Year after year, the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal, Quebec, delivers an astounding array of exciting genre films from around the globe. Eternally dedicated to showcasing emerging talent alongside more established creators, Fantasia’s programming embraces a beautifully broad definition of what genre cinema is, has been, and will be. With the full lineup of films now officially announced for the festival’s 28th edition, here are a few that I am particularly excited to check out at Fantasia 2024.
AZRAEL
Thanks to her turns in READY OR NOT, SCREAM VI, THE BABYSITTER, MAYHEM, ASH VS. EVIL DEAD (and more), Samara Weaving has cemented herself as an eternally welcome horror film presence. Though well-known for her comedic chops and effortless “cool girl” aura, AZRAEL looks to showcase a slightly different side of Weaving.
Presented without almost zero dialogue, AZRAEL takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where Weaving and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett portray two cult members who escape and make a break for it. However, before long, the pair find themselves recaptured with the intent of sacrificing Azrael to appease an ancient evil that lurks in the surrounding wilderness.
Directed by E.L. Katz (CHANNEL ZERO) and written by Simon Barrett (THE GUEST, YOU’RE NEXT), AZRAEL looks to present an intriguing blend of folk horror, thriller, and survival horror all its own. And I, for one, can’t wait to experience it. AZRAEL will make its Canadian Premiere at the festival.
THE DEAD THING
As a longtime listener and fan of the COLORS OF THE DARK podcast (and its previous incarnations), catching Elric Kane’s first solo-directed feature film is a no-brainer. For years, I’ve admired and appreciated Kane’s thoughts, opinions, and insights on genre cinema, and I can’t wait to see how they all translate to the screen. The fact that Kane’s friend and podcast co-host Rebekah McKendry is also the film's executive producer only sweetens the deal.
The official synopsis reads, “A young woman lost in a series of meaningless connections falls in love with a charismatic and sensitive man who hides a dark secret that turns her affair into a dangerous obsession.” THE DEAD THING stars Blu Hunt, Ben Smith-Petersen, and Katherine Hughes and will be making its World Premiere at the festival.
WITCHBOARD
Director Chuck Russell has given us some truly incredible genre films over the years. His 1988 remake of THE BLOB is unquestionably way better than it has any right to be, and A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: DREAM WARRIORS is the reigning internet champion for fave Freddy film. So, seeing his name attached to a modern spin on Kevin S. Tenney’s 1986 cult film, WITCHBOARD, piques more than just a few fans' interest. WITCHBOARD (2024) will make its World Premiere at Fantasia.
Similar to the original, the synopsis for the new WITCHBOARD reads:
“Emily, her fiancé Christian, and their group of friends have opened a new organic café in the French Quarter of New Orleans by renovating an old carriage house. However, things take a dark turn when Emily finds an ancient pendulum board that was once used for summoning spirits. Concerned for Emily's well-being, Christian seeks the help of an occult expert named Alexander Babtiste, who has knowledge of the bloodlines that connect them to the witchboard. As events unfold, a modern coven of White Witches, a masked ball at Babtiste's mansion, and the legacy of Naga Soth, the Queen of Witches, all become part of a dangerous game that puts Emily's soul in peril.”
WAKE UP
RKSS, the filmmaking trio consisting of Canadian directors François Simard, Anouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissell, has garnered a dedicated cult following thanks to their films TURBO KID and SUMMER OF 84. Known for their ability to craft moving, nostalgia-fueled genre films that still manage to feel fresh and innovative, RKSS appears to be continuing this tradition with their latest film, WAKE UP.
Openly playing on slasher film tropes, the WAKE UP synopsis reads:
“In an attempt to draw attention to the environmental crisis, young activists decide to invade and vandalize a furniture store. The protest quickly turns into a massacre when they find themselves trapped with a hunting-obsessed night guard.”
Complete with a strong visual identity and an exciting young cast that includes Benny O. Arthur, Turlough Convery, Tom Gould, and Jacqueline Moré, WAKE UP is one of my most anticipated releases at Fantasia, where the film will make its Canadian Premiere.
SHELBY OAKS
Admittedly, I don’t know much about YouTuber Chris Stuckmann. However, I do know that his film SHELBY OAKS has been a labor of love years in the making. After blowing past the original Kickstarter goal and adding impressive names like Mike Flanagan, Aaron B. Koontz, and Ashleigh Snead to the producer list, I can’t lie and say I’m not intrigued. Add in the fact that the SHELBY OAKS cast includes Keith David, and I’m in.
Playing out like a documentary, SHELBY OAKS follows a woman named Mia who is desperately searching for her long-lost sister, a popular paranormal YouTube series co-host. Soon, the mystery becomes a full-on obsession and deeply sinister when Mia realizes that an evil imaginary entity from her childhood might not have been so imaginary after all. The film will make its World Premiere at the festival.
The 2024 Fantasia International Film Festival runs July 18 to August 4 in Montreal, Quebec, principally at the Concordia Hall and J.A. de Sève cinemas, with additional screenings at the Cinémathèque québécoise and Cinéma du Musée. For more information, please visit the Fantasia website here.
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