There are film festivals, and then there are film events. After 25 years covering horror, one lesson has become abundantly […]
There are film festivals, and then there are film events. After 25 years covering horror, one lesson has become abundantly clear: almost every major discovery starts at a film festival. That’s why we pay such close attention to Sundance, South by Southwest, Tribeca, Fantastic Fest, and the Toronto International Film Festival, among many others.
Held annually in Montreal, Fantasia isn’t just a festival; it’s three straight weeks of nonstop genre chaos. Horror, sci-fi, action, animation, thrillers, experimental cinema… if it exists on the fringes of filmmaking, Fantasia probably has it covered. The event delivers an eclectic, often unpredictable mix of cinema that stretches across nearly an entire month, and if you live locally, it practically becomes a holiday for film fans.
For those of us covering it remotely, Fantasia has become one of the best places in the world to discover new films before the rest of the industry catches up. Every year, the programmers dig deep, uncovering titles that might otherwise slip under the radar before eventually finding distribution and building buzz throughout the year.
So without further ado, here’s the first-wave lineup announcement for this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival.
From the press release:
The Fantasia International Film Festival will celebrate its upcoming 30th edition with an electrifying program of screenings, workshops, and launch events running from July 16 through August 2, 2026, returning to the Concordia Hall and J.A. de Sève cinemas, with additional screenings and events at Montreal’s Cinéma du Musée.
The festival’s full lineup will be announced in early July but in the meantime, Fantasia revealed a select first wave of its 2026 premiere titles.
SURVEILLANCE AND MURDER IN A FUTURE SOCIETY RULED BY SENTIENT AI – AGNIESZKA SMOCZYŃSKA’S HOT SPOT
In a near future society ruled by sentient A.I., a private eye investigates a murder case only to discover a rebel group capable of undermining the digital overlord. A singular, provocative, and aesthetically stunning new work from celebrated Polish visionary Agnieszka Smoczyńska (The Lure – Fantasia 2016, The Silent Twins, ), starring Andrzej Konopka (, ), Noomi Rapace (, ), and Reika Kirishima (, ). Produced by Bogna Szewczyk-Skupień (, ), Klaudia Śmieja-Rostworowska (, ), and Gregory Jankilevitsch (, ). Cheval Noir Competition. World Premiere.
Fugue
The Thaw
The Lure
Prometheus
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Drive My Car
Norwegian Wood
Lamb
Mr. Jones
The Brutalist
High Life
The Testament of Ann Lee
Better Man
JENN WEXLER RESURRECTS EVERYONE’S FAVORITE TROUBLEMAKER TO CRUSH THE FOURTH REICH IN THE LAST TEMPTATION OF BECKY
Fantasia’s family of returning filmmakers is large, and proudly includes director/producer powerhouse, Jenn Wexler. Her breakout debut, THE RANGER, came to Fantasia in 2018 and was followed by the World Premiere of her supernatural Christmas crime heist, THE SACRIFICE GAME, in 2023. For Fantasia’s 30th anniversary, the fest couldn’t be happier to have her back with the next chapter of the popular BECKY franchise, THE LAST TEMPTATION OF BECKY!
Becky Hooper (Lulu Wilson, THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE) has annihilated Neo-Nazis and all manner of victimizers, but this time, she’s going straight to the source! Now a CIA agent, managed by genre favorite Kate Seigel (HUSH, MIDNIGHT MASS), she’s taking down a nefarious modern-day Nazi played with camp brilliance by the one and only Neil Patrick Harris (SUNNY DANCER, GONE GIRL)! Wexler shines here, highlighting the underdog heroine and going for broke with tons of gore and crazy kills. Meanwhile, Wilson reprises her beloved character with gusto, unleashing Becky’s signature rage on an army of insane baddies! World Premiere.
MAKOTO UEDA’S DEBUT FEATURE YOU ARE THE FILM TAKES A DIFFERENT PATH OF PLAYING WITH TIME
Fantasia’s go-to time-travel screenwriter, Makoto Ueda (BEYOND THE INFINITE TWO MINUTES, Fantasia 2021; RIVER, Fantasia 2023; and REWRITE, Fantasia 2025) steps behind the camera for his debut feature, YOU ARE THE FILM, once again exploring time in an inventive way, and with a surprising twist. Separated by three kilometers – a 45-minute walk – how can Madoka and Kazuma watch, interact with, and guide each other on a cinema screen in real time? Featuring familiar faces such as Marika Ito (IT’S A SUMMER FILM!), Kai Inowaki (THE FABLE), Riko Fujitani (RIVER), and Oshirō Maeda (REWRITE), YOU ARE THE FILM offers a singularly chaotic and fascinating cinematic journey. Grab some popcorn, and enjoy this winner of both the Audience Award and White Raven Award at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival in striking real-time! North American Premiere.
NO REST FOR THE WICKED BRINGS BOLD NEW VISIONS TO VAMPIRE LORE
A young fisherman’s first love with a stranded whaler unfolds in secrecy under the pressures of family, faith, and community in this haunting and subversive Queer vampire film with chilling folk horror flavors. Singular in scope and depth, Kasper Kalle’s NO REST FOR THE WICKED is a vivid new landmark in Danish genre cinema that brings imaginatively radical and nightmarish new elements into the vampire lore.
Adapted from Karl Heinrich Ulrichs’s iconic1884 novella “Manor”, the film is set against the harsh, unforgiving landscape of the 19th-century Faroe Islands. Its stark, yet dreamy, uncanny atmosphere recalls the work of Carl Theodor Dreyer or even Robert Eggers, while its full-blooded heart is just as much an ode to the painful longings of Gothic romance as it is to the genre’s cruelties and horrors. Anchored by a remarkable lead performance from screen newcomer Egor Venned, it co-stars Pilou Asbæk (LUCY, GAME OF THRONES, A HIJACKING, AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM) alongside strong performances from Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson (CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD, SUCCESSION, VIKINGS: VALHALLA), and Sofia Nolsøe (LIMBO, MØRKELAND).Cheval Noir Competition. World Premiere.
THE EYES IS A DISORIENTING SENSORY EXPERIENCE WITH A FRESH TAKE ON A CLASSIC OF THE GENRE
A year after being brutally attacked by a former boyfriend who had become obsessed with her, Seo-jin remains traumatized. Suffering from hereditary, degenerative blindness, her efforts to secure a corneal transplant are interrupted by the apparent suicide of her twin sister, just as her attacker is released from prison. Convinced it was murder, Seo-jin sets out to find the culprit before she loses her sight completely.
With his remake, or rather reinterpretation, of the Spanish thriller JULIA’S EYES, director Yeom Ji-oh (NEXT DOOR) draws on all his creativity by skillfully employing cinematography that varies perspectives and depths of field. The results are deliberately disorienting sequences with exceptional dynamism, which fully immerse the viewer. THE EYES is a thriller with horror undertones that offers a breathless sensory experience with numerous stunning twists. The fabulous Shin Min-a (A BITTERSWEET LIFE) delivers a dual performance of unprecedented intensity – one of the finest of her career – and is joined by the excellent Kim Nam-hee, of the popular TV series MR. SUNSHINE. Cheval Noir Competition.North American Premiere.
A DARKLY PRESCIENT FABLE OF AUTONOMY AND CONTROL: HOME BODIES
It’s been over a decade since director Casey Walker last visited Fantasia’s hallowed halls. In 2012, his horror/comedy A LITTLE BIT ZOMBIE lit up Montreal – and in the years since, he’s produced Canadian landmarks THE VOID and IN A VIOLENT NATURE. Now, for Fantasia’s 30th anniversary, Walker returns with HOME BODIES, a surreal sci-fi thriller built to rattle audiences. Twins Red and Blue (Emma and Ian Ho, THE EXPANSE) exist in isolation, governed by Papa, a voice behind a door dispensing food, shelter, and law. When the androgynous Pal (Ess Hödlmoser, THE BOYS, STATION ELEVEN) arrives, their world fractures.
Echoing PIN and CUBE, HOME BODIES is a darkly prescient fable of autonomy and control. Produced by the powerhouse team of Walker and Karen Harnisch (INFINITY POOL, FIRESTARTER), and featuring executive producers Todd Brown (MANDY, IN FLAMES) and Chad Archibald (whose UNDERTONE became a smash Canadian horror hit), HOME BODIES is a dire warning dressed as a bedtime story. Septentrion Shadows Section. World Premiere.
SOUR MINNOWS IS COMING TO WARP YOUR SENSES
Harrison Atkins’ hotly anticipated second feature following his 2015 classic LACE CRATER is upon us, and it was well worth the wait. After unknowingly peeking through the veil, Ricky (David Brown, THE RAINBOW BRIDGE, JURY DUTY) and his roommate Tepper (Chase Williamson, THE GUEST, JOHN DIES AT THE END) witness six men sensually licking the pavement on an empty LA street. As time stretches and bends in the aftermath of this encounter, Ricky’s relations, including his situationship with fellow cinephile Aura (Suzanna Son, RED ROCKET, FEAR STREET: PROM QUEEN), begin to take on surprising new dimensions. Memories morph into lies, reality becomes malleable, and Ricky finds himself at the mercy of “The Yellow Thing,” an entity that wears people like costumes. Although dealing with complex and heavy concepts, SOUR MINNOWS’ experimental reworking of the hangout film brings a levity to the end of times, allowing for a special kind of humor to shine through the darkness, weaving through claustrophobic camerawork, paranoid editing, and a huge rip of supernatural conspiracy. World Premiere. Cheval Noir Competition.
TAIWAN’S FIRST MARTIAL-ARTS FANTASY IN OVER IN 40 YEARS: GIDDENS KO’S KUNG FU
An invincible, aging martial arts master transforms two young losers into powerful disciples who uphold justice. However, unfinished business from a previous life 500 years prior may soon shatter their bond and unleash new havoc. Award winner Giddens Ko (YOU ARE THE APPLE OF MY EYE, MON MON MON MONSTERS), who helped rejuvenate Taiwan cinema, strikes with subversive originality in the martial-arts genre with KUNG FU, a big-screen adaptation of his own popular novel. Taiwan’s first martial-arts fantasy in over in 40 years, the film was a major success there earlier this year and stars local icons as Kai Ko (MISS SHAMPOO), Berant Zhu (THE SADNESS), and Gingle Wang (DEAD TALENTS SOCIETY). Its amazing action scenes are overseen by the award-winning Korean stunt team Triple A (NEW NORMAL). North American Premiere.
PREPARE FOR EMOTIONAL WHIPLASH WITH TIGHT LETTUCE
How much of yourself can you give to support the ones you love? Like most young adults, Joel (Dakota Daulby, of LONGLEGS and Apple’s SMOKE) hopes to build a good life for himself and his partner. Holding him back has always been his father, Bodo (Emmanuel Bilodeau, UN CRABE DANS LA TÊTE, CURLING), an eccentric man stuck in the throes of a decades-long addition to heroin and fentanyl. In an effort to bond with him and steer him towards the road to recovery, his son begins documenting their time spent together. As their fates become ever more intertwined, and Joel’s own life begins to slowly unravel, he realizes that unless he can face up to his father, his own future hangs in the balance. With his first feature inspired by a true story, director Harrison Houde portraits the ravages of addiction, deftly tipping the scales between darkness and humor. Emmanuel Bilodeau shines with what may be the best performance of his career, playing alongside a stunning ensemble cast of illustrious Quebec talent, including France Castel (LE VENT DU WYOMING, KARMINA), Maxim Roy (SHADOWHUNTERS, 19-2), Guy Jodoin (DANS UNE GALAXIE PRÈS DE CHEZ VOUS, DÉSOLÉ PARDON JE M’EXCUSE), and Didier Lucien (RAVENOUS, DANS UNE GALAXIE PRÈS DE CHEZ VOUS). TIGHT LETTUCE is funny, horrifying, touching, and – above all – deeply human. Les Fantastiques Week-Ends du Cinéma Québécois Section. World Premiere.
WELCOME TO ANYMART, WHERE YOU’LL FIND ANYTHING YOU COULD WISH FOR – FOR BETTER OR (MORE LIKELY) WORSE
A young man (Shota Sometani, Bakudan) works on autopilot in his disillusioned father’s convenience store, where he’s constantly having to put up with visits from the AnyMart chain’s sales representative. Amidst a clientele frustrated by their economic and social circumstances and colleagues at the end of their tethers, a sassy new employee (Erika Karata, Desert of Namibia) arrives in this toxic environment, ready to explode at any moment.
With AnyMart, director and screenwriter Yusuke Iwasaki delivers a masterful debut feature that is at once satirical, relevant, and mature, exploring the microcosm of a convenience store populated by people in distress: a scenario that could apply to any hyper-capitalist society run by soulless corporations. This horror film, steeped in dark humor and tension that builds slowly but surely, establishes Iwasaki as one of Japan’s most promising young filmmakers.
Official Selection: Berlin International Film Festival. Cheval Noir Competition. North American Premiere.
FROM THE PRODUCER OF SKINAMARINK, ANCESTRAL BEASTS CASTS A DEMONIC LENS ON INTERGENERATIONAL TRAUMA.
Red River Métis director Tim Riedel celebrates the Fantasia World Premiere of his psychological horror, ANCESTRAL BEASTS, which first appeared as a 2025 Frontieres Platform project at Cannes, and is backed by executive producer Edmon Rotea of SKINAMARINK fame. Family is complicated, even in the best of times, but when you have skeletons in the closet and grief as an unwanted houseguest, it becomes something that consumes you – and that’s what Elyse (Morgan Holmstrom, OUTLANDER, SHADOW OF THE ROUGAROU) finds out the hard way. Dealing with her mother’s death, a snarky sister, and a distant aunt, Elyse leaves the city for her aunt’s rural home to work on her mental health. But she’s not alone and will soon find that intergenerational trauma comes in many forms… and here, it’s demonic. Riedel draws on his talent for storytelling, personal experience, and genre to weave a tale of Indigenous mothers, sisters, and mental suffering. Look out for Canadian legend Gail Maurice (ROSIE, NIGHT RAIDERS) as Elyse’s Aunt Adele in this fresh new take on the haunted house film. Septentrion Shadows Section. World Premiere.
BEWARE WHAT YOU CAN CATCH IN A HAUNTED BUILDING FOR SOCIAL MEDIA FAME IN CAPTURED!
A middle school student who fears she’ll have to drop out of school and enter the workforce early to help her single mother make ends meet decides to start a vlog with the help of her best friend. In an effort to boost her popularity, they go to an abandoned building and film some fake scary footage, but end up actually haunted by an evil specter and a benevolent deity. Famous Japanese YouTuber Koichi (WON’T DISAPPEAR), whose videos have frequently garnered up to 2.8 million views, joins the trend of content creators successfully transitioning from the small screen to the big with CAPTURED!. Here, he blends horror, comedy, and a coming-of-age story through a brilliant screenplay that isn’t afraid to play with the conventions of the genre. The excellent cast includes rising star Runa Nakashima (6 LYING STUDENTS), influencer, model, and musician Maikichi, and veteran Megumi Okina, star of Takashi Shimizu’s classic JU-ON: THE GRUDGE. International Premiere.
UNHOLY NIGHT GIFTS DELIRIOUS HOLIDAY HORRORS
Michael Gabriele graced Fantasia screens in 2023 with his short films GET AWAY, which won the Gold Audience Award for Best International Short, and the darkly hilarious ROOM TONE, which also garnered several wins and nominations in 2024. It was only a matter of time until he unleashed his quick-witted violence in a feature-length film, so get ready for Christmas in July with the holiday horror UNHOLY NIGHT!
Family, food and a nonna who won’t die make Christmas Eve a bloody mess for Gino and his family. This tight-knit Italian unit soon finds out that Gino and his ex-girlfriend aren’t the most scandalous things in the family when his dead grandmother comes back to “help” with the festivities. With an ensemble cast that strikes a great balance of horror, heart, and hilarity, its cast includes Marc Bendavid (DARK MATTER, REACHER), Shailene Garnett (FIRE COUNTRY, DIGGSTOWN) and veteran actor Ron Lea of the Canadian classic, CLEARCUT! Gabriele’s debut feature perfectly captures the chaos of the holidays – as Gino and his family battle an onslaught of undead relatives and lost love – all on Christmas Eve.Septentrion Shadows Section. World Premiere.
A YAKUZA ENFORCER BUSTS SOME MEAN MOVES IN THE HILARIOUS BREAK FREE
With new restrictive laws and increasingly aggressive rivals, the Mikami yakuza clan is on the brink of collapse. While searching for new sources of income with his colleagues, the tough but tenderhearted Kunio is filmed during an altercation with an arrogant passer-by, but the ban on attacking civilians forces him to intimidate the man with a surreal dance that goes viral on TikTok. He then decides to take dance lessons to capitalize on this popularity and bring in some cash for his gang. Director and screenwriter Yu Nakamoto (THE SLIT-MOUTHED WOMAN RISES) makes the most of this premise and delivers one of the funniest comedies of the year. Thanks to a mind-blowing performance by Akito Fujii (BABY ASSASSINS: 2BABIES), BREAK FREE is packed with unforgettable, ridiculous scenes in which a yakuza, used to kicking ass, must hide his real job and intimidating demeanor to conquer the web.North American Premiere.
FERINE IS A CAPTIVATING ARIA OF HORROR AND EMOTION
FERINE, written and directed by Andrea Corsini and loosely based on the award-winning 2020 short that launched at Venice Critics Week, follows Irene (Carolyn Bracken, ODDITY, YOU ARE NOT MY MOTHER), a wealthy and influential art collector whose life is shattered by a sudden, shocking tragedy. In the wake of her grief, a primal instinct awakens, pulling her beyond reason and transforming her from within. She encounters Dama (Caroline Goodall, HOOK, SCHINDLER’S LIST), an enigmatic trafficker of exotic predator cats, who realizes that Irene herself has become an unpredictable, dangerous predator. Soon, a dark bond forms.
In important ways, FERINE marks a return to a provocative and stylish form of classic Italian horror cinema that has been absent from the screen for years. It features sumptuous visual design, volcanic emotion, and transgressive flashpoints of violence, and comes complete with a lush orchestral score from the legendary Pino Donaggio (DON’T LOOK NOW, THE HOWLING, DRESSED TO KILL, TWO EVIL EYES). FERINE is a breathtaking genre achievement, anchored by extraordinary performances from Bracken and Goodall, and demands to be experienced on a big screen. Also featuring Elisabetta Caccamo and Paola Lavini. Cheval Noir Competition. International Premiere.
A NIGHTMARISH FACTORY FEEDS ON ITS EMPLOYEES IN THE BLOOD-SOAKED SLEEP NO MORE
Sisters Putri and Ida decide to visit the wig factory where their debt-ridden mother apparently took her own life in the middle of a shift, in order to understand what might have happened. Upon arrival, they meet the boss, Mrs. Maryati, who watches over a tight-knit community of employees. Horrific workplace accidents caused by overwork are on the rise, and the two young women come to a grim conclusion: the factory is haunted by a demon. With the unsettling SLEEP NO MORE, selected for the latest Berlinale, director and co-screenwriter Edwin (winner of an award at Locarno 2021 for VENGEANCE IS MINE, ALL OTHERS PAY CASH) makes his first foray into pure, unadulterated body horror, delivering a barrage of shocking practical effects that, at times, recalls Carpenter’s THE THING. Beneath this oppressive, blood-soaked atmosphere lies a powerful critique of the horrific working conditions and pitiful wages endured to feed the insatiable monster that is capitalist industry. Official Selection: Berlinale 2026.Cheval Noir Competition. North American Premiere.
GO BEHIND THE MASK OF HORROR’S GREATEST FX WITH RUBBERHEAD: THE LIFE & MONSTERS OF STEVE JOHNSON
Known for his intense work ethic, perfectionism, and obsession with breaking new ground, Steve Johnson has created iconic creatures and effects for some of the most beloved genre films in cinema history, working with everyone from John Carpenter, David Cronenberg, and Sam Raimi to James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, and Guillermo del Toro. His drive and ambition also led to heartbreaking acts of self-sabotage, divorce, and a serious drug addiction. Over seven years in the making and stacked with incredible, never-before-seen archival footage, RUBBERHEAD: THE LIFE & MONSTERS OF STEVE JOHNSON is a revealing portrait of an immense talent who could also be his own worst enemy. Director Nick Taylor lets the artist – an enormously engaging raconteur – do much of the showing and telling (though the likes of Linnea Quigley, John Landis, Tom Holland, and Oscar-winner Bill Corso also contribute). RUBBERHEAD is at once a captivating reflection on the game-changing practical FX glory days when everything was unexplored ground primed for radical invention and a fascinating, moving story of an FX master whose greatest monster may have been himself. Documentaries from the Edge Section. World Premiere.
NON-STOP TENSION AND TWISTS IN THE ENTHRALLING SUZUKI=BAKUDAN
Katsuhiro Go’s novel comes to life not only as an enthralling crime thriller, but as a riveting game of cat-and-mouse. While being interrogated at a police station, a mysterious drunk man named Tagosaku Suzuki (Japan Academy Film Prize winner Jiro Sato) claims that he has psychic powers by predicting bombs that will soon explode, each one being activated every hour. It’s up to detective Ruike (Yuki Yamada) to put an end to this madness and figure out how and why Suzuki can foresee these deadly situations. Who is this man? Why does he have this ability? What’s the motivation behind the explosions? Directed by Akira Nagai (CHARACTER) and produced by Shota Okada (TOKYO REVENGERS), SUZUKI=BAKUDAN features non-stop tension and twists, as well as a remarkable screenplay filled with great dialogue and suspense. This winner of the Director’s Week Best Actor Award for Jiro Sato at the 2026 Fantasporto Film Festival is guaranteed to blow your mind! North American Premiere.
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