Every year, there’s something deeply exciting about getting the Fantasia Fest program announcement emails in my inbox. I feel like it’s Christmas morning. When I open that email I know I’m about to discover an awesome selection of films from all over the world that I would rarely get the chance to see otherwise. Top-notch animation, incredible horror films, sci-fi goodness, innovative works, and, of course, a beautiful and varied selection of Asian cinema that no one else can offer.
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The Fantasia Fest 2023 program is no different, and to kick off our coverage, I compiled a small list of films that gave me that Christmas morning feeling when browsing through the program and you should keep your eyes on; it’s just a taste of the exquisite selection that the biggest genre film festival in North America will present from July 20 to August 9.
Circo Animato 2023
One of my favorite Fantasia Fest traditions is Circo Animato, an annual showcase of international animated short films. This year we’ve got projects from South Korea, Hungary, China, India, Singapore, Japan, and Canada. Every single of them sounds amazing, but I’m particularly interested in Hermit Island, a psychedelic sci-fi about an adventuress who finds herself on a strange island with a bearded hermit, as well as Nezumikozo Jirokichi, a work in through which anime director Rintaro (Metropolis) and character designer Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira) bring to life the vision of Japanese cinema pioneer Sadao Yamanaka regarding an Edo folk hero.
Per usual, Fantasia has an incredible shorts offering. Besides Circo Animato, we’ve got programs dedicated to sci-fi, gothic anime, comedy, Indigenous cinema, and much more. Don’t underestimate the short films! There are always unforgettable works waiting to be discovered here.
My Worst Neighbor
A young man who dreams of being a pop music star moves into a new flat with cardboard walls. His neighbor is an agoraphobic character designer hellbent on stopping any distracting noise. With no possibility of face-to-face negotiations, an unrelenting conflict soon ensues but also the necessity of learning to live side by side.
Starring Korean soap opera star Lee Ji-hoon and K-pop superstar Han Seung-yeon, My Worst Neighbor promises to be a funny and wholesome romantic comedy that touches on mental health and labor exploitation themes. Plus, the “characters are never in the same room together” concept sounds fascinating and I’m eager to see how director Lee Woo-chul pulls it off.
The Primevals
Legendary animator and visual effects artist David Allen worked in films such as Flash Gordon, Equinox, Young Sherlock Holmes, The Howling, and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. Still, his most ambitious project was The Primevals, a vehicle that promised to be the culmination of his stop-motion prowess. Unfortunately, Allen passed away in 1999 and the film was left unfinished. More than two decades later, his longtime producer Charles Band teamed up with associate Chris Endicott to complete the glorious movie which will have its world premiere at Fantasia Fest 2023.
The Primevals follows a doctor that leads an obsessive mission to hunt the Yeti, however, he and his team soon encounter a tribe of primitive hominids as well as a shocking discovery. Allen’s genius, stop-motion beasts, and adventure. This sounds incredible.
River
Junta Yamaguchi’s Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes remains one of the best and most underrated feature film debuts in recent years. It was a charming, smart, and highly creative single-take micro-budget time-traveling wonder. So, naturally, I’m very excited about this second film, River, which follows the waitress of a valley town inn going through her usual business until the place suddenly starts looping two minutes at a time. Now, the staff and guests will try to solve the strange time mystery around them.
It might be risky to tackle the time-loop concept again, but Yamaguchi displayed so much heart, humor, and creativity in his debut, that I’m fully confident that River will be an absolute blast.
Where the Devil Roams
After the outstanding macabre coming-of-age Hellbender, the DIY filmmaking family of John Adams, Zelda Adams, and Toby Poser, also known as the Adams Family, is back with a story about a family of traveling carnival performers that seek eternal life through the distrust-filled Depression-era America.
The Adams Family uses the horror genre to explore family relationships in a fascinating manner. Now, with dark magic and carnivalesque elements thrown into the mix, Where the Devil Roams sounds like an exquisite sacrilegious ride.
The Fantasia International Film Festival 2023 will run from July 20 to August 9. You can visit their official website to discover the full program.
