The Fantasia International Film Festival returns with a bang, announcing its first wave of premieres for the event that will run from July 18th through August 4th, 2024. This initial slate is filled with hotly anticipated projects from a variety of both up-and-coming and established names – a diverse lineup that promises something for everybody.
Famed horror director Chuck Russell (“A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors,” “The Blob,” “The Scorpion King”) returns for the world premiere of “Witchboard.” This reimagining of the 1986 Canadian cult classic stars Madison Iseman alongside Aaron Dominguez as a couple who discover an ancient artifact and are exposed to evil spirits. They enlist the help of an occult expert played by Stranger Things’ Jamie Campbell Bower.
One of the most anticipated projects is the directorial debut of YouTube film critic Chris Stuckmann, “Shelby Oaks.” The project has been in development for a while, initially funded by a hugely successful Kickstarter campaign. Now, with the backing of horror super producer Mike Flanagan, this horror project promises big thrills and even bigger chills as Fantasia will house its world premiere.
More world premieres include Jayru Bustamante’s “Rita,” fresh off his success with 2019’s “La Llorona,” following the real-life events of when 41 young women needlessly burned to death in an orphanage attempting to protest against the inhumane conditions, “Infinite Summer” a psychedelic sci-fi film about a rogue meditation app from Miguel Llansó, and “The Dead Thing” a directorial debut from Elric Kane that deconstructs dating apps and the modern dating scene.
There are in addition to world premieres for “The Making,” a Korean action comedy from director Hwang Wook, “Dead Dead Full Dead,” a whodunit from Mumbai filmmaker Pratul Gaikwad, “Hell Hole” from John and Lulu Adams, an old school sci-fi-horror that Shudder has picked up, and even a film about a deadly wrestling cult with Chris Jericho as its leader, “Dark Match”!
North American premieres include; “Confession,” a contained thriller taking place in a mountain cabin. Lucía Puenzo’s “Electrophilia” a Cronenbergian tale about a woman who wakes up from a coma after being struck by lightning, “Penalty Loop” a time-loop film about a man looking on the hunt for justice after the murder of his girlfriend, and “Fly Me to The Saitama: From Biwa Lake with Love,” a long-awaited sequel to the 2019 “Fly Me to the Saitama,” that promises a return to the fantastical version of Japan, with equally hilarious hijinks.
Finally, after a successful premiere at SXSW earlier this year, “Hunting Daze” from Annick Blanc, about a girl who finds refuge in a rowdy group of hunters, the documentary about heavy metal band “Voivod: We are Connected,” “A Samurai in Time,” about a fish-out-of-water film about a samurai transported to modern times, and “This Man” from Tomojiro Amano, a fusion of Eastern and Western horror films, about a woman who has visions of her friends disappearing, have all also been announced as part of this first wave.
This is the first bulk of films; however, there are many more to be announced over the coming weeks, so stay tuned to find out the full festival lineup!
