Fantasia XXIX: Ten Titles To Steal Your Attention At This Year’s Festival!

The 29th edition of Fantasia Festival kicks off next week on July 17. All the films have been announced and you can catch up with the full listing here or at the official website, and mind you, there’s over 125 titles along with hundreds of shortfilms PLUS awarded evengs to boot.

Invariably, our site will be covering a selection of films. The coverage will be remote as I am not in Montreal, and that means I probably won’t get to review some of these features that have my eye. The good news is that many of these titles are interesting, along with a few that I’ve already seen and enjoyed.

For this, below is our anniversarial curtain raiser to help garner your interest: at least ten titles that will surely put some butts in seats this year. Read on!

I FELL IN LOVE WITH A GRADE-Z DIRECTOR

Kenichi Ugana’s latest follows a down-on-her-luck screen star spiraling in both her career, and love life, until a recent trip to New York City sees her crossing paths with a passionate low-budget filmmaker, giving her a renewed sense of purpose, and a new chance at romance.

I’ve only seen two of Ugana’s movies so far, including The Gesuidouz, which feels ardently like one of the most poignant slice-of-life dramedies I’ve ever seen after Ugana’s enlivening zombie romp, Visitors: Complete Edition. To say the least, Ugana has my attention, and I love a good story, even if romance isn’t exactly my thing.

THE FORBIDDEN CITY

They Call Me Jeeg and Freaks VS The Reich director Gabriel Mainetti returns to us with his latest appeal to the martial arts moviegoing masses, featuring Mulan stunt double Yaxi Liu, and actor Enrico Borello. Set in Rome, worlds collide when a Chinese woman’s search for her sister, as well as the father of a struggling restauranteur, finds the two crossing paths in their quest for answers while facing off with the city’s criminal underbelly.

Apart from Mainetti’s ceremony and Liu’s credits, perhaps one of this film’s other major selling points is the involvement of fight choreographer Liang Yang of Mission: Impossible – Fallout fame. Invariably, a lot more of his work can be seen in current promos for the film’s upcoming German release. I honestly hope the PR stewards are able to make this one available to us remote guys, but I think the crowd on hand will enjoy this one.

BLAZING FISTS

One of two Takashi Miike projects this year, this one stars Kaname Yoshizawa and Danhi Kinoshita in the story of two young men in a juvenile reformatory who venture to partake in an mixed martial arts tournament. The film is inspired in part by a hit reality tournament fighting series.

The title is the film’s international iteration of the film’s locally titled Blue Fight, but don’t let that be a factor in your viewing choices. I’ve been a Miike fan since Ichi The Killer and Crows Zero, so yeah, this one’s right up my alley.

ALL YOU NEED IS KILL

Kenichiro Akimoto’s animated take on Hiroshi Sakurazaka’s novel feels like a much-needed step in the right direction, following the story of a sullen loner whose life gets snuffed out by a plant-like extraterrestrial invading Earth. With a vision that doesn’t try to outdo Doug Liman’s Edge Of Tomorrow, I’m looking forward to a film that’s entirely its own thing…

Commence the time-loop thrills and kickassery!

REDUX REDUX:

More time loop thrills are abound in the latest from directing duo Kevin and Matthew McManus, about a woman (Michaela McManus) desperate to kill and avenge her daughter’s murder as many times as it takes until she can save her life. The film is already hitting festivals ahead of its Canadian Premiere and I knew very little about this film until I finally took a look at a trailer during this write-up.

I hate that I’m only just getting wind of it but as they say, better late than never!

STUNTMAN

Two generations of Hong Kong stuntmen collide when a retired old-school stunt professional, and an aspiring stunt prospect are brought onto a new project for a young hot star and his team. Directed by sibling stunt pros Herbert and and Albert Leung, the film stars celebrated Hong Kong stunt stalwart Stephen Tung Wai in a role tailormade for him, delivering an inviting action drama for Hong Kong action fans.

Read my review from last year!

OMNISCIENT READER: THE PROPHECY

I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out director Kim Byung-woo’s latest as essential viewing, especially with a logline like the following: “An ordinary office worker suddenly finds his favorite apocalyptic web novel unfolding in real life before his eyes.”

Starring Ahn Hyo-seop and Lee Min-ho along with Chae Soo-bin, Shin Sung-ho, Nana, and BLACKPINK’s JiSoo, the film opens in South Korea soon, followed by Capelight’s North American release thereafter, which pretty much rounds things out to the festival’s benefit. Sign me up!

Well Go USA is currently handling Kang Hyung-chul new superheroic adventure stateside, while welcoming folks attending Fantasia to enjoy the spectacle. Starring Yoo Ah-in, Oh Jung-se, Park Jin-young, Ahn Jae-hong, Lee Jae-in, Ra Mi-ran, Kim Hee-won, and Shin Gu, the film sees five organ donor recipients imbued with tattoos and superpowers, joining forces when a fellow patient, a maniacal cult leader, surfaces with deadly powers of his own.

The film comes from the man who brought us Swing Kids, which I’ve only ever heard good things about. So, I’m sold!

HOLY NIGHT: DEMON HUNTERS

It’ll be a while before Pig Village arrives. Until then, fans of actor Don Lee can still check out this new supernatural actioner which is still available in North America. That it’s getting some big screen time at Fantasia also makes it a welcome feat, with Lim Dae-hee shepherding the tale of a team of demon-hunting investigators whose latest case sees our heroes battling a demonic cult to save the life of a young woman from the Devil itself.

Don’t miss my review from May!

BULLET IN THE HEAD

Shout! Studios has made fine work of getting the attention of Hong Kong action fans this year with its announcemnts of upcoming re-releases. This ultimately includes John Woo’s 1990 classic crime thriller set in 1967 when an act of violence sees three childhood friends jettison from Hong Kong to Vietnam, ensuing a series of explosive events that ultimately test their friendship.

I’ve never seen this film, which makes me all the more excited for its release from Shout!, in addition to its Canadian premiere in 4K, adding to the film’s stellar theatrical rollout amid the label’s Hong Kong Cinema Classics brand in New York City and Los Angeles.