The 22nd edition of the Fantasia Film Festival looks to be a can’t miss event for fans of films of all sorts. Over the three blissful weeks of the festival you can see films of all different genres from Sci Fi to drama to comedy to thriller to action and back to documentary. The festival aims to provide film goers with variety, quality and films you would not normally get the opportunity to see on the big screen. Pick up the hefty program and start reading the descriptions which will have you as passionate about what is being screened as the organizers.
As the festival runs a long time and there are a ton of films (over 100) being screened let us help you out with selecting some of the most intriguing films to go see. Here are five of them:
- Satan’s Slaves by Ted Geoghegen: A million scares a minute is how this one should be billed. It is a remake of a film of the same title from 1980. It centers around a family in which the mother has been sick for three years. After she dies the mother returns home to collect her children. It is a horror film chock full of ghosts, demons, scares, and zombies.
- Mandy: This is the closing film of the festival. It stars Nicholas Cage in what is said to be his best film in many a year. Filled with stuff that is nightmare inducing due to all the violence, blood and satanic creatures. The story concerns a man seeking vengeance against a cult leader who has turned his life on its head.
- The Man Who Killed Hitler Then Bigfoot: Even the title is intriguing. It sells you on taking a leap of faith to see it, no? Plus it has the solid and highly watchable Sam Elliott as its leading man. Plus you get the man, Douglas Trumbull, behind the special effects of Blade Runner
- Summer of ’84: A local production from the crew that was behind the previous Fantasia success, Turbo Kid. It is a horror film that focuses on teenagers a la Stranger Things. The kids believe that their neighbour, who is a police officer, is actually a serial killer. So the teenagers spend their summer trying to collect proof of that. The closer they get to accomplishing that the more dangerous it becomes for them.
- Tigers are Not Afraid: This is possibly THE film to see of the festival. Childhood fear and fantasy are wrapped up in this fable. Here, orphans living in a Mexican town struggle to survive against a deadly drug cartel and, as if that is not bad enough, a supernatural threat. Director/writer Issa Lopez gets some rather heartbreakingly honest portrayals out of his young cast.
Showing that it remains just as important in the film industry the festival will attract over 400 industry types as well as over 500 guests hailing from all facets of filmmaking from directors, producers as well as actors/actresses.
As someone who attends most of the film festivals that happen in Montreal, I have to admit that Fantasia is one of the one I look forward to the most. Tickets are now on sale, so hurry to get ones for your favourite films before they sell out.
Additional Information:
-Dates: July 12 – August 2, 2018
-Venues: Hall Theatre Concordia (1455 de Maisonneuve West), J.A. de Sève Theatre (1400 de Maisonneuve West), McCord Museum (690 Sherbrooke West), Cinematheque Quebecoise (335 de Maisonneuve East), York Amphitheatre (1515 Ste. Catherine West), Place du Paix – Le Village du Pied-du-Courant (2100 Notre Dame East), Imperial Cinema (1430 Bleury)
-Website: www.fantasiafestival.com
-Ticket Purchase: Fantasia Box Office (1455 de Maisonneuve West) or www.admission.com
-Ticket Prices:
INDIVIDUAL TICKETS – $12.00 (online) or $11.00 (box office)
10 TICKET BOOKLET – $110.00 (online) or $100.00 (box office)
20 TICKET BOOKLET – $200.00 (online) or $180.00 (box office)