Here's the Fantasia Film Festival Line-Up So Far

While I was on assignment, it seems the first wave of the Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal was revealed. Well, now a second wave has been announced. You can head inside for the complete rundown.

From July 18th August 6th, Montreal will be home to a showcase of over 100 feature films from around the world, along with a wealth of special events, conferences, and parties. Audiences can look forward to discovering numerous World and International premieres, as well as the Canadian debuts of some of the most acclaimed genre works from this years Cannes, Sundance, SXSW, Berlin, and Tribeca film festivals.

ShockTillYouDrop.com will be attending the event this year, so stay tuned for coverage!

009 RE: CYBORG Japan Dir: Kenji KamiyamaMechanized mayhem, mysticism and moral ambiguity meet when the influential 60s manga/anime property 009 CYBORG gets a dark, postmodern makeover care of the mighty Production I.G, in the spirit of the iconic GHOST IN THE SHELL films. Anime fans wont want to miss this one. North American Premiere.
ANIMALS Spain Dir: Marçal ForésEvocative of both DONNIE DARKO and LEOLO with a touch of Charles Burns, ANIMALS taps into a volatile whirlpool of adolescent anxieties and identity issues, addressing complex themes through a wealth of unconventional approaches. A heavy trip, but an entertaining and fantastical one. Winner: Best First Feature, Sant Jordi de Cinematografia 2013, Official Selection: Sitges 2012, Miami International Film Festival 2013. Quebec Premiere.
ANTISOCIAL Canada Dir: Cody CalahanOn New Years Eve, five university friends find themselves engulfed by a zombie-like attack. The team behind NEVERLOST deliver a gory, inventive, next-generation horror satire with an absolutely genius hook. World Premiere.
BAD MILOUSA Dir: Jacob VaughanKen Marino, Gillian Jacobs and Peter Stormare star in this insane comedy/horror UFO about an office workers repressed rage manifesting as a mutant ass monster that leaves his body during blackouts, commits murders then painfully burrows its way back up his butt. Regularly. Ouch! Official Selection: SXSW & Karlovy Vary 2013. Canadian Premiere.
BIG ASS SPIDER! USA Dir: Mike MendezA volatile 50-foot spider wreaks havoc against the city of Los Angeles in this fast, funny and surprisingly smart arachno-coaster ride thats not afraid to enjoy itself but at the same time, never goes for the easy stupid. Official Selection: SXSW, Dead by Dawn, Boston Underground, Calgary Underground Film Festival 2013. Quebec Premiere. Hosted by Director Mike Mendez and Producers Patrick Ewald & Travis Stevens.
BROKEN CIRCLE BREAKDOWN Belgium Dir: Felix Van GroeningenFelix Van Groeningen (THE MISFORTUNATES) returns with a fourth film establishing him as a masterful director; a non-linear, emotionally devastating story of two Flemish bluegrass musicians love, as they drift apart when they learn their daughter is dying from leukemia. Winner of the Panorama Audience Award at the 2013 Berlin International Film Festival as well as awards for Best Screenplay and Best Actress in a Narrative Feature Film at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival. Canadian Premiere.
THE DEAD EXPERIMENT Canada Dir: Anthony DixonAt once horrific and cerebral, this remarkable independent Canadian production situates itself somewhere between RE-ANIMATOR and PRIMER, fusing wild scientific theories with a morbid tale and sustained drama for an impact that is wholly unique and satisfying.
THE DIRTIES Canada Dir: Matt JohnsonAn astonishing, illuminating and surprisingly funny film, THE DIRTIES takes on the mortifying topic of high school shootings with an insight and wit that will leave you slack-jawed. And deeply haunted. Winner of numerous awards, including two at this years Slamdance. Quebec Premiere. Hosted by Director / Actor / Co-Writer Matt Johnson, Co-Writer Josh Boles & Actors Owen Williams and Krista Madison.
THE DEMONS ROOK USA Dir: James SizemoreA micro-budget, monsterific orgy of grue that can only be described as RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD by way of Jodorowsky with a touch of THE NEVERENDING STORY, shot in Georgia with a nearly all-amateur team, boatloads of heart and a horde of DIY prosthetic creatures. This film is F-U-N. Co-executive produced by celebrated Tiff programmer Colin Geddes and Toronto Film Scene / Exclaim! film critic Katarina Gligorijevic. World Premiere. Hosted by Director/ Actor / Co-Writer James Sizemore and his übergang of DIY magicians & maniacs!
HELLO, MY DOLLY GIRLFRIEND Japan Dir.: Takashi IshiiA man believes hes found redemption in a mysterious female mannequin that has come to life. Eroticism, perversity and deviant poetry collide in the latest from Takashi Ishii, an auteur who brought so much to Fantasia’s history with such major work as FREEZE ME and GONIN. International Premiere.
HOW TO USE GUYS WITH SECRET TIPS South Korea Dir.: Lee WonsukA young woman toiling in an obnoxiously sexist workplace comes across a VHS tape with advice on how to manipulate men in this uproarious romantic comedy which turns the gulf between men and women into a faultline through your funnybone. Winner of an audience award at the most recent Udine Far East Film Festival. Canadian Premiere.
ILL GIVE IT MY ALL TOMORROW Japan Dir.: Yuichi FukudaA single dad in the grip of midlife crisis quits his stable job to pursue a career as a manga artist. Loaded with imagination, this funny, touching tribute to putting things off goes far beyond sitcom silliness with an array of unforgettable characters. International Premiere.
MACHI ACTION Taiwan Dir.: Jeff ChangThis clever, racy and yet very humane Taiwanese comedy takes aim at the over-the-top tropes and antics of tokusatsu (giant monsters and masked space heroes) TV and at the absurd ups and downs of a performing artists life. Fresh from stomping all opponents at the Taiwanese box office, MACHI ACTION begins its quest for North American domination at Fantasia. North American Premiere.
MISSIONARY USA Dir: Anthony DiBlasiThe director of DREAD and CASSADAGA is back with a mean, lean, character-driven thriller of exceptional impact. Playing on the inherent fear that many people have of strangers, their possible delusions and perhaps worse, their bubbling insanity, MISSIONARY also looks at the figure of the man of faith as complex and unpredictable, while also exploring the duplicitous nature that is easily attributed to missionaries of all ilk. Stars Dawn Olivieri, Mitch Ryan and Kip Pardue and J LaRose. World Premiere. Hosted by Director Anthony DiBlasi.
OXV: THE MANUALUK Australia Dir: Darren Paul FisherOne of 2013s most minblowing discoveries, OXV: THE MANUAL is an endlessly imaginative scientific-philosophical romance that plays like the mutant offspring of Michel Gondry, Neil Gaiman, Terry Gilliam and Shane Carruth yes, really. One of those little miracles that only independent cinema can produce, this is a resoundingly original piece of work that will have you smiling for weeks. World Premiere. Hosted by Writer / Director Darren Paul Fisher
PLUS ONE USA Dir: Dennis IliadisTeens at a wild house party quickly catch on that all isnt right, as doubles of themselves and everyone else attending are popping up and reliving the evening, just about 45 minutes prior. With each blackout of lights, the doubles catch up a little more in time. An entertainingly inventive and clever slice of high energy teen oblivion from the director of the LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT remake. Official Selection: SXSW. Canadian Premiere.
THE RESURECTION OF A BASTARD Netherlands Dir: Guido van DrielRiveting with its innovative cinematic style, doused in outrageous bursts of wicked carnage, and topped off with a smattering of shadowy Lynchian humour, THE RESURRECTION OF A BASTARD is a deliciously oddball investigation of the mystery of life, and all the violent possibilities it has to offer. A blissful cinematic experience that represents the current renaissance in Dutch genre filmmaking. Stars Yorick van Wagenigen (THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATOO). Opening film of the 2013 Rotterdam International Film Festival. International Premiere.
SAVING GENERAL YANG Hong Kong Dir.: Ronny YuIt is up to General Yangs seven sons each a master of his own kung fu discipline to rescue him from behind enemy lines. Ronny Yu (FEARLESS, THE BRIDE WITH WHITE HAIR, BRIDE OF CHUCKY) revisits anew the oft-told tale of the Yang clan, legends of Chinese martial arts literature and film. Official Selection: Hong Kong International Film Festival 2013. North American Premiere.
SECRETLY GREATLYSouth Korea Dir.: Jang Cheol-sooA North Korean spy is sent south, where he must blend into a towns community as the village idiot. This punchy action-comedy broke box-office records on its home turf. From the director of BEDEVILLED. Official Selection: New York Asian Film Festival 2013. Canadian Premiere.
SWEETWATER USA Dirs: Logan Miller, Noah MillerEd Harris, January Jones, and Eduardo Noriega star in one of the most eccentric and surprising Westerns to storm cinematic saloons in some time, bursting with tension, violence and theatricality, owing as much to Toshiya Fujita and LADY SNOWBLOOD as it does to Ford and Leone. Harris delivers the single most outlandish performance of his career. Official Selection: Sundance 2013. Canadian Premiere
UZUMASA JACOPETTI Japan Dir.: Moriro MiyamotoMiike meets Jeunet as a fathers one-track-minded quest for his familys happiness warps into murderous, absurdist carnage; a uniquely mesmerizing, magical, magnetic mind-melt of a movie from mysterious Kyoto filmmaker Moriro Miyamoto, heralding the return of true underground Japanese cinema. North American Premiere.
ACROSS THE RIVER Italy Dir: Lorenzo BianchiniA brilliant opposition of new and old narratives, this chilling discovery from Italy is the most downright efficient atmospheric horror film youll see anywhere this year, haunting with a slow-building, intense crescendo approach to its atmosphere of disorientation and dread. From the director of Custodes Bestiae.World Premiere.
BIG BAD WOLVES Israel Dirs: Aharon Keshales & Navot PapushadoDescribed in its official marketing as a brutal comedy for a mad mad mad mad world, this gripping, genre-bending tale of vengeance and fury is one of the greatest films you will see anywhere this year. Its launch at the Tribeca Film Festival deservedly saw it emerge as the single best-reviewed title in the festivals lineup. Canadian Premiere. Hosted by Directors Aharon Keshales & Navot Papushado.
CHEAP THRILLS USA Dir: E.L. KatzThe directorial debut from E.L. Katz stars Pat Healy (Compliance) as a recently fired father facing eviction who agrees to take on an escalating series of insane challenges in exchange for cash payments from a rich couple with a twisted sense of humor. Winner of the midnighter audience award at SXSW.Canadian Premiere. Hosted by Director E.L. Katz.
COMMANDO: A ONE MAN ARMY India Dir: Dilip GhoshBrace yourself for two solid hours of delirious action cinema featuring the superhumanly talented Vidyut Jamwal (THUPPAKKI), who dazzles in an arsenal of brilliantly choreographed, stunt-packed combat sequences that recall Jackie Chan in his prime. See COMMANDO and you will become an instant Jamwal fanatic. Period.North American Premiere.
DOOMSDAYS USA Dir: Eddie Mullins Dirty Fred (Justin Rice) and Bruho (Leo Fitzpatrick) are convinced that the world is approaching its end and consequently see no reason to hold jobs or even have homes. An idiosyncratic instant classic pre-apocalyptic comedy evocative of early Jarmusch and Linklater, DOOMSDAYS is intelligent, hilarious and genuinely counter-cultural. Its an astonishingly terrific debut from former critic Mullins. World Premiere. Hosted by Writer/Director Eddie Mullins.
HALLEY Mexico Dir: Sebastian HofmannA haunting and grotesque examination of urban loneliness and emotional decay, HALLEY reinvents the conventions of the modern zombie film by treating the state of living death as a degenerative medical illness. A major breakout at this years Sundance and Rotterdam Film Festivals. Canadian Premiere. Hosted by Writer/Director Sebastian Hofman.
ILL FOLLOW YOU DOWN Canada Dir: Richie MehtaHaley Joel Osment and Gillian Anderson star in this captivating film that is equal parts ingenious science-fiction mystery and heart-wrenching human drama. This is the kind of smart, plausible sci-fi tale rarely told anymore in cinema, a precious gem created with absolute conviction that delivers like an existential powerhouse. From the Genie-nominated director of AMAL. World Premiere. Hosted by Writer/Director Richie Mehta and Producer Lee Kim.
IP MAN THE FINAL FIGHT Hong Kong Dir: Herman YauThe dynamic final chapter of the Ip Man saga! Controversial godfather of exploitation cinema Herman Yau, who helmed the popular prequel THE LEGEND IS BORN – IP MAN reunites with his award-winning UNTOLD STORY star Anthony Wong (an actual martial artist specializing in monkey kung fu) and displays his abilities in all their glory, while his high-caliber thespian skills yield a more nuanced Ip Man than Donnie Yens signature performance. Canadian Premiere.
ITS ME, ITS ME Japan Dir: Satoshi MikiJ-pop star Kazuya Kamenashi plays a slacker who multiplies himself until his life becomes a bizarre nightmare in this mix of off-the-wall comedy, realistic science-fiction and surreal thriller by genius filmmaker Satoshi Miki (ADRIFT IN TOKYO).Canadian Premiere. Hosted by Writer / Director Satoshi Miki.
LAUTRE MONDE (The Otherworld) France Dir: Richard StanleyThe director of HARDWARE and DUST DEVIL returns with an astonishing documentary journey into life on the other side of the mirror. Dive with him into a place hidden deep in the South of France, untouched by the modern age, known as the Zone, where magic is currency and the supernatural is a part of every day life.World Premiere. Hosted by Director / Co-Writer Richard Stanley, Co-Writer Scarlett Amaris, Composer Simon Boswell, editor Patrick Tremblay and Cinematographer Karim Hussain.
LIBRARY WARS apan Dir: Shinsuke Sato In 2019, an elite squad has to fight to save books from aggressive government censorship. Reminiscent of FAHRENHEIT 451, yet surprisingly playful, LIBRARY WARS will keep you on the edge of your seat with its epic action sequences, brilliantly crafted by Shinsuke Sato (GANTZ).Canadian Premiere. Hosted by Director Shinsuke Sato.
MAGIC MAGICUSA Dir: Sebastian Silva Juno Temple and Michael Cera star in this Polanski-esque, paranoia-tinged psychological thriller that haunted all manner of psyches at Sundance and Cannes.Canadian Premiere.
METRO MANILAUK Philippines Dir: Sean EllisA provincial farming family migrates to the heartless big city of Manila and find themselves pulled into a sinkhole of crime and corruption in this gripping, moving thriller that took home the audience award at Sundance. An incredible film.Canadian Premiere.
RETURN TO NUKE EM HIGH, VOL. ONEUSA Dir: Lloyd Kaufman The brilliant, maniacal mind behind Troma Entertainment triumphantly returns to Fantasia with the hotly-anticipated first chapter of his epic new masterwork and youd better be ready for Lloyd Kaufman like youve never seen! When evil once more roams the halls of exploitation cinemas most infamous high school, the demented residents of Tromaville must band together one more time to take down bad taste and replace it with something even more foul!World Premiere. Hosted by Director Lloyd Kaufman.
THE WEIGHT South Korea Dir: Jeon Kyu-hwan A hunchbacked mortician takes delicate care of corpses before they rest for eternity and encounters broken characters as strange as the funeral rituals he sees. Evocative of an especially taboo-smashing version of DELICATESSEN-era Jean-Pierre Jeunet, THE WEIGHT is a major discovery in the annals of subversive cinema.North American Premiere.
WILLOW CREEK USA Dir: Bobcat GoldthwaitBobcat Goldthwait, celebrated comedian and brilliant director of such black comedy masterpieces as SHAKES THE CLOWN, WORLDS GREATEST DAD and GOD BLESS AMERICA shifts gears and veers off into left field with this chilling, subjectively shot horror film about a couple on an exploration into all things Bigfoot who stumble onto things most unusual.International Premiere. Hosted by Writer / Director Bobcat Goldthwait.