Fantasia International Film Festival Announces Second Wave of 2015 Lineup

The Fantasia International Film Festival reminds us every year that genre films are alive and well. While the complete 2015 lineup will not be revealed until July 7, the Montreal-based festival has announced its second wave of screenings. From what we can see from the lineup so far, it looks like Fantasia will live up to its reputation as one of the most eclectic, diverse and interesting film festivals around. The 2015 fest runs July 14 – August 4.

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Some highlights from the festival’s second wave include a special screening of Gilles Paquet-Brenner’s Gillian Flynn adaptation “Dark Places,” starring Nicholas Hoult and Charlize Theron, Sonny Mallhi’s directorial debut, “Anguish,” and the feature debut of Irish filmmaking team Rachael Moriarty and Peter Murphy, entitled “Traders.”

The Fantasia Film Festival also showcases counter-cultural indie films through its Fantasia Underground program. This year’s program will introduce Uganda’s Wakaliwood scene, a DIY commando cinema that developed in Wakaliga, a slum on the outskirts of Kampala, where a self-taught DIY filmmaking team makes wild action-packed movies with home-made equipment. Additional Fantasia Underground titles are listed below, with synopses courtesy of the Fantasia International Film Festival.

“Haruko’s Paranormal Laboratory”

Japan, Dir: Lisa Takeba

One day, as Haruko is zapping, her television unexpectedly transforms into a beautiful, shirtless, TV-headed stud! Welcome to “Haruko’s Paranormal Laboratory,” a personal and inventive vision signaling Takeba as Japan’s new Queen of Quirk. Official Selection: Rotterdam, Hong Kong, Yubari. Canadian Premiere.

“Hostile”

France, Dir : Nathan Ambrosioni

One of the most talked about horror works at the Cannes Film Market this year, “Hostile” marks the impressive debut of 14 year old director Nathan Ambrosioni. A TV show host answers the call of a mother terrified of her two adopted daughters. What starts with the familiar slowly builds into a poignant horror tale. International Premiere.

“Ojuju”

Nigeria, Dir: C.J. ‘Fiery’ Obasi

“Ojuju” is a fascinating and well-staged transposition of the flesh-eating Zombie Film, bringing the living dead to Nigeria’s slums following what initially appears to be rabid river blindness due to a contaminated water supply. Winner for Best Nigerian film at the Africa International Film Festival. Canadian Premiere.

“Meathead Goes Hog Wild”

USA, Dir: Kevin Cline, Zach Harris, and Sean Pierce

Don’t let the quirky title fool you, this is a visceral, heartfelt and violently confrontational slice of urban hell and personal apocalypse, detailing a young man’s breakdown over the course of a single terrible night in one of America’s most segregated cities. Think a socially conscious “Falling Down” by way of “Combat Shock”. World Premiere.

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Additional Fantasia Film Festival titles include:

“Ryuzo and the Seven Henchmen”

Japan Dir: Takeshi Kitano

“Dark Places”

USA Dir: Gilles Paquet-Brenner

“Anguish”

USA Dir: Sonny Mallhi

“Cherry Tree”

Ireland Dir: David Keating

“Wild City”

Hong Kong Dir: Ringo Lam

“Synchronicity”

USA Dir: Jacob Gentry

“Traders”

Ireland Dir: Rachael Moriarty, Peter Murphy

“Experience the Gaze of the Shamer’s Daughter”

Denmark Dir: Kenneth Kainz

Through the Eyes of a Stranger”

USA Dir: Victor Zarcoff

“Bite”

Canada Dir: Chad Archibald

“Extinction”

USA Dir: Miguel Angel Vivas

“Ava’s Possessions”

USA Dir: Jordan Galland

“Børning”

Norway Dir: Hallvard Bræin

“Bridgend”

Denmark Dir: Jeppe Rønde

“Bunny The Killer Thing”

Finland Dir: Joonas Makkonen

“Cop Car”

USA Dir: Jon Watts

“Crimson Whale”

South Korea Dir: Park Hye-mi

“Cruel”

France Dir : Eric Cherrière

“The Dark Below”

USA Dir: Douglas Schulze

Director’s Commentary — “Terror of Frankenstein”

USA Dir : Tim Kirk

“German Angst”

Germany Dir: Jörg Buttgereit, Michal Kosakowski and Andreas Marschall

“H.”

USA / Argentina Dir : Rania Attieh & Daniel Garcia

“The Hallow”

UK Dir: Corin Hardy

“He Never Died”

Canada Dir: Jason Krawczyk

“The Invitation”

USA Dir: Karyn Kusama

“Ju-On: The Final Curse”

Japan Dir: Masayuki Ochiai

“Manson Family Vacation”

USA Dir: J. Davis

“The Master Plan”

Sweden Dir: Alain Darborg

“Monty Python: The Meaning of Live”

UK Dir: Roger Graef and James Rogan

“The Nutcracker 3D”

Japan Dir: Sebastian Masuda

“On The White Planet”

South Korea Dir: Hur Bum-wook

“Remake, Remix, Rip-Off: About Copy Culture & Turkish Pop Cinema”

Turkey/Germany Dir: Cem Kaya

“The Royal Tailor”

South Korea Dir: Lee Won-suk

“Scherzo Diabolico”

Mexico/USA Dir: Adrián García Bogliano

“Socialphobia”

South Korea Dir: Hong Seok-jae

“Some Kind of Hate”

USA Dir: Adam Egypt Mortimer

“She Who Must Burn”

Canada Dir: Larry Kent

“The Taking”

UK Dir: Dominic Brunt

“Therapy For A Vampire”

Austria Dir: David Rühm

“We Are Still Here”

USA Dir: Ted Geoghegan

“Wonderful World End”

Japan Dir: Daigo Matsui

READ MORE: Watch: Charlize Theron Has Meanness Inside Her In New International Trailer For ‘Dark Places’

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