Fantasia XXVIII: Swords, Sorcery, Salutations And More In The Second Wave!
Fantasia Festival 2024 is looking better and better. The second wave is here listing a new raft of titles to shore up excitement from folks looking to attend the twenty-eighth edition.
The 2nd wave news also enlists a Canadian Trailblazer award for Vincenzo Natali whose 1997 debut, Cube, is getting a 4K-restored world premiere courtesy of the Canadian Film Center. As for the rest of the announcement, take a gander at the gallery below and additonal title announcement beneath. .
Oof, this curtain raiser is gonna be a doozy. Check it all out below, and catch up on the first wave if need be, and do stay tuned for the full line-up and then some!
ADDITIONAL SECOND WAVE TITLES:
100 YARDS (China) – Dirs. Xu Haofeng and Xu Junfeng
Family secrets, demimonde politics, and romantic entanglements complicate the rivalry between two skilled martial artists in the 1920s. The latest from masterful genre auteur Xu Haofeng (THE SWORD IDENTITY, THE FINAL MASTER), co-directed by his own brother, once again reconciles authenticity and inventiveness, and rewards its attentive audience a hundred times over. Quebec Premiere.
AZRAEL (USA) – Dir. E.L Katz
In a post-apocalyptic world, Azrael (Samara Weaving, READY OR NOT) must fight tooth and nail to rescue her partner from a cult of mute religious fanatics in the year’s most vicious tale of revenge. From the acclaimed director of CHEAP THRILLS and the screenwriter of YOU’RE NEXT and this year’s GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE, this relentless thriller also stars Nathan Stewart-Jarrett (FEMME), Sebastian Bull (SONS), and Victoria Carmen Sonne (HOLIDAY). Winner of Best Feature, Best Actress, and Best FX Audience Awards at Panic Fest 2024. Canadian Premiere.
BRAVE CITIZEN (South Korea) – Dir. Park Jin-pyo
A former boxer, now a part-time teacher, dons a mask and deals with high school bullying the hard way. Based on the popular webtoon, BRAVE CITIZEN is a stylishly entertaining Korean action flick from the director of VOICE OF A MURDERER and YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE, with great characters and intense fight scenes. Canadian Premiere.
BRUSH OF THE GOD (Japan) – Dir. Keizo Murase
Two teens must save the world from a many-headed, mythological dragon in this generously self-referential giant-monster movie from 88-year-old master tokusatsu artisan Keizo Murase, who makes his directorial debut following a lifetime crafting monster suits for all of Japan’s best-known kaiju films. Canadian Premiere.
CARNAGE FOR CHRISTMAS (Australia) – Dir Alice Maio Mackay
Alice Maio Mackay (T-BLOCKERS) returns to Fantasia with an early Christmas present (with some help from THE PEOPLE’S JOKER’s Vera Drew, on editing duty). Bloody, ironic, and uproarious, CARNAGE FOR CHRISTMAS tells the story of true-crime podcaster Lola who returns to her hometown at Christmas for the very first time since running away and transitioning – meanwhile, the vengeful ghost of a historical murderer and urban legend seemingly arises to kill again! Official Selection: Salem Horror Fest, Inside Out Toronto. Underground Section. Quebec Premiere.
DARKEST MIRIAM (Canada) – Dir: Naomi Jaye
Following her debut feature THE PIN, Naomi Jaye now adapts the Giller Prize short-listed novel ‘The Incident Report’ by author Martha Baillie as DARKEST MIRIAM. In it, Miriam (Britt Lower of AppleTV’s Severance) is a library worker dealing with her father’s death, threatening letters at work, and an unexpected lover, all of which threaten to change her solitary life forever. Starring Tom Mercier (THE ANIMAL KINGDOM), Sook-Yin Lee (SHORTBUS), and Jean Yoon (CBC’s Kim’s Convenience), and executive produced by Academy Award-winner Charlie Kaufman (ADAPTATION). Septentrion Shadows Section. Canadian Premiere.
DON’T CALL IT MYSTERY (Japan) – Dir. Hiroaki Matsuyama
In this compelling whodunit adapted from a popular, award-winning manga and subsequent hit TV series, college student Totonou (Masaki Suda of THE BOY AND THE HERON), known for his sharp observation skills, becomes entangled in a complicated family feud involving mysterious deaths. Canadian Premiere.
FAQ (South Korea) – Dir. Kim Da-min
A stressed-out elementary-school student secretly befriends a bottle of rice wine that can communicate through Morse Code. Director Kim Da-min’s debut feature is a heartwarming sci-fi/coming-of-age story guaranteed to make you smile. Canadian Premiere.
KRYPTIC (Canada, U.K.) – Dir. Kourtney Roy
A part of XYZ Films’ New Visions with a World Premiere at SXSW 2024 and Canadian Premiere at CUFF, Kourtney Roy’s debut feature KRYPTIC follows Kay (Chloe Pirrie of THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT and HANNA), a woman on a mysterious quest. A strange forest encounter leads her to search for a missing cryptozoologist – who bears a striking resemblance to Kay – and the monster she was hunting. KRYPTIC is a doppelganger story of self-discovery and empowerment, and a must-see for audiences wanting a colourful spectacle that defies genre with strange, gooey interludes and atmospheric landscapes. Septentrion Shadows Section. Quebec Premiere.
THE MISSING (Philippines) – Dir. Carl Joseph Papa
The death of Eric’s uncle triggers a suppressed childhood memory – and the return of his alien abductor – in director Carl Joseph Papa’s third animated feature: a queer, surreal hybrid of romance, drama, and sci-fi embracing digital rotoscope animation and featuring internationally renowned Filipino actress Dolly De Leon (TRIANGLE OF SADNESS). Animation Plus Section. Canadian Premiere.
NOT FRIENDS (Thailand) – Dir. Atta Hemwadee
Hoping to win a short-film competition, Pae decides to direct a tear-jerking tribute to former classmate Joe, who tragically passed away, even though they weren’t actually friends. Atta Hemwadee’s feature debut was Thailand’s entry in the Best International Feature category for this year’s Academy Awards. Canadian Premiere.
ODDITY (Ireland) – Dir. Damian McCarthy
A blind medium (Carolyn Bracken, YOU ARE NOT MY MOTHER) uncovers the truth behind her sister’s death with the help of a frightening wooden mannequin. One of the scariest and most imaginative films you’ll see anywhere this year. Winner of the Midnighter Audience Award at SXSW 2024. Quebec Premiere.
WAKE UP (Canada / France) – Dirs. François Simard, Anouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissell
This tense, gore-soaked new shocker from homegrown Fantasia favorites RKSS (TURBO KID, SUMMER OF ’84, WE ARE ZOMBIES) pits a gang of Gen Z activists against a hulking security guard murderously protecting the big-box store they’ve invaded after hours. Official Selection: Fantastic Fest 2023, Sitges 2023. Canadian Premiere.
YIN YANG MASTER ZERO (Japan) – Dir. Shimako Sato
A wily apprentice sorcerer and his dim but good-hearted best friend (Kento Yamazaki of KINGDOM and Shota Sometani of PARASYTE) confront dark forces in Heian-era Japan. Handled with panache by writer-director Shimako Sato (EKO EKO AZARAK, K-20: LEGEND OF THE MASK), the popular historical-fantasy franchise returns to the big screen. Canadian Premiere.”
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