Share it

MONTREAL, May 5, 2026 — The Fantasia International Film Festival has officially announced the first wave of titles for its milestone 30th edition. The festival is set to run from July 16 through August 2, 2026, returning to its flagship venues at Concordia’s Hall and J.A. de Sève cinemas, with additional programming at Cinéma du Musée.

This landmark year highlights a blend of returning “family” filmmakers and high-profile international premieres across the genre spectrum.

World Premieres & Competition Highlights

The festival’s prestigious Cheval Noir Competition features several major global debuts:

  • Hot Spot (Poland): Directed by Agnieszka Smoczyńska (The Lure), this near-future sci-fi noir stars Noomi Rapace and Andrzej Konopka. It explores a murder investigation within a society governed by sentient AI.

  • The Last Temptation of Becky (USA): Director Jenn Wexler returns with the third chapter of the Becky saga. Lulu Wilson reprises her role as a CIA agent taking on a modern-day Nazi leader played by Neil Patrick Harris.

  • No Rest for the Wicked (Denmark): A queer vampire folk-horror set in the 19th-century Faroe Islands, starring Pilou Asbæk and newcomer Egor Venned.

  • Sour Minnows (USA): Harrison Atkins’ experimental “hangout” film involving supernatural conspiracies and reality-warping encounters in Los Angeles.

  • Home Bodies (Canada): A surreal sci-fi thriller from director Casey Walker, focusing on twins governed by a mysterious voice.

International & Asian Genre Spotlight

  • Kung Fu (Taiwan): Marking Taiwan’s first martial-arts fantasy in four decades, director Giddens Ko adapts his own novel with action sequences by the award-winning Korean team Triple A.

  • You Are The Film (Japan): The directorial debut of screenwriter Makoto Ueda (River), featuring a real-time cinematic experiment where characters interact across a three-kilometer distance.

  • The Eyes (South Korea): A high-intensity reimagining of the Spanish thriller Julia’s Eyes, starring Shin Min-a as a woman hunting her sister’s killer while battling degenerative blindness.

  • AnyMart (Japan): A satirical horror debut from Yusuke Iwasaki set in a toxic convenience store environment, recently featured at the Berlinale 2026.

  • Sleep No More (Indonesia): A “blood-soaked” body horror critique of industrial labor conditions set in a haunted wig factory.

Special Sections & Documentaries

  • Unholy Night: A holiday horror feature from Michael Gabriele featuring a “nonna who won’t die” and a battle against undead relatives on Christmas Eve.

  • Ferine: A stylish return to classic Italian horror from Andrea Corsini, featuring a score by the legendary Pino Donaggio.

  • Rubberhead: The Life & Monsters of Steve Johnson: A documentary world premiere detailing the career of the FX master behind Ghostbusters and Spider-Man 2, featuring interviews with John Landis and Guillermo del Toro.

  • Tight Lettuce: Inspired by a true story, this film explores the ravages of addiction through a son documenting his father’s struggle.

Bob Skeetes is an enigmatic figure whose interests veer into the peculiar and the obscure. A lifelong observer of life's quirks, he tends to keep his distance from the world, navigating it with a mix of bemusement and quiet contemplation. With a collection of oddities that reflects his eccentric worldview, Skeetes is often found at the fringes, pondering society’s strange and subtle moments. Despite his detachment, he holds a deep affection for the misunderstood and the overlooked, always finding meaning in the seemingly insignificant.

Similar Posts