fantasia 2023

Fantasia XXVII: THE ROUNDUP, HUNDREDS OF BEAVERS, More Announced Among Audience Award Winners

The 27th edition of Fantasia Festival has come to a close and the audience awards have been announced as of Monday. I didn’t get to screen and cover as many films as I wanted to this year so I’m walking away a little disappointed, but I’m particularly pleased to see some of these selections getting their deserved reception, namely Mike Cheslik’s Hundreds Of Beavers and Don Lee actioner The Roundup: No Way Out, the latter which I haven’t seen yet and hope to rectify at some point in the not-too-distant future. Reviews are catalogued here for this year’s edition if you’re interested in the write-ups. As for all else, read on for the winners and keep an eye open for forthcoming date annoucements on Fantasia XXVIII! August 15, 2023 – The Fantasia International Film Festival wrapped its successful 27th edition last week on August 9th. In addition to the previously […]

French Actioner MAYHEM! Goes To IFC Films For U.S. Release In 2024

Lee B. Golden III

Just ahead of its upcoming premiere at Fantasia in Montreal, Xavier Gens’ Mayhem! is on deck to release in 2024 from IFC Films. The film stars Nassim Lyes along with Olivier Gourmet, Loryn Nounay, Vithaya Pansringarm and Sahajak Boonthanakit, from a script by Magali Rossitto, Guillaume Lemans and Gens. Here are the programming notes via the fest’s Matthew Kiernan: Sam (Nassim Lyes) is a man without freedom. With a few months left on his prison sentence, the amateur boxer enters a work furlough program that allows him to taste the freedom to come. But that freedom proves elusive and a tragic event forces Sam to flee to Thailand, where years later he believes he’s found it with a loving wife (Loryn Nounay) and daughter. They hope to build a new life on a beachfront property, but ruthless local gangster Narong (Olivier Gourmet) stands in their way. In order to obtain […]

Fantasia XXVII Review: In RESTORE POINT, Robert Hloz’s Debut Resuscitates Czech Sci-Fi From Dormancy

Lee B. Golden III

Robert Hloz’s feature debut, Restore Point, is a turning point for genre cinema out of the Czech Republic. Reportedly the first film of its kind in the region since Oldřich Lipský’s A Heartfelt Greeting From Earth, Hloz’s film is also the latest to garner the kind of reception likening it to other notable titles with its arena, namely hits like Blade Runner and Minority Report according to Justin Langlois’s Fantasia programming notes. I’d throw it in with a few other notable titles but I simply haven’t seen that many sci-fi movies to lend a fair comparison that wouldn’t get me chewed out by someone with a little more viewing experience than me. Indeed though, Hloz is apt at the genre with a look and production quality that earns its hype, and a story that bodes more as a slow-burn sci-fi crime procedural. It’s an intricately detailed affair that does take […]

The purpose of the image is to showcase the film per the line-up in my gallery for Fantasia ahead of its screening.

Fantasia XXVII Review: Kim Jae-Hoon’s DEVILS, And The Ones We Know…

Lee B. Golden III

Kim Jae-hoon’s feature debut, Devils, left me with a few mixed feelings by the second half. Nevertheless, there’s no denying the marketing savviness it takes to push a crime thriller such as this one, with a campaign that hints at the film being a number of things if you’re used to certain types of genres. What starts as a gut-wrenching crime procedural centered on Seoul’s Major Crimes unit’s efforts to bring a gang of dark web serial killers to justice is brought full circle with an engrossing twist on the “body-swap” genre. It’s more psychological than anything, with dogged detective Jin-hyeok (Oh Dae-hwan) set on solving a series of gruesome murders at an abandoned hideouts where the internal rooms and halls are all adorned in neon paint and ultraviolet light. The incident leads to another tragedy days before an anonymous tip soon leads the unit to another hideout where sadistic […]

Fantasia XXVII Review: VINCENT MUST DIE, Or Must He?…

Lee B. Golden III

The screening link I watched for Stéphan Castang’s feature debut, Vincent Must Die, starts off post-credits with a funny little edit. I don’t think it was part of the movie, glitch or no, but the rest basically falls into place from top to bottom so as to not distract from this review’s intent. The film took off pretty well while at Cannes and has since begun plotting its commercial releases with XYZ Films taking stateside. Karim Leklou stars along with Vimala Pons, François Chattot and Michaël Perez for a story already subject to largely prasieworthy reviews, and even festival programming notes via Fantasia likening Castang’s work to that of Edgar Wright, sans sprightly editing and overtly comical flair. Rather, screenwriter Mathieu Naert takes things down a slightly more darker route while upholding the absurdity and laughs at times. Deadpan energy punctuates the violence a few times amid the multiple spurts […]

Fantasia XXVII Review: In SHIN KAMEN RIDER, Hideaki Anno Reaffirms A Beloved Tokusatsu Classic

Lee B. Golden III

Arriving just in time for the 50th anniversary, Shin Kamen Rider marks the latest treatment reviving the beloved Tokusatsu franchise first birthed on the small screen in 1971 from creator Shotaro Ishinomori. It’s a franchise that’s right on par with the cadre of Showa-era hitmakers that still bear relevance to this day, which film duo Shinji Higuchi and Hideaki Anno have been apt to revisit in recent memory via their Shin Japan Heroes Universe. For Shin Kamen Rider, the aforementioned Anno took on writing and directing duties with none other than Sosuke Ikematsu setting the stage in the role that made the classic TV series a hit for the ages. Joined by Ruriko Midorikawa (Midori Hamabe), Takeshi Hongo (Ikematsu) is successfully rescued from the clutches of a mysterious organization that nearly brainwashed him after transforming his body into a cybernetic Grasshopper hybrid. Little does Hongo know that his newly-minted body […]

The purpose of this photo is to illustrate Nicolas Cage as a highlight for the upcoming Fantasia International Film Festival, with photo use provided to press by the festival.

Fantasia XXVII Cancels Nic Cage Award Ceremony

Lee B. Golden III

Small programming note for anyone minding the business goings-on with the 27th edition of Fantasia. The festival announced over the weekend that Nicolas Cage is rescinding his invite to this year’s festivities in response to the SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists ). We’re sad to announce that due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, Nicolas Cage will no longer be able to attend the festival next weekend. We’ll be updating our website regularly as we receive news from other announced guests while circumstances evolve. Our hearts are with the actors, as well as with the WGA, and we hope to see the unions get a fair deal soon. Cage was set to receive the Cheval Noir Career Achievement Award at Fantasia, which is also screening his latest film from director Yuval Adler, Sympathy For The Devil. The film also stars Joel Kinnaman and is set […]

The purpose of the poster is to showcase the artwork intended to spotlight the upcoming festival and its dates.

Fantasia XXVII: ‘Assassins’, ‘Cats’, Vamps, Kick-Ass Ex-Cons And More Curtain Raiser Selects For This Year’s Festival

Lee B. Golden III

I’m still not entirely sure if the wizards over at Fantasia Festival have outlined the full list of titles to come. They have made some surprise announcements with last minute titles and so I’m keeping my eyes peeled just in case my suspicions are correct. Until then, as always, the requisite “curtain raiser” article is now up and running ahead of Fantasia next week and in case you’re not yet excited (and you should be), the latest announcement line-up can be viewed here. I’ve taken the liberty of assembling a gallery of ten-point-eleven selections to help brew your interest. Simply tap the images on the browser, then tap the “i” icon to scroll down and read the summaries. Honorable mentions go to Czech sci-fi thriller Restore Point, South Korean cop actioner The Roundup: No Way Out, Yuval Adler’s Nicolas Cage headliner Sympathy For The Devil, Kazuyoshi Kumakiri’s unnerving contained thriller […]

FANTASIA XXVII: Nicolas Cage Feted, RKSS Returns, Genre Selects, Asian Action And More In The Final Wave!

Lee B. Golden III

Fantasia Festival is fast approaching, and I’m just a ways from completing my curtain raiser but I wanted to wait until the final wave was out and in full for the complete line-up. Alas, now I have the goods, and so does everyone else who plans to attend or cover the festival, and this final wave is FULL. THE HELL. UP. We have a tribute to Nicolas Cage, screenings of signature titles like Tiger Stripes and Ms. Apocalypse, horror titles like Pandemonium and noir thriller Femme to name a few. I love that Baby Assassins 2 is getting some love this summer, as well as Hundreds Of Beavers which I got to check out, Korean period thriller Phantom and Reiki Tsuno’s delightful Mad Cats. Even Stephen Chow starrer God Of Cookery has a spot here. I recommend tuning in to the goings-on with Fantasia this summer, and check back for some more […]

EMPIRE V: Banned From Russia, Catch The Official Trailer For Victor Ginzburg’s New Fantasia-Bound Sci-Fi Horror Thriller

Lee B. Golden III

Firstly premiering on Deadline this week, we have a trailer now running for Russian-set sci-fi horror thriller, Empire V. The film was announced in the first wave back in May for this summer’s 27th installment of Fantasia Festival which launches on July 20. Empire V was adopted for the screen by filmmaker Victor Ginzburg, and based on Victor Pelevin’s 2006 publication. Previously set to release in Russia last year from Sony, the film was pulled by the Kremelin following the country’s war on Ukraine, just one week ahead of its scheduled release. Ensuingly, principal cast member, actor and recording artist Miron Yanovich Fyodorov (a.k.a. Oxxxymiron) was labeled a “foreign agent” by the Kremelin for his anti-war stances. He is joined by actors Pavel Tabakov, Taya Radchenko, Miron Fedorov and Vera Alentova. Empire V is billed as “a social parody of modern Russian society being controlled by vampires.” It centers on […]

Fantasia XXVII: Red Rooms, Sympathy For The Devil, Shin Kamen Rider And More Outline The Second Wave!

Lee B. Golden III

The 27th edition of Fantasia Festival is heating up with another round of titles, including several of which are already the talk of the interwebs. Pascal Plante’s Red Rooms will be the big opener this summer while the latest debut from internet stars Danny and Michael Phillippou will shake things up with their latest A24 prospect, Talk To Me. Nicolas Cage is also set to bring some of his usual signature electricity opposite Joel Kinnaman in Sympathy For The Devil which is set to arrive this summer from RLJE Films as well, along with two intriguing new XYZ Films acquisitions, French survival horror, Vincent Must Die and Czech sci-fi thriller noir Restore Point. Some additional and exciting titles are Suitable Flesh from director Joe Lynch of Mayhem and Point Blank fame, Hideaki Anno’s Shin Kamen Rider, Soi Cheang’s Mad Fate, and much, much more to be announced before the festival […]

FARANG: Don’t Miss The Ballistic Official Trailer For The New Xavier Gens Action Thriller!

Lee B. Golden III

I’m guilty of hyping a lot of things, especially in reactionary form. Also, I particularly enjoy being right about these things, and so when I see the first official trailer for Xavier Gens’ latest feature action thriller, Farang given my previous post, I can sit comfortably in the notion that my friend Monsieur Ambroisine was likely onto something. The same can invariably be said for the good, kind folks at Fantasia Festival who will be lending Gens’s new movie World Premiere status this July under its international titling, Mayhem!. The film, featuring French-Algerian actor and martial artist Nassim Lyes and action sequences by Gangs Of London vet Jude Poyer, will release in France on June 28, and was also included in the first wave of titles announced by Fantasia a few weeks ago. Here’s how they pitched it: XAVIER GENS BRINGS SHATTERING FISTFULS OF MAYHEM! Xavier Gens (FRONTIER(S), GANGS OF […]

Fantasia XXVII: Don Lee, Tokyo Revengers, Werewolf Thrillers, Xavier Gens’ Latest And More In The First Wave!

Lee B. Golden III

You know it’s gonna be another good year for films and film festivals when Fantasia’s first wave looks like this. The 27th edition of Fantasia Festival is coming this July and the inaugural round of titles have been announced with more to come in the second wave early June. The best part about this is the announcement comes with the additions of Don Lee’s threequel starrer in The Roundup: No Way Out, among other headlining Korean selects, and Takuya Kitamura’s latest lead role in the two-part Tokyo Revengers finale, as well as the world premiere of Hitman and Gangs Of London vet Xavier Gens’ Mayhem! (or Farang as it’s regionally titled) to name a few. Other exciting titles I see include the latest from Jenn Wexler called The Sacrifice Game, Georgina Campbell starrer Lovely, Dark, And Deep, and Larry Fessenden’s Werewolf thriller, Blackout among others in the current line-up published Thursday. […]

FANTASIA XXVII: The Nine-Tailed Fox Takes Center Stage In The Official Poster For The 2023 Edition!

Lee B. Golden III

Here’s your annual pictoral reminder that a new edition of Fantasia Festival is on the way and I cannot wait to dive into the incoming line-up announcements. It’s one of my favorite festivals to date, and this latest poster design comes by way of Montreal visual artist Donald Caron whose inspiration for the nine-tailed fox design stems from East Asian and Korean folklore. There’s more info on the festival at its official website. Until then, take a gander at the goods below, and then get excited. Not necessarily in that order though… you do you.