Fantasia 2014 promises to be the cinema event of the season
There’s a reason cinephiles love the Fantasia International Film Festival, and it’s because there truly is something for all of them.
Fantasia co-director Mitch Davis puts it this way: “It features just about every cultural perspective on the fantastic that one could ever hope to cross paths with in a darkened room.”
Concordia has been the home of the Fantasia Film Festival for 12 years, sharing its cinemas and theatres with the festival’s vibrant and enthusiastic participants and guests since 2003. The collaboration has led to many great developments including internship programs, networking events and opportunities for Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema students to be showcased.
One such student, Omar Antonio Iturriaga-Barragan (BFA 14), will be premiering his film The Rotten Monk at the festival this year. The Concordia connection doesn’t stop there. Film studies professor Donato Totaro will be sitting on the Fantasia jury this year.
On July 10, the full lineup of more than 160 films was announced for the 2014 festival, which runs from July 17 to August 6. According to Davis, it also features “unconventional children’s films and unclassifiable experimental and underground works, coming in from every corner of the world.”
The festival is also showcasing a variety of North American and international premieres. Screenings will be held on Concordia’s Sir George Williams campus, in the J.A. DeSève Cinema, H-110 Alumni Auditorium and the D.B. Clarke Theatre.
Both the DeSève Cinema and H-110 have undergone significant renovations that benefit both the university and the festival.
The 692-seat H-110 auditorium has had new seats installed for comfort, along with a complete revamp of the audio-visual system. The DeSève, a 160-seat cinema located in the J.W. McConnell Building, features a new screen, new acoustic panelling and new seats as well.
Fantasia co-director Mitch Davis says Cold in July is one of his must-watch films for the festival.
Though Davis says it’s nearly impossible to narrow down the lineup, he names Cold in July (USA), Wetlands (Germany), The Fake (South Korea), Housebound (New Zealand) and Killers (Indonesia) as among his top can’t-miss screenings.
The film Yasmine, the first-ever commercial film produced in Brunei, is also a highlight.
“It’s a stunning martial-arts sports drama starring this incredible young woman, Liyana Yus, who spent a year training for the role,” says Davis. “Our screening will be the first time the film is shown on this continent.”
A number of notable guests will appear at the 2014 festival, among them Abel Ferrara, Bill Plympton, John McNaughton, Jang Joon-hwan, Aubrey Plaza, Matthew Gray Gubler, Ray Wise, Josephine Decker and David Zellner. Filmmakers Tobe Hooper and Mamoru Oshii will also receive lifetime achievement awards.
Another of Davis' picks for the festival is David Wnendt's Wetlands ("Feuchtgebiete").
“It’s really amazing, and I say that as much as a gobsmacked fan as I do a programmer. It took endless months of negotiations and heartfelt declarations of love to get the lineup we’ve got this year, and we’re all still kind of in awe with the end result,” Davis says. “We’re all ridiculously proud.”
See the full schedule for the Fantasia International Film Festival.