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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 ).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Lee B. Golden III

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.