Spotlight on Fantasia '26: Our Top 5 Most Anticipated Films

We are a few days away from the kickoff of Canada's largest and most eclectic genre film festival. Fantasia International Film Festival celebrates its 30th edition and with it an incredibly stellar line-up of international, acclaimed films that we are buzzing to check out. Based in Montreal, the festival has become one of the fastest growing attended and culturally important genre film festivals in the world.

This year's festival will open with the Canadian Premiere of Nicolas Winding Refn's highly anticipated new film 'Her Private Hell' starring Sophie Thatcher and Havana Rose Liu, which received a lengthy standing ovation earlier this year at Cannes. Refn will also be receiving the Cheval Noir Career Achievement Award for his dedication and passion in his craft, with Fantasia noting that Refn has "been a transformative force in world cinema since bursting out of Copenhagen with the instant-classic crime drama 'Pusher' (1996), which also launched the career of Mads Mikkelsen"

Legendary Japanese filmmaker Takashi Shimizu will also receive the prestigious Cheval Noir Career Achievement Award. Establishing himself as a master of horror with the 'Ju-On' saga. Following this global triumph, Shimizu directed its first two American remakes in 2004 and 2006 and became the first Japanese filmmaker to top the U.S. box office. Fantasia is proud to celebrate his career – while illustrating that he remains a prolific and pertinent director – with the World Premiere of 'Village of Eight Gravestones' and the North American Premiere of 'The Mouths'.

Lauded by industry professionals and film fans alike and described by Quentin Tarantino as "The most important and prestigious genre film festival on this continent", this year's festival runs from July 16th to August 2nd.

For the fourth year in a row we'll be covering the festival remotely and now that the final wave of films has been revealed, here's some of the top horror and thriller feature films (in no particular order) that we can't wait to see.

TRAUMA OR, MONSTERS ALL - International Premiere

Filmmaker Larry Fessenden is, for all intents and purposes, an indie horror God. It feels pertinent that at the 30th edition of the accliamed film festival, Fessenden would also be bringing a film that is the culmination of almost 30 years of work. This is considered his "monsterverse" film. An epic conclusion bringing together the lead characters from previous monster films, 'Habit', 'Depraved' and 'Blackout', all of which screened at previous Fantasia festivals in the past. And as always Fessenden conjures up his own unique story to tell that is very much of it's time. Screening on Thursday 16th July.

LOS VAMPIRES - World Premiere

This one might be our most anticipated from this year's lineup, at least at first glance. A fantastical fictionalized account of the making of George Melford’s Spanish 'Dracula' (1931), which had been shot in the evenings on the stages of Tod Browning’s soon-to-be classic. 'Lost' star Henry Ian Cusick plays Spanish actor Luis De Ossario playing the infamous Count who regularly meets with his Hungarian, English speaking counterpart at the transitory hours of their shoots and a rivalry begins to stir between them. All the while, a string of murders are occurring on and around the soundstage. Screening on Tuesday 21st July.

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RUBBERHEAD: THE LIFE & MONSTERS OF STEVE JOHNSON - World Premiere

As crazy fans of practical make-up effects, prosthetics and creature creations this was the film that instantly jumped out to us. Steve Johnson is a legend of the genre having been a student of Rick Baker and working on 80s classics like 'Fright Night', 'Videodrome' and 'Night of the Demons' and this comprehensive documentary film about his life and work, including honest looks at both his brighter days and darker days dealing with addiction, will likely be an absolute must-see for any fans of 80s and 90s horror. Screening on Thursday 23rd July.

THE MOUTHS - North American Premiere

You had me at "Directed by Takashi Shimizu". The creator of 'Ju-On' returns to Canada with the first of two new films. The film revolves around a group of student friends who visit a supposedly cursed tree in a haunted cemetery and then all things turn a bit scary after that. Shimizu still remains the master at modern J-horror and has a real knack at creating darkly atmospheric nightmares. Bring it on. Screening on Sunday 26th July.

BAGWORM - Montreal Premiere

Oliver Bernsen’s gross-out, dark-comedy feature film debut supposedly gives new meaning to the idea of touching grass as it tackles the questions of what the appropriate response is to knowing that we are all screwed. Following a sexually frustrated, anxiety ridden man who believes the world is going to end and whose body begins to deteriorate after stepping on a rusty nail, the film is also a commentary on the toxic world of the manosphere. Screening on Friday 31st July.

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Honourable mentions must go to 'Village of Eight Gravestones', Takashi Shimizu's other offering. 'Colony' looks very exciting and of course it does being from the director of 'Train to Busan'. And last but not least 'The Glorious Dead' by our pals John Adams and Toby Poser, who are always as innovative as they are intriguing in their storytelling.

Fantasia International Film Festival runs from July 16th - August 2nd

Be sure to check back to our website on a regular basis during this period to read film reviews and more.