Fantasia festival line-up

Edgar Wright’s The World’s End

When the Fantasia Film Festival opens next week on July 18, it will immerse the city of Montreal in its 120-feature line-up of genre films, until August 6. The fest, now in its 17th edition, promises to exceed all expectations with this years’ film selection.

In previous announcements we were told that the official opening film will be Takashi Miike’s Shield of Straw and that the official closing film will be Edgar Wright’s The World’s End. That there will be a special three-night theater engagement of Clive Barker’s A History of the Devil, that James Wan’s The Conjuring will be screened on opening night, and that the Lifetime Achievement Award will go to Andrzej Żuławski.

There will be extensive artist talks with Bryan Singer and Simon Boswell, the world premiere of Joe Swanberg’s 24 Exposures and that Quebec cinema will be celebrated with Robert Morin’s Les 4 Soldats, Renaud Gauthier’s Discopath, Eric Falardeau’s Thanatomorphose, Stobe Harju’s Imaginareum and Jean-Claude Lauzon’s Night Zoo.

Previous films that were announced include: Lorenzo Bianchini’s Across the River, Aharon Keshales & Navot Papushado’s Big Bad Wolves, E.L. Katz’s Cheap Thrills, Dilip Ghosh’s Commando: A One Man Army, Eddie Mullins’s Doomsday, Sebastian Hofmann’s Halley, Richie Mehta’s I’ll Follow You Down, Herman Yau’s IP Man- The Final Fight, Satoshi Miki’s It’s Me, It’s Me, Richard Stanley’s The Otherworld, Shinsuke Sato’s Library Wars, Sebastian Silva’s Magic, Magic, Sean Ellis’s Metro Manila, Lloyd Kaufman’s Return to Nuke ‘Em High, Vol. 1, Jeon Kyu-hwan’s The Weight, Bobcat Goldthwait’s Willow Creek, Kenji Kamiyama’s Cyborg, Marcal Forés’ Animals, Cody Calahan’s Antisocial, Jacob Vaughan’s Bad Milo, Mike Mendez’s Big Ass Spider!, Felix Van Groeningen’s Broken Circle Breakdown, Anthony Dixon’s The Dead Experiment, Matt Johnson’s The Dirties, James Sizemore’s The Demon’s Rook, Takashi Ishii’s Hello, My Dolly Girlfriend, Lee Wonsuk’s How to Use Guys with Secret Tips, Yuichi Fukuda‘s I’ll Give It My All … Tomorrow, Jeff Chang’s Machi Action, Anthony DiBlasi’s Missionary, Darren Paul Fisher’s OXV: The Manual, Dennis Iliadis’s Plus One, Guido Van Driel’s Resurrection of a Bastard, Ronny Yu’s Saving General Yang, Jang Cheol-soo’s Secretly Greatly, Logan and Noah Miller’s Sweetwater, and Moriro Miyamoto’s Uzumasa Jacopetti.

And today they announced the following:

The rest of the films:

World Premiere of Don Mancini’s Curse of Chucky: it returns Chucky to the scarier roots of the series’ initial entries, going more for the jugular than the funnybone. Hosted by Writer / Director Don Mancini and select members of the cast.

International Premiere Toya Sato’s Gatchaman: based on Tatsuo Yoshida’s 1970s anime TV series Science Ninja Team Gatchaman also known as Battle of the Planets!

Fantasia is teaming up with Just for Laughs to showcase outdoor projections of silent comedy classic with live musical accompaniment: For one night only, on the evening of July 22, Montreal cinephiles will have a rare chance to experience a trio of silent-era comedy masterpieces starring Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Laurel & Hardy, projected under the stars on a giant outdoor screen, with live piano accompaniment by the renowned composer Gabriel Thibaudeau. Screenings will take place on JFL’s Videotron Stage in the Quartier de Spectacles in downtown Montreal.

DOCUMENTARIES FROM THE EDGE RETURNS

Fantasia’s popular doc section is back. Along with the previously announced World Premiere of Richard Stanley’s extraordinaryThe Otherworld, audiences can look forward to:

I AM DIVINE (USA) Dir: Jeffrey Schwartz: A rollicking and touching documentary tribute to Harris Glen Milstead, more famously known as Divine, the 300-pound transvestite performance artist who found a lifelong collaborator in filmmaker friend John Waters. Official Selection: SXSW, Sheffield Doc/Fest 2013. Quebec Premiere.

THE KILLING OF AMERICA (USA) Dir: Sheldon Renan: A special retro screening of Sheldon Renan and Leonard Schrader’s transgressive powerhouse documentary about the darker side of life in the late ‘70s  USA

MISTAKEN FOR STRANGERS (USA) Dir: Tom Berninger: What happens when a rock star invites his brother to accompany him on tour? Chaos, simply! Official Selection: Hot Docs 2013. Quebec Premiere

REWIND THIS! (USA) Dir: Josh Johnson: A passionate geek doc that not only follows the life and death of the videocassette, but also the amazingly complex backstory of how it became a format for the ages – transforming from after-thought into obsession. Official Selection: SXSW 2013. Canadian Premiere. Hosted by Director Josh Johnson, Producer Carolee Mitchell & Cinematographer / Editor Christopher Palmer.

 PLUS two phenomenal documentary shorts: Josh Koury and Myles Kane’s WE WILL LIVE AGAIN (Official Selection: Tribeca Film Festival 2013) and Adam Abouaccar’s MINIACI: DOLBY OF THE IMAGE (winner at the 40th Concordia Film Festival).

WRAP YOUR RETINAS AROUND OVER 200 SHORTS

The festival will highlight short films from around the world including astonishing new works from Katsuhiro Otomo (AKIRA), Robert Morgan(BOBBY YEAH), Jörg Buttgereit (NEKROMANTIK), Masaaki Yuasa (MIND GAME), Sofia Carrillo(PRITA NOIRE), RKSS (T IS FOR TURBO) and Yeun Sang-ho (THE KING OF PIGS). Seek them out in our assortment of short film showcases – DJ XL5’s DECADENT ZAPPIN’ PARTY, FAR EAST FRAGMENTS, THE OUTER LIMITS OF ANIMATION 2013, SLIPSTREAMS AND ECLECTIC SHEEP and SMALL GAUGE TRAUMA 2013, as well as in front of select features and within the body of Fantasia’s FANTASTIC WEEKEND OF QUEBECOIS SHORTS, the latter a parallel event that celebrates the best of our homegrown talent.

The final title announcements for the 2013 festival line-up:

5-25-77 (USA) Dir: Patrick Read Johnson: An autobio coming-of-age tale about an aspiring fantastic film director from smalltown USA who gets one of the first peeks at a little sci-fi project by one George Lucas… Quebec Premiere. Hosted by Writer / Director Patrick Read Johnson.

AFTER SCHOOL MIDNIGHTERS (Japan) Dir: Hitoshi Takekiyo: A school’s morbid monsters of the night are no match for a trio of irrepressible little girls in this charming, distinctive and eye-poppingly weird work of 3D digital animation from Japan. Official Selection: Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2013, Raindance Film Festival, Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival 2012. North-American Premiere.

THE APOLOGY KING (Japan) Dir: Nobuo Mizuta: About an eccentric motivational speaker running the Tokyo Apology Centre, which advise in the age-old Japanese practice of apologizing known as “dogeza”. World Premiere.

BAD FILM (Japan) Dir: Sion Sono: This is simply a must for any self-respecting Sonophile, as well as one of this year’s most exciting retro discoveries, for any fan of loud, abrasive and subversive Japanese cinema. Official Selection: Hong Kong International Film Festival 2013. Canadian Premiere.

THE BATTERY (USA) Dir: Jeremy Gardner: Exquisitely crafted, this microscopically budgeted buddy movie breathes new life into the once stale zombie subgenre with a smart and contemplative approach to the road movie. Quebec Premiere.  Hosted by Director/Writer/Actor Jeremy Gardner & select members of the cast.

BERSERK GOLDEN AGE ARC 2: THE BATTLE FOR DOLDREY (Japan) Dir: Toshiyuki Kubooka: Guts, Griffiths and the Band of the Hawk hack and slash their way to the top of the bloody heap in this spectacular animated work of medieval mayhem that makes GAME OF THRONES seem like a pillow fight. Official Selection: Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2013.  Canadian Premiere.

BERSERK GOLDEN AGE ARC 3: DESCENT (Japan) Dir: Toshiyuki Kubooka: Leaving the blood-soaked battlefields of medieval Midlands behind, the Band of the Hawk are drawn ever deeper into something far more dire and nightmarish as the manga adaptation draws to an apocalyptic close. North-American Premiere.

BLACK OUT (Netherlands) Dir: Arne Toonen
: Reformed criminal Jos Vreeswijk wakes up after his bachelor party to a gun, a corpse, and 24 hours to retrieve a Russian mobster’s stolen drugs. Official Selection: Fantastic Fest 2012. Canadian Premiere

BOOMERANG FAMILY (South Korea) Dir: Song Hae-sung: Bolstered by an amazing cast, this engaging dramedy laced with Korean trash talk showcases a family that may be at each other’s throats, and leaves disaster in its wake, but holds together through anything. Quebec Premiere.

BOUNTY KILLER (USA) Dir: Henry Saine: Exploding with charm, violence and laughs BOUNTY KILLER pops with an entertaining comic-book vibe and a hearty love for genre cinema. International Premiere. Hosted by Actors Christian Pitre and Barak Hardley.

THE BURNING BUDDHA MAN (Japan) Dir: Ujicha: Gruesome abductions, a mysterious monk, monstrosities from a realm beyond our grasp… A truly independent oddity, using the forgotten “gekimation” (live-action paper cutout) technique. Weird, wondrous and way out there! North-American Premiere.

BUSHIDO MAN (Japan) Dir: Takanori Tsujimoto: Seven master fighters, seven meals to meditate on, seven noble challenges and a whole lotta chop-socky fun in a low-budget, high- octane martial arts delight from the man behind HARD REVENGE MILLY! Official Selection: Yubari Fantastic Film Festival 2013. North-American Premiere.

A COMPANY MAN (South Korea) Dir: Lim Sang-yoon: Ji Hyeong-do is a model employee — the best hitman at his agency. A muscular action film masterfully directed, done the way only Koreans can. A COMPANY MAN is an auspicious feature directorial debut from  Lim Sang-yoon, Canadian Premiere.

THE COMPLEX (Japan) Dir: Hideo Nakata: Surprising and disturbing, THE COMPLEX marks the long-awaited return to the J-horror genre of Hideo Nakata (RINGU, DARK WATER).Official Selection: International Film Festival Rotterdam 2013, Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival 2013, Udine Far East Film Festival 2013.  Canadian  Premiere.

CONFESSION OF MURDER (South Korea) Dir: Jung Byung-gil: White-knuckle chases, ferocious fights, sharp social critique and black humour abound in this thriller about a battle-scarred cop consumed with busting a killer who’s become a star since publishing his confessions. WINNER: Thriller Award, Brussels International Film Festival 2013. Canadian Premiere.

COTTAGE COUNTRY (Canada) Dir: Peter Wellington: Till death do us part! Todd’s weekend in the great Canadian wilderness with his fiancée is about to become a nightmare of blood-red butchery and black comedy starring Tyler Labine (TUCKER & DALE VS EVIL, MONSTERS UNIVERSITY) and Malin Akerman (WATCHMEN).  North-American Premiere.

DRUG WAR (Hong Kong) Dir: Johnnie To: The great Johnnie To reunites with screenwriter Wai-Kai Fai to deliver a stylish, edge-of-your-seat crime drama with the kind of perfectly choreographed action sequences that confirm To as a true master of his delectable art. Official Selection: Rotterdam International Film Festival 2013, Seattle International Film Festival 2013. Quebec Premiere.

EVANGELION: 3.0 YOU CAN (NOT) REDO (Japan) Dir: Hideaki Anno: Fourteen years have elapsed since the last film’s events — alliances have shifted and the stakes have raised in Hideaki Anno’s masterful feature-film revision of his challenging and amazing EVANGELION anime series! North-American Premiere.

FATEFUL FINDINGS (USA)  Dir: Neil Breen: Bill and Ted would agree this is the best movie on Earth and… let’s leave it that way. Showcasing at the Nuit excentrique, Neil ”I AM HERE NOW….” Breen’s new film is the next sensation in cult cinema. To quote Alain Resnais, “vous n’avez encore rien vu!” Official Selection: Seattle International Film Festival 2013. International premiere.

FRANKENSTEIN’S ARMY (Netherlands) Dir: Richard Raaphorst
: Soviet soldiers in enemy territory discover the grandson of Doctor Frankenstein carrying on the family tradition, raising an army of undead machine-men — for the Nazis! Official Selection: Rotterdam International Film Festival 2013, Tribeca Film Festival 2013. Canadian Premiere.

THE GANGSTER (Thailand) Dir: Kongkiat Khomsiri: Humane melodrama, brutal street violence, intricate criminal politics and greasy-haired rock ’n’ roll hoodlum cool collide in this immersive evocation of the Thai gangster scene at a dangerous, dynamic time in history. Official Selection: Udine Far East Film Festival 2013, New York Asian Film Festival 2013. Canadian Premiere.

THE GARDEN OF WORDS (Japan) Dir: Makoto Shinkai: A series of meetings in the park are the thread of this anime tale of something like love, both deep and forever distant… A turn to realism from Makoto Shinkai (CHILDREN WHO CHASE LOST VOICES FROM DEEP BELOW), to many eyes the heir to Miyazaki’s throne. Canadian Premiere.

GO DOWN DEATH (USA) Dir: Aaron Schimberg: The essence of creative madness, the experimental 16mm Black & White GO DOWN DEATH is an impossible symphony of the macabre evocative of early Guy Maddin and David Lynch that like a Tom Waits song will bewitch your senses. Official Closing Film of this year’s Camera Lucida section. International Premiere. Hosted by Director Aaron Schimberg

LES GOUFFRES (France) Dir: Antoine Barraud: Fantasia proudly invites you to plunge into the impossible world of Antoine Barraud, one of the most innovative directors to come out of France since Marina De Van gave us the shocking DANS MA PEAU in 2002. North-American Premiere.

THE GRAND HEIST (South Korea) Dir: Kim Joo-ho: This Korean period-piece spin on the OCEAN’S ELEVEN formula of the elaborate, ensemble-cast crime caper flick boasts a lively pace, quick wit and clever comedy, effective drama and exciting thrills (and a dash of sweet romance)! WINNER: Best Film, Orient Express Competition, Fantasporto International Fantastic Film Festival 2013. Canadian Premiere.

THE GREAT PASSAGE (Japan) Dir: Yuya Ishii: The director of SAWAKO DECIDES (winner, Best Film, Fantasia 2010) and MITSUKO DELIVERSreturns with another sensitive character study of an introverted young man throwing himself into editing an ambitious dictionary. Official Selection: Hong Kong International Film Festival 2013, Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival 2013. Canadian Premiere.

HATCHET III (USA) Dir: BJ McDonnell: Showing off-site as a special Fantasia co-presentation with Raven Banner and Cineplex’s fantastic Sinister Cinema screening series. Hosted by Actor / Stuntman Kane Hodder.

HELL BABY (USA) Dirs Robert Ben Garant, Thomas Lennon: Rob Corddry, Leslie Bibb and Keegan Michael Key star in the Sundance comedy/horror hit about an expectant couple who move into a haunted fixer-upper in New Orleans. Canadian Premiere.

HELTER SKELTER (Japan) Dir: Mika Ninagawa: LiLiCo is on the cover of every magazine, the object of lust and idolatry for all that enter her orbit. But perfect beauty is nothing more than a lovely nightmare. Official Selection: BFI London 2012, New York Asian Film Festival 2013. Canadian Premiere.

HK/FORBIDDEN SUPER HERO (Japan) Dir: Yuichi Fukuda: Disguised by a pair of panties, the Masked Pervert is the world’s first sex-fiend superhero! Pervert power for the win! Official Selection: Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival 2013, New York Asian Film Festival 2013. Canadian Premiere.

HORROR STORIES (South Korea) Dirs: Jung Bum-shik, Lim Dae-woong, Hong Ji-young, Kim Gok, Kim Sun, Min Kyu-dong: This tremendously entertaining omnibus horror film serves as a showcase of six up-and-coming South Korean horror directors. Official Selection: Sitges 2012, Hong Kong International Film Festival 2013. Canadian Premiere.

LES KAÏRA (France) Dir: Franck Gastambide: Whaddaya do when you lust for glory yet haven’t a cent to your name? You go into porn! North-American Premiere.

KEY OF LIFE (Japan) Dir: Kenji Uchida: A failed actor usurps the identity of a hired killer who has been struck by amnesia. Great idea! This little gem of comedy carried by deadpan hilarious humour, sharp dialogue and stunning plot twists has charmed crowds everywhere it’s played. WINNER: Best Screenplay Award, Shanghai International Film Festival 2012, Official Selection: Toronto International Film Festival 2012, Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival 2013. Quebec Premiere.

THE LADY ASSASSIN (Vietnam) Dir: Quang Dzung Nguyen: An isolated tavern is the lair of a band of beautiful killers… An impressive piece of historical fantasy that overflows with intrigue and fight scenes standing proudly alongside those of Vietnam’s Asian neighbors. International Premiere.

THE LAST TYCOON (Hong Kong) Dir: Wong Jing: Director Wong Jing (GOD OF GAMBLERS, LAST HERO IN CHINA) reunites with the great Chow Yun-Fat for a grand Chinese gangster saga, paying tribute to the crime epics of Coppola and Leone, and the stylistic flourishes of Johnnie To and John Woo. Winner: Best Art Direction, Best Original Film Song, Hong Kong Film Awards 2013. Canadian Premiere.

LESSON OF THE EVIL (Japan) Dir: Takashi Miike: Takashi Miike, makes a powerful return to exploitation cinema with what may well be the single most shocking film of his career. Official Selection: Rome Film Festival 2012, International Film Festival Rotterdam 2013. Canadian Premiere.

LOVE ETERNAL (Ireland) Dir: Brendan Muldowney: A taciturn man accompanies a series of women as they take their own lives. Despite its macabre premise, this important discovery is an unconventional ode to life that will reach into your heart. Featuring extraordinary performances by Robert de Hoog (TRICKED) and Pollyanna McIntosh(THE WOMAN).  International Premiere. Hosted by Actress Pollyanna McIntosh.

THE MACHINE (UK) Dir: Caradog James: In the near future, a scientist develops cybernetic technology that can fuse human and machine. Aesthetically impeccable, smartly directed and straight up cool, THE MACHINE is a superb fable, pro-science and antiwar, starring Toby Stephens (SEVERANCE) and THE PACT’s Caity Lotz. Official Selection: Tribeca Film Festival 2013. Canadian Premiere. Hosted by Writer / Director Caradog James

NUMBER 10 BLUE S / GOODBYE SAIGON (Japan/Vietnam) Dir: Norio Osada: One of the most exciting retro discoveries in years, this stunning insider’s look at the Vietnam War by Kinji Fukasaku collaborator Norio Osada (best known as the screenwriter of LADY SNOWBLOOD) flows with the madcap energy unique to 1970s counter-culture/exploitation cinema. Official Selection: International Film Festival Rotterdam 2013. North-American Premiere

RAZE (USA) Dir: Josh Waller: More than the usual women-in-prison film, the brutal, violent, Zoë Bell (DEATH PROOF) starring RAZE hits its mark like a roundhouse to the face, a refreshing, relentless addition to a genre too long associated with gratuitous sex and girls taking showers. A tough-as-nails entry in this year’s Action! Section, RAZE, also stars Rachel Nichols and Sherilyn Fenn. Official Selection: Tribeca Film Festival 2013. International Premiere. Hosted by Director Josh Waller and Actress Zoë Bell.

RITUAL: A PSYCHOMAGIC STORY (Italy) Dir: Giulia Brazzale, luca Immesi
: Directly inspired by the Psychomagic philosophy of Alejandro Jodorowsky, RITUAL is a dive into a wild universe where the energy of sadomasochism crosses paths with hallucinated beliefs from an exotic folklore. Its dark humour and violence also situates itself in the vein of Almodovar’s early work. Official selection, CPH PIX 2013. North-American Premiere.

THE ROOFTOP (Taiwan) Dir: Jay Chou: An all-singing, all-dancing, musical martial arts movie with technicoloured production numbers and massive kung fu fight scenes. Put on your goggles, folks. This one’s an eyeball exploder! Official Selection: New York Asian Film Festival 2013. Canadian Premiere.

RUROUNI KENSHIN (Japan) Dir: Keishi Otomo: In Meiji-era Japan, a former killer now wanders the countryside, his backward-bladed sword a symbol of his devotion to justice. It’s peace he seeks – but strife and treachery that find him! Fans of slick, slice-’em-up samurai cinema won’t want to miss this! Official Selection: Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival 2012 Quebec Premiere.

SAMURAI COP (USA) Dir: Amir Shervan
: Idiotic dialogue! Inept editing! A video-arcade soundtrack! Far too frequent appearances of black bikini briefs and numerous bungled bedroom scenes! The 1989 “classic” SAMURAI COP is so unbearably bad it’s brilliant! New HD master!

SEE YOU TOMORROW, EVERYONE (Japan) Dir: Yoshihiro Nakamura: Following a traumatic event, Satoru refuses to leave the urban island Furoku. A brilliant dissection of modern Japan, this insightful and exceptional film stars the formidable Gaku Hamada (FISH STORY). From the inimitable director of FISH STORY, GOLDEN SLUMBER, A BOY AND HIS SAMURAI. Official Selection: Udine Far East Film Festival 2013. North-American Premiere

SON OF SARDAAR (India) Dir: Ashwani Dhir: Tighten your turban, the amazing Ajay Devgan (SINGHAM) is back in a colourful, madcap situation comedy that delights its public with a ridiculous accumulation of gags, over-the-top action and stunts – and of course breathtaking Bollywood musical numbers!

TALES FROM THE DARK (Hong Kong) Dirs: Simon Yam, Fruit Chan, Lee Chi-NgaiL The biggest, most star-studded horror omnibus Hong Kong audiences have ever seen comes to town, serving a triple-barreled blast of pure old-school entertainment – three sinister shorts, directed by the returning Fruit Chan (DUMPLINGS), Lee Chi-Ngai (VENGEANCE IS MINE) and, in a rare directorial turn, none other than celebrated actor Simon Yam. Official Selection: New York Asian Film Festival 2013. Canadian Premiere.

THERMAE ROMAE (Japan) Dir: Hideki Takeuchi: A public-bathhouse builder in Rome of 128 A.D. tumbles through time to modern Japan, land of such marvels as toilet paper, Jacuzzis and of course electronic bidets! A wonderfully offbeat Japanese historical fantasy comedy with Hiroshi Abe (SURVIVE STYLE 5+, CHOCOLATE).Winner, Outstanding Performance by an Leading Actor, Japan Academy Awards 2013. Quebec Premiere

THE TIGER MASK (Japan) Dir: Ken Ochiai: Revamping the orphan who becomes a wrestler to fight villains – an icon of anime, manga and live wrestling – Shochiku has initiated a new Japanese superhero franchise with THE TIGER MASK. Be sure to get a ringside seat for its dynamic debut, screening here for the first time on the continent. North-American Premiere. Hosted by Co-Writer/Director Ken Ochiai

ULTRAMAN ZERO: THE REVENGE OF BELIAL (Japan) Dir: Yuichi Abe: Nebula M78, the Land of Light, homeworld of the Ultramen, is attacked by Belial’s robotic weapons… celebrate the 50th anniversary of Tsuburaya Productions with this all-action sci-fi extravaganza. North American Premiere

VEGETARIAN CANNIBAL (Croatia) Dir: Branko Schmidt: The story of a corrupt gynecologist’s exploits within a toxic medical system, VEGETARIAN CANNIBAL is a tough, transgressive, black-beyond-black gaze into the heart of amorality and an unforgiving rage against the worst kind of institutionalized corruption and sleaze, one that by its very nature is inescapable to its victims. Winner of awards for Best Director, Best Actor and Best Cinematography at the 2012 PulaFilm Festival and Best Actor at Fantastic Fest 2012.  Canadian Premiere.

VESSEL (Australia) Dir: Adam Ciancio: Is Ash a drug addict, mentally ill… or one of those rare humans with the gift (or curse?) of interdimensional communication? A remarkably sure-footed debut and a gem of indie filmmaking, VESSEL uses an intricately structured sci-fi concept to explore the complex nature of basic emotions and the inexplicable process of human connection. Official Selection: Sci-Fi London 2013  North American Premiere.

V/H/S 2 (USA/Canada/Indonesia) Dirs: Simon Barrett, Adam Wingard, Eduardo Sanchez, Gregg Hale, Timo Tjahjanto, Gareth Huw Evans, Jason Eisener: Truly a film that needs no introduction, but for those living completely under rocks, V/H/S 2 is a throttling, intense and imaginative anthology horror film featuring subjectively-shot segments from the makers of THE RAID, HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN, BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, MACABREand YOU’RE NEXT. Official Selection: Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca, Karlovy Vary 2013. Canadian Premiere.

WHEN A WOLF FALLS IN LOVE WITH A SHEEP (Taiwan) Dir: Hou Chi-Jan: A quirky yet entirely convincing story of two incongruous personalities gravitating to each other to soothe their wounded hearts. The comedy is pitch-perfect in its gentle yet revealing tone, while inventive camera work, animation and an eye for detail add zest to a solid story. Official Selection: Seattle International Film Festival 2013, New York Asian Film Festival 2013, Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival 2013. Canadian Premiere.

ZERO CHARISMA (USA) Dirs: Katie Graham & Andrew Matthews: Scott, a tried-and-true nerd, must re-examine his place in “nerd- dom” when threatened at his D&D table by successful hipster Miles. Comparable only to FREAKS & GEEKS as both endearing and heartbreaking, ZERO CHARISMA is a stunning nerd dramedy for the ages. Truly an amazing film.  Official Selection: SXSW 2013 International Premiere. Hosted by Directors Katie Graham & Andrew Matthews.

ZOMBIE HUNTER (USA) Dir: K. King: The title is all you need to know about this outlandish apocalyptic rollercoaster starringMACHETE’s Danny Trejo as a ghoul-smashing priest hacking his way to heaven. Bounty of pure B-movie entertainment, we promise hot chicks, intense action and exploding heads aplenty. World Premiere.

The 2013 Juries:

MAIN COMPETITION FOR THE CHEVAL NOIR AWARD FOR BEST FILM

Jury President: Laura Kern (Critic, Curator, managing editor, Film Comment)

Jean-Pierre Bergeron (Actor, Director, Screenwriter)

Samuel Jamier (Co-Director of the New York Asian Film Festival, Programmer at Japan Society)

Jarod Neece (Senior Programmer & Operations Manager, SXSW Film Festival)

Travis Stevens (Producer, CEO and founder of Snowfort Pictures)

FIRST FILM COMPETITON FOR THE NEW FLESH AWARD FOR BEST FIRST FILM

Jury President: Charles de Lauzirika (Filmmaker)

Ramachandra Borcar aka DJ Ram (Composer and Musician)

Manon Dumais (Journalist, Voir, Télé-Québec)

Jason Lapeyre (Filmmaker)

Stéphane du Mesnildot (Author, Journalist, teacher, Les Cahiers du cinema)

ANIMATION COMPETITION FOR THE SATOSHI KON AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN ANIMATION

Jury President: Patrick Bouchard (Filmmaker)

Luc Chamberland (Filmmaker, writer and teacher)

Keltie Duncan (Programmer and Technical Coordinator, Ottawa International Animation Festival)

INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM COMPETITION

Jury President: Sten-Kristian Saluveer (Programmer at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, Director of the Haapsalu Horror and Fantasy Film Festival, representative for the Estonian Film Commission FilmEstonia and Producer)

Garrick Dion (Senior VP of Development, Bold Films)

Frédérick Maheux (Filmmaker) ■

The Fantasia International Film Festival runs July 18–Aug. 6.