The 2025 Fantasia International Film Festival is right around the corner, and there is so much playing at the fest this year. It’s the most wonderful time of the year for this genre lover’s heart, and every time Fantasia pops up, a little flutter of giddiness kicks in. From horror to sci-fi to fantasy and everything in between, there’s literally something for everyone to take in, and this year is no exception.
Animation, in particular, gets a deservedly special spotlight at Fantasia. With its Animation Plus section, though a couple may matriculate to other program categories, the festival highlights a style of filmmaking that doesn’t always get its due. And, with this year’s selection of animated features, the sky’s the limit for how far animation can go.
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Without further ado, let’s get into the five animated films you need to see at this year’s Fantasia Film Festival.
All You Need Is Kill!
Based on the novel of the same name by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, All You Need Is Kill! has finally been adapted into an anime feature, and it looks so promising. In the year 20XX, a vast and mysterious flower called “Darol” suddenly appears in Japan. Rita volunteers with others to help clean and rebuild, but things don’t go according to plan.
One day, Darol emits a signal, activating a series of creatures to emerge and kill everyone, including Rita. The thing is, she wakes up to start the day over and over and over. It seems like she’s forced to find a solution herself until she meets Keiji, a man who is also stuck in the loop with her. It’s up to them to figure out how to break the cycle or keep dying and dying and, well, dying.
One of two films at the Fantasia International Film Festival this year, animated by STUDIO4°C, All You Need Is Kill! looks set to keep viewers on their toes with captivating animation bringing the fantastical, futuristic world Rita and Kenji have to navigate to life.
ChaO
The second film animated by STUDIO4°C playing at the 2025 Fantasia International Film Festival is ChaO, a delightfully creative reimagining of the classic The Little Mermaid tale. Set in a future-ish Shanghai, a story of love, friendship, and unity emerges between humans and merfolk. Stephen, a junior designer of a shipbuilding company, is involuntarily selected as the fiancé of the titular Chao, the daughter of Neptunus, the monarch of all the merfolk. Of course, chaos ensues.
The design of Chao is completely adorable, yet it goes against the grain of what many might envision for a mermaid. Her impeccably cute design emphasizes the physical difference between her and Stephen, but also paves the way for boundless comedic moments. Directed by Yasuhiro Aoki and written by Saku Konohana, ChaO blurs a familiar story with the unexpected, blending romance, fantasy, and cyberpunk in a beautifully rendered aesthetic sensibility.
Death Does Not Exist (La mort n’existe pas)
Animation is often dismissed as being just for children, a silly assumption that honestly should be laid to rest. As a medium, it can illustrate and convey visual metaphors to dissect subjects, especially difficult ones, and themes in more visceral ways. This is exactly what Félix Dufour-Laperrière achieves in Death Does Not Exist (La mort n’existe pas), where he explores inequality, the violence that is borne from it, what it means to act, and all of its consequences.
In Death Does Not Exist, a group of young activists take up arms against an affluent family. This action, of course, doesn’t go to plan, forcing a reconciliation of self for a haunted young woman who must contend with the events that have taken place. This film is designed to challenge, to inspire, to warn. As such, it has to go on this list. To leave it off would be a travesty.
I Am Frankelda
I am but a person. I see stop-motion animation, and I throw it up on my must-watch list. If stop-motion isn’t enough for you (and it should be), let’s get into why I Am Frankelda is a must-see out of Fantasia. Heralded as Mexico’s first stop-motion animation feature, the film is set in 19th-century Mexico, where a recently orphaned Francisca Imelda uses her creativity to craft stories that help heal her heart. These stories inadvertently serve as a link between her world and another’s, and that link is oh-so-fragile.
Herneval, the young owl-boy prince of the other world, is lured in by Francisca’s stories and voice. When they meet, a bond is forged. But can that bond spell the end of reality as they both know it? Carefully crafted by Rodolfo and Arturo Ambriz, I Am Frankelda already stands out with its beautifully designed characters, distinct color palettes, and whimsical story.
Allow yourself to step into its world while you’re at the 2025 Fantasia International Film Festival. Also, if you are attending in person from July 18 to July 20, make sure you check out the special exhibit onsite and say hello to Frankelda, Herneval, and all the other “stars” of I Am Frankelda.
The Girl Who Stole Time
From screenwriters Yu Ao and Zhou Tienan comes their directorial debut, The Girl Who Stole Time, which is sure to be a tearjerker. The titular girl in question is Qian Xiao, a young girl who aspires to become an actress in the big city. On her way there, she gets into an accident but survives. In the process, she comes across a pendant that gives her the ability to manipulate time.
However, time is a finite resource in high demand, and this ability puts a target on her back. With an assassin hot on her tail and her dreams within reach, will Qian Xiao make the best use of her time wielding abilities? These abilities are gorgeously animated and really leans into a more superhero quality in terms of design and execution. And, once you hear Liu Xiaoyu’s voice, you’ll be all in on supporting Qian Xiao and her dreams, however wild a journey she decides to go on. Embark on this journey with her at the 2025 Fantasia International Film Festival.
The Fantasia International Film Festival will celebrate its upcoming 29th edition with an electrifying program of screenings, workshops, and launch events running from July 16 through August 3, 2025. With these animated recommendations, you should be in good hands!
