line with the cinema experience.

Fantasia is thrilled to reveal a second wave of programming and will return in late July with a third and final line-up announcement, including features, virtual events, and juries. In celebration of Fantasia’s 25th anniversary, the international film festival will be hosting a special event screening of the eagerly awaited Warner Bros. Pictures superhero action adventure The suicide squad. The in-person screening will be held on August 4 at Montreal’s historic Imperial Theater (birthplace of the fest) and tickets will be available to the public. The film releases in theaters on August 6.

The suicide squad is written and directed by long-time Fantasia friend James Gunn, who first attended the fest in 1997 and whose previous comic book blockbuster Guardians of the galaxy made its Canadian Premiere at Fantasia in 2014. Gunn’s no-holds-barred take on the DC team-up finds Super-Villains Harley Quinn, Bloodsport, Peacemaker and a collection of cons incarcerated at Belle Reve prison joining the super-secret, super-shady Task Force X as they are dropped off at the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese.

On August 5, Fantasia will officially open with the world premiere of previously announced Québec production, Julien Knafo’s Brain Freeze.

Love, life and goldfish (International Premiere)

Makoto Kashiba, a dramatically introverted Tokyo elite bank clerk gets transferred to the middle of nowhere after impulsively insulting his boss in Yukinori Makabe's (I am monk) heartwarming and colorful J-pop musical manga adaption Love, life and goldfish. The film follows as Makoto must learn to express himself in other ways to prevent future outbursts, and becomes a beautiful reminder of the importance of freeing ourselves from self-imposed barriers. This feature will surely leave an uncontrollable smile on your face.

Martyrs Lane (World Premiere)

In this haunting and poignant ghost story from British writer/director Ruth Platt (The lesson, The black forest), ten-year-old Leah (Kiera Thompson) lives in a large vicarage, full of lost souls and the needy. In the day the house is bustling with people; at night it is dark, empty, a space for Leah's nightmares to creep into. A small, nightly visitor (Sienna Sayer) brings her comfort, but soon she will realise that her little visitor offers knowledge that might be very, very dangerous. Tragic and unsettling with phenomenal performances and bottomless otherworldly atmosphere, Martyrs lane is a stunning, eerie triumph of a film. Co-starring Denise Gough (Monday) and Steven Cree (Otlander). 

Poupelle of Chimney town (North American Premiere)

Adapted from the picturebook by popular Japanese comedian Akihiro Nishino, Poupelle of Chimney town, the official closing film at IFFR this year, is a heartfelt rollercoaster ride through a nonstop cavalcade of eye-popping animated visual delights. Nishino’s tale – the celestial quest of a boy and his friend, a man made of garbage – is brought to life by veteran CG animator Yusuke Hirota and the cutting-edge talent at STUDIO4ºC (Tekkon kinkreet, mind game, children of the sea).

Fortune favors lady nikuko (North American Premiere)

Following the wondrous, well-received Children of the sea (2019), director Ayumu Watanabe returns with a quirky, candid, colourful anime comedy-drama. Based on a book by author Kanako Nishi, an astute observer of the human condition, Fortune favors lady nikuko demonstrates with precision and panache how the most ordinary people and places can be quite extraordinary! 

#Blue_whale 

Spiraling paranoia and gut-wrenching dread tear through #Blue_whale, the feature debut from Russian writer/director Anna Zaytseva, whose shorts have won no less than 16 awards on the festival circuit. A provincial town is shaken by a wave of mysterious teen suicides. Researching the death of her younger sister, schoolgirl Dana (Anna Potebnya) comes across a sickening social media game that encourages youths to take horrific self-harm challenges. Aiming to hunt down those responsible for her sister’s death, she registers for the game, opening a doorway into the cruelest of hidden online worlds. Co-produced by Timur Bekmambetov and shot in the Screenlife storytelling format that he pioneered, #Blue_whale taps into something insightfully disturbing about the ways that teens can find themselves manipulated online. Fantasia’s launch of the film continues the festival’s history by showcasing Screenlife works, having World Premiered the format’s inaugural bow, Unfriended (under its early title Cybernatural). The festival has also hosted the International Premiere of Unfriended: dark web, the North American bow of Profile, and the Canadian Premiere of Searching. 

Yakuza Princess (World Premiere)

Few are left standing in Yakuza princess, a stylish and violent action thriller starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers (vikings) and Japanese American singer Masumi (posse). Directed by Vicente Amorim (Motorrad, Good) and adapted from Danilo Beyruth’s graphic novel Shiro, the film unfolds in the expansive Japanese community of Sao Paulo in Brazil and follows Akemi (Masumi), an orphan who discovers she is the heiress to half of the Yakuza crime syndicate. After forging an uneasy alliance with an amnesiac stranger (Meyers) the two must unleash war against the other half of the gang who wants her dead. Co-starring Tsuyoshi Ihara (letters from iwo jima), Toshiji Takeshima (S.W.A.T.), and Eijiro Ozaki (The man in the high castle). 

It’s a summer film (North American Premiere)

Barefoot (Marika Ito) is a consummate cinephile who dreams of making her own movies. When her high school club proves uninterested in samurai films, she pushes through the saccharine consensus, sword in hand, for a shoot far stranger than she bargained for. Soushi Matsumoto’s joyful debut It’s a summer film is, as the name suggests, the film of the summer– a pitcher-sized blend of high-spirited, high-school idealism with a sprinkling of genre delights: from the luminous tropes of the high school coming-of-age, to the nostalgic throwback of chambara, to the more unexpected detours into the realm of science-fiction. 

Ghosting Gloria (World Premiere)

Gloria (Stefania Tortorella) needs an orgasm. When was the last time she had one? She doesn’t know if she’s ever had one. So begins Marcela Matta and Mauro Sarser’s sophomore feature, following 2016’s Los modernos, Ghosting gloria, acharming and surprising genre-bender that switches between horror, fantasy, and  offbeat comedy — all wrapped up in a whimsical and subversive romance. Gloria’s orgasm issue is easily solved when she finds the right man. There is just one issue: he’s a ghost. What brings real spark is the film’s sex-positive spin on the theme of finding Mr. Right, its boisterous moments of mindblowing (sometimes wholly inappropriate) erotic comedy, and Gloria’s rich, wider world. If you ever wanted to know what something like Tie me up! tie me down! would look like if it was crossed with The Entity, here is the place to find out. 

Voice of silence (North American Premiere)

Two anonymous crime-scene cleaners working for different gangs are assigned an unprecedented task that thrusts them both on a descent into hell: they must kidnap a child. With Voice of silence, director and screenwriter Hong Eui-jeong delivers a hard-hitting, masterful, debut feature that has garnered critical and audience acclaim, including prestigious awards in her homeland. This is a daring thriller with a compelling story starring Yoo Ah-in (#Alive), one of South Korea's biggest stars, who delivers one of his best performances in a silent role. 

Jigoku-no-hanazono ~ office (Canadian Premiere)
Workplace drama goes too far in Kazuaki Seki’s Jigoku-no-hanazono ~ office royale ~! where brutal gang wars are waged right next to the photocopier and on their lunch breaks. Screenwriter Bakarhythm delivers an engaging and smart story with hilarious meta narration that winks to manga conventions as comic-book battles roll out one after another. 

Hotel Poseidon (International premiere)

A keen absurdist sense of humour meets a wonderfully inventive production design in Hotel Poseidon, a Belgian feature debut from future cult favourite Stefan Lernous. The film unfolds in a giant rotting hotel as a series of tableaus and vignettes, its unique production design bolstered by an incredible soundscape and otherworldly camera movements. Deliciously nauseating and singular in tone and artistry, Hotel Poseidon stands among titans as a debut that seemingly emerged straight from the gooey mercurial swamplands where life on earth first appeared. With hints of David Lynch (especially his work as a painter) and flourishes reminiscent of the Brothers Quay, this is the kind of remarkable and iconoclastic vision that only arrives once in a blue moon. 

Sakura (North American Premiere)

Adapted from Kanako Nishi’s novel of the same name, Sakura is a charming family chronicle with a nostalgic flavour, where the current narrative is regularly punctuated by flashbacks illustrating the childhood and adolescence of its characters. Directed with great tenderness and sensitivity by Hitoshi Yazaki (Sweet little lies), it includes touches of humour, powerful melodramatic moments, and an adorable dog who keeps this dysfunctional family unit together. 

Stanleyville (World Premiere)

Congratulations! You have been chosen from hundreds of millions of candidates to be the very first spectators to witness the debut feature from Canadian filmmaker Maxwell McCabe-Lokos, following his acclaimed shorts Ape Sodom (2016) and Midnight Confession (2017). In Stanleyville disillusioned office drone Maria Barbizan (Susanne Wuest, Goodnight Mommy) decides one day to do what we all dream of; she throws her purse and life away and joins an enigmatic contest to win a... car. A ‘competition to probe the very essence of mind-body articulation” lead by a curious host (Julian Richings, Cube) in a mesmerizing puzzle à la Satre's No Exit that will keep you
guessing until the very end. 

Hello! Tapir (Canadian Premiere)

It has the body of a pig, the trunk of an elephant, the ears of a horse, and the feet of a rhinoceros, and at night it passes through sleeping villages and gobbles up people’s nightmares. When his family’s fishing boat is towed back into the village harbour without his father on it, eight-year-old Ah Keat seeks out the benevolent beast for help. Kethsvin Chee’s luminous, kind-hearted fantasy drama Hello! Tapir examines the realities of loss and grief through a lens tinted with magic and wonder. 

Back to the Wharf (Canadian Premiere)

After 15 years away, Song has returned home. Once the best student with his whole life radiantly ahead of him, he’s forced to leave town after accidentally killing a man in a fit of rage. Time passes, until his best friend, now a successful yet shady real-estate developer, becomes determined to upset the status quo. In Back to the Wharf, festival favourite Li Xiaofeng (ASH) elevates the film noir with a superior script, tragic characters, and a sharp reflection on how China’s modernization can transform a family.

The Beta Test (USA) (Canadian Premiere)

In Jim Cummings’ acclaimed third feature, following Thunder road and The wolf of snow hollow, a married Hollywood agent (Cummings) receives a mysterious letter for an anonymous sexual encounter and becomes ensnared in a sinister world of lying, infidelity, and weaponized digital data. the beta test is a witty and subversive black comedy/thriller that drips with venom and style. Co-starring Virginia Newcomb, PJ McCabe, and Kevin Changaris. Official Selection: Berlinale 2021, Tribeca 2021.

Broadcast signal intrusion (USA) (Canadian Premiere)

In the late 90s, a video archivist (Harry Shum Jr) unearths a series of sinister pirate broadcasts and becomes obsessed with uncovering the dark conspiracy behind them. A freakish new nightmare from the director of Synchronicity, broadcast signal intrusion uses real-life broadcast hacks as the jumping-off point for an engrossing technological thriller. Co-starring Kelley Mack and Chris Sullivan. Official Selection: SXSW 2021. 

Collectors (South Korea) (Canadian Premiere)

A tomb raider assembles a ragtag team to steal an unobtainable artifact. Part Korean historical adventure, part gripping crime thriller, and part character-driven comedy; Park Jung-bae's impressive feature debut Collectors is the perfect fusion of Ocean's eleven and Raiders of the lost ark featuring an all-star cast led by the talented Lee Je-hoon (Bleak night). 

Dreams on fire (Canada-Japan) (North American Premiere)

Dreams on fire tells the story of Yume, a young Japanese woman making her way into the world of dance in Tokyo. Featuring colourful visuals and spectacular dance scenes, the film depicts an environment with no place for the weak. Exploring different Japanese dance styles, the debut feature from Philippe McKie, a Quebec filmmaker who’s been living in Japan for 10 years, stars popular dancer Bambi Naka in her first
leading role. Official Selection: Glasgow Film Festival 2021. 

Georama boy panorama girl (Japan) (Canadian Premiere)

Ah, teenage romance! It's full of embarrassing misunderstandings and cruel twists and turns that make you feel like your life is over. Director and screenwriter Natsuki Seta (A liar and a broken girl) exposes this delicate period of our life with this beautiful, sensitive, and touching coming-of-age story adapted from Kyoko Okazaki’s manga.

Hold me back (Japan) (Quebec Premiere)

Mitsuko (Non) thrives on being alone –until her heart gets in the way. The latest from rom-com master Akiko Ohku (Tremble all you want) that shatters the conventions of the genre and culminates in a psychologically-driven portrait of a woman on the verge of a personal breakthrough (or breakdown?). Winner of the Audience Award, Tokyo International Film Festival 2020. 

Mother schmuckers (Belgium) (Canadian Premiere)

Mother schmuckers follows 24 hours in the absurd and adventurous lives of Belgian misfits Issachar and Zabulon, their father (Mathieu Amalric), and a parade of characters, each more dim-witted than the last. The debut feature from the Guit brothers is a crazy, trashy, and wacky comedy, reminiscent of comedic masters Tim & Eric by way of Gaston Lagaffe comics and Step brothers, and full of deliriously over-the-top poop jokes, self-produced cinematic inventiveness, and the largest dose of camp you’ll see this year. Official Selection: Sundance 2021. 

Ora, Ora, be goin’ alone (Japan ) (Quebec Premiere)

Momoko (Yuko Tanaka), a 75-year-old widow living alone in the suburbs of Tokyo, reflects on her younger self (Yu Aoi) and the “voices of her heart” come alive as a comedic trio that transports her through the past and present. Official Selection: Busan International Film Festival 2020, Tokyo International Film Festival 2020. 

Paul Dood’s deadly lunch break (UK) (Canadian Premiere)

Bodies begin to stack in the aftermath of a talent competition gone bad as big-hearted, well-meaning loser Paul Dood (Tom Meeten) becomes simultaneously internet famous and hunted by the police. The hilarious sophomore feature from regular Ben Wheatley collaborator Nick Gillespie (TANK 432) co-stars Alice Lowe, Johnny Vegas, and Kris Marshall. Official Selection: SXSW 2021. 

Prisoners of the ghostland (USA) (Canadian Premiere)

A notorious criminal (Nicolas Cage) must break an evil curse in order to rescue a girl (Sofia Boutella) who has mysteriously disappeared in the insane US debut of legendary Japanese filmmaker Sion Sono (LOVE EXPOSURE, COLD FISH). Co-starring Nick Cassavetes, Tak Sakaguchi, and Bill Moseley. Official Selection: Sundance 2021.

Sexual drive (Japan) (Canadian Premiere)

Fermented soybeans, mapo tofu, fatty pork ramen. A sex film without sex; three unexpected stories of food and libido, from new school pinku director Kota Yoshida. Official Selection: International Film Festival Rotterdam 2021. 

Strawberry mansion (USA) (Canadian Premiere)

In a future where the government records dreams and taxes them, a dream auditor (co-director Kentucker Audley) gets caught up in an aging eccentric's subconscious. Richly cinematic, playfully inventive, and very, very funny, this unconventional fantasy-romance will have you smiling through the rest of the year. From the makers of Sylvio. Official Selection: Sundance 2021, Seattle Film Festival 2021. 

Time (Hong Kong) (Canadian Premiere)

Two big stars of Hong Kong’s golden age, Petrina Fung and Patrick Tse (Shaolin soccer), play former assassins who struggle to maintain relevance in the modern world. In order to put their martial arts mastery to use, they form the Guardian Angels of the Elderly, a team who use their skills to help the elderly out of their misery, whether it’s due to sickness or being jaded with life. This first feature from director Ricky Ko is a nostalgic dark comedy that freshly explores social issues regarding old age with humor, heart, and action. Official Selection: Hong Kong International Film Festival 2021, International Film Festival Rotterdam 2021. 

The 25th edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival will be presented by Videotron in collaboration with Desjardins, and will be made possible thanks to the financial assistance of the Government of Quebec, SODEC, Telefilm Canada, the City of Montreal, the Conseil des arts of Montreal and Tourisme MontreĢal. A final wave of Fantasia 2021 titles will be announced in late July, with ticket sales commencing shortly afterwards.

For more information, visit us on the web at www.fantasiafestival.com

(Source : press release)